Mental Health in the Hispanic Community: Overcoming Stigma and Enhancing Communication

Harry Padilla

When it comes to health care, one of the most vulnerable populations in Central Pa. is the Hispanic community. Particularly concerning is the treatment of mental health within this demographic. The potential language barrier, coupled with the cultural nuances, can create significant hurdles in ensuring effective communication and treatment. Harry Padilla, the Chief Nursing Officer at PPI, gives us an insight into these challenges and the proactive steps taken to bridge these gaps.

The Challenges

According to Padilla, the most significant barrier is indeed the language. From his experience, he notes that it’s not just a matter of translation. It’s also about understanding the cultural implications behind words and phrases. This barrier extends beyond just communication, impacting the interpretation of diagnoses and treatment recommendations.

“The removal of the barrier of communication alleviates some of the stress from an already high-stress situation,” said Padilla. “Translation services allow the patient to understand the treatment plan that will be administered and how it will impact them.”

There’s also a prevalent stigma in the Hispanic community regarding mental health. This is especially pronounced among the older generation, where conditions like depression and anxiety aren’t recognized as medical issues. “They sometimes see it as a lack of willpower or something that’s self-inflicted,” Padilla adds. He believes that a mix of cultural beliefs and a lack of education perpetuates this stigma.

Furthermore, access to early mental health care poses another significant challenge, particularly in urban areas that have a higher proportion of Hispanic communities. Drawing from his personal and professional background, Padilla reveals the stark disparities in access to care. “Many from inner cities face numerous barriers to getting the mental health care they need, often resorting to emergency departments as their primary means of care,” Padilla remarked. Witnessing the severe consequences of this limited access in his community, where individuals suffered from untreated conditions until they escalated to critical levels, became a driving force in his commitment to mental health care. Padilla strongly advocates for early intervention, emphasizing that “early treatment is preventive treatment.” The goal is to stave off critical breakdowns and other severe consequences of untreated mental health issues. It’s crucial to ensure that everyone has timely access to care before situations escalate into crises.

Proactive Measures

At PPI, efforts have been made to address these challenges head-on. The addition of a Hispanic Clinic, staffed with Spanish-speaking providers, has been a major milestone. They’ve also incorporated live interpreters into the system to aid communication. “The goal is to ease communication, alleviate stress and create a comprehensive treatment plan that the patient understands and can actively participate in,” shares Padilla.

Moreover, PPI has invested in technological solutions. A new computer program, in particular, aids in bridging the communication gap. The on-ground staff, equipped with this toolkit, can effectively communicate, and thereby treat their patients more efficiently.

Training and Cultural Sensitivity

It’s not enough to have the tools; understanding how to use them is equally critical. PPI ensures yearly training sessions on cultural expectations and sensitivities. This training might not immediately strike as essential, but Padilla observes, “Once staff encounters real-life scenarios and applies the training, there’s this ‘aha’ moment where the value of the training truly shines.”

In response to the growing Hispanic population, PPI has been actively looking to hire bilingual staff. Job descriptions now mention “bilingual preferred” to attract the right talent. However, Padilla notes, “It’s becoming harder to find such professionals.” To counter this difficulty, the team at PPI has invested in greater outreach to find the right candidates to serve the local community.

Case in Point

Drawing from real-life examples, Padilla recalls the challenges faced when dealing with Hispanic children in the child and adolescent departments of PPI. “The cultural reluctance towards medicating their children is a significant hurdle,” Padilla states. Through repeated education and counseling sessions with the parents, they often see the children improve, lighting up their world once more.

“Mental health is health too,” urges Harry Padilla. It’s a call for everyone, irrespective of their cultural background, to prioritize mental well-being just as they would a physical ailment. With professionals like Harry Padilla and institutions like PPI, the journey toward better mental health, especially within the Hispanic community, seems a little more navigable.

Learn More About PPI’s Services

Understanding and communicating mental health needs in one’s native language can make all the difference. At PPI, we are dedicated to serving the Spanish-speaking community, ensuring they have access to quality care tailored to their unique needs. Our bilingual team provides outpatient services, including psychiatric evaluations, medication management and therapy for children (aged five and up), adolescents and adults. We emphasize family involvement, delivering comprehensive treatment with cultural sensitivity. Here, language is no barrier to mental well-being.

Visit our website to learn more.

Continue Your Journey to Learn More About Mental Health in the Hispanic Community

Visit the below resources to learn more about mental health and the Hispanic and Latinx communities:

How PPI is Better Serving LGBTQ+ Clients: Evey Santos Explains

Evalina Santos

Evalina “Evey” Santos started her career at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) as a front desk receptionist in 2020, moving on to the current position created just for her a year later. Evey is currently a Certified Tech and Resource Coordinator for the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) program.

As a Resource Coordinator, she does the initial client intakes for the DBT program and skills classes, co-leading them as well. She also follows clients through their time at PPI, providing resources based on their needs to ensure they have the support they need while working on their goals and ensuring a successful discharge when the time comes. However, mental health was not always the field she thought she would end up working.

“It might be shocking to some, but I started out in mortuary school. But when we found out he was autistic, I knew I needed to be more consistent for my son. In looking for more fulfilling work, and wanting to better understand my son, I read up on autism. When I learned of the abuse and misconceptions that happened back in the ‘60s, it opened up the floodgates of wanting to be a social worker. Now, I’m enrolled in a program and doing an internship to get certified [for social work] – it’s really cool to be able to combine the two.”

Educating staff on LGBTQ+ support.

“When PPI leadership asks what we need more of, I always feel I can be honest and that my concerns are heard. I think the proof is all the trainings that the staff have access to, in particular the LGBTQ+ support that we have now,” explains Evey.

“We didn’t have all of this when I started three years ago. It’s branched out and it’s really a team effort. We work for the community and each of us has our own experiences and upbringings that make us essential. The most valuable thing that we can do is uplift and educate each other like staff and clients alike because I can learn just as much from our clients.”

“There was definitely no mention of [LGBTQ+ support] before. The subcommittee that I’m on for sexuality education that was formed two years ago is what started a lot of the change. We collaborated with Dr. Catherine Dalke, and she provided training on the ABCs of LGBTQ+, and it went over gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, the history and understanding of it.” After attending the training, those who understood her teachings and wanted to declare themselves a safe person received a rainbow pin.

“PPI also allows staff to attend trainings for further education and continuing education credits on the clock, once approved by a manager. We have had the most increase in trainings for LGBTQ+. For staff, the onboarding process from just three years ago had no mention of LGBTQ+ at all. Staff are trained in how to become a support system, how to handle certain situations and PPI offers safe space stickers to hang in front of your office if you’re interested.”

Better serving the LGBTQ+ population when they reach out for help.

Similarly, the intake process for clients has also improved. “When they first reach out for psychiatric help, first impression is everything. We have the SO/GI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) form that is completed as part of the intake process. Even though I see someone’s name on their chart, I like to introduce myself first and ask them their name. Sometimes the name we have on file hasn’t been updated, and it’s better to ask them their preferred name and pronouns. We also have a section on the bottom of the form that says we will call them whatever name they put down, and if they are not out, they can let us know so when we make phone calls, we’ll refer to them by their given name.”

“Our office has safe space stuff everywhere. We have flags of every kind, even cultural things. And we’re not hiding anything. Luckily our staff is on board, and we’ll definitely apologize if a pronoun is misspoken.”

When LGBTQ+ clients come in, Evey notices there is often a fear of male therapists for transgender clients. “When they are set up with a male therapist, there is an automatic kind of fear that they’re going to be judged or rejected and we encourage them to stick through because we don’t want them to have a stigma against the male therapist also.”

“It’s really great to hear when they meet our male therapists and they’re like, ‘oh, it was actually nice.’ ‘I didn’t feel that way at all.’ And I think it’s really refreshing. We’ve never had a complaint that they wanted to change therapists.”

Taking a person-first approach.

Not just asking the questions to fill out the form, Evey looks at the person in front of her and gives them her full attention.

“My last intake was someone who was in their late 60s and recently came out. I asked them, ‘well, when did you know you were born in the wrong body?’ And they seemed so shocked that somebody would ask them something like that, but it also made them very comfortable. It gave them the chance to say, ‘I was five years old, and I love this, and I love that’.”

It isn’t only about gathering information for the intake. In between questions, Evey is already thinking of the resources that could be helpful.

“I want them to know that we’re going to be working together for the next 15 weeks, which is the length of the program. I want to get to know them and everything that we can do to support them. I ask their permission to look into support groups for them. A lot of these people never had a gender-affirming psychiatrist before, and it is really validating for them.”

Having BPD does not mean you’re confused about your orientation.

“The population I work with most of the time has borderline personality disorder (BPD). And they’re viewed as attention seeking and out of control and manipulative. When taking that formula and adding it with someone who’s part of LGBTQ+ community, the stigma is someone who is just confused. That’s the stigma and we can’t ignore it or else we won’t fix it. Sexuality/gender and personality disorders don’t always correlate.”

“We had a client who was really conflicted about their sexuality because they were raised in a very religious home, and they couldn’t see how they could identify as a lesbian and still hold the same religious values.”

“For someone who has BPD, we tell them: With the proper skills, you can ‘behavior your way out of that diagnosis’ because it’s not a chemical imbalance. And it started to become clear to me that the client felt that they could also ‘behavior their way out’ of their sexuality, which is not the case. And that’s how desperate people get when they fear they’re going to lose everything. They feel rejection and they feel shame for being part of two seemingly different lifestyles. But that’s the dialectic. You can believe in religion and be a spiritual person and be in love with someone as the same gender as you.”

“Sometimes telling them this is the only support these people have gotten in their lives.”

A pivotal experience and cautionary tale.

Evey had a moment in her career that was a pivotal experience in how she approaches care today.

“The experience that stands out to me – and it would probably be considered a little bit controversial – is about someone who transitioned surgically as a young adolescent. When they came to the DBT program, they were in their early 20s, they were female to male and were very conflicted about a lot of things. They went through a lot of trauma, sexual trauma and feelings of gender dysphoria at the time.”

“I think that we all need to find a way, as clinicians, to be supportive yet not pushy with ideals. Because by their account, they were not ready for the surgery and had a lot of regrets about it. They can’t have kids now. They had a full hysterectomy, and realized after there were other people living as a man that didn’t get an entire hysterectomy. They could have done that but weren’t educated on that option when they were younger and went with whatever the provider suggested.“

“The way they explained their feelings was that they didn’t think that they would get the right care or be viewed as a man unless they had everything done. And that’s what wound up happening, assuming they would be better. Today, they are still working through things. Gender is still a big issue for them. And there’s the regret that they wanted babies, which they can never have, at least not biologically.”

“The provider thought that it would be a cure for the depression they thought was only related to gender dysphoria, which wasn’t the case. I think the lesson for all of us is to find the line between being supportive and pushing for what we think they should be doing.”

“With people who are not educated fully or are vulnerable, to have a provider that you trust say ‘this is the best option for you’ only to regret it years later is really disheartening. And that doesn’t mean to not take someone seriously when they say that they want to transition. There are so many other ways to approach transitioning, without being too drastic, until they know for sure that they’re ready.”

Positive outcomes.

There are also stories of success, one Evey elaborates more on is the client previously mentioned who struggled with their religious beliefs and sexual orientation.

“They had a positive outcome. They’re a full-time educator and they have found community. Social media works wonders. They found groups that believe in the same God as they do, who also happen to be gay. And now, they’re okay with that and are coming to terms with the radical acceptance that some family members might not agree, but they understand that they have to live their life for themselves.”

“They are finally comfortable with the idea of dating a woman, which was a big deal because before that they thought they could never date them in fear of disappointing the church. They are actively on dating sites and getting to know people.”

A lasting impact.

“Dr. Dalke had a big impact on me because she wasn’t just a physician. She was supposed to be, but she wasn’t. She would have hour to an hour-and-a-half long sessions with clients at a time where gender-affirming therapists weren’t as common. It wasn’t about checking something off the list. It was literally like ‘how can I help you? I’m going to listen to you’. Clients don’t get that a lot. They knew they were being heard. It made me change my idea on some things.”

“From that, going into my current role, I knew I needed to do more listening. It’s not me trying to diagnose or figure out how to problem solve a situation, it’s more about listening. I’ll offer resources, but I’ll never push them.”

If you’d like to learn more about the PPI’s approach to LGBTQ+ mental health, please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone, 866-746-2496 or through our website. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming space where everyone can access the care and support they need.

PPI at the Pride Festival of Central PA

Our team was honored to participate in the Pride Festival of Central PA. Engaging with our vibrant community reaffirms our commitment to providing comprehensive, inclusive mental health support. Your voices and stories inspire us and strengthen our resolve. At PPI, we continue to uphold an environment where acceptance and support are paramount. Here’s to fostering a more inclusive, understanding and diverse world.

Embracing LGBTQ+ Acceptance and Inclusivity at PPI

In a discussion with Shenendoah “Shen” Podolak, Intake Coordinator at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI), we gained valuable insights into how PPI is shaping an inclusive and supportive environment for their diverse patient community, particularly LGBTQ+ patients.

“At PPI, we’re trying to enhance awareness and disseminate information about LGBTQ+ issues. There are many questions and uncertainties that always persist, regardless of how educated one might be,” said Podolak when offering insight into the value of PPI to the Central PA LGBTQ+ community.

The Journey Towards Inclusivity

With over 15 years of service at PPI, Podolak shares her unique perspective on the organization’s evolving approach toward LGBTQ+ inclusivity. From witnessing a time when the focus was merely on accommodating basic needs such as rooming arrangements for the gay and lesbian population, to the more nuanced understanding of the wider needs and identities within the LGBTQ+ community, Podolak emphasizes PPI’s adaptive and responsive strategy in meeting these evolving requirements. Highlighting one example, Podolak explained how the electronic medical record (EMR) system enables the intake team to track and communicate preferred names and pronouns. To create a safe, welcoming environment, Podolak emphasized, “It’s crucial our staff use the preferred pronouns and names of our patients when they come in.” Paired with their understanding of patient desires, particularly the adolescent LGBTQ+ community, the intake team at PPI can leverage these tools to create a better experience that sets the stage for better mental health care.

Overcoming Challenges and Building Opportunities

Navigating these changes and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of patient needs hasn’t always been easy. However, these challenges have proven to be a motivation for PPI to continually improve and adapt its services.

Looking ahead, Podolak envisions the enormous potential for PPI to extend its services to cater more comprehensively to the LGBTQ+ community. She sees the possibility of continuing to create specific programming tailored to the unique needs of this population, thus reinforcing PPI’s patient-centric approach and commitment to individual choices.

Fostering Safety and Addressing Stigma

One aspect of Podolak’s role at PPI is helping to ensure patients’ physical and emotional safety. Believing that the healing process, especially in a mental health setting, can only begin once an individual feels safe, she strongly emphasizes facilitating a smooth transition for patients from arrival to their unit. She also underscores the importance of open communication with the staff about each patient’s mental state to provide the best possible care.

In her view, seeking help for mental health issues is a brave act, “Taking the step to seek help requires immense courage.” However, she acknowledges the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health that can prevent people in need, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, from coming forward to find the help they need. Podolak strongly believes this stigma can be dispelled through time, education and open conversations. She reassures those seeking help that PPI is dedicated to offering the necessary support for individuals ready to move toward a better mental health solution.

“Coming here is the first step toward getting better,” said Podolak. “Patients come to PPI to receive the help they need. Our goal is not to keep them here, but to enable them to live a safe life at home.”

Through Shen Podolak’s eyes, it’s clear to see that PPI’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity is not merely a trend, but an integral part of their mission. By focusing on inclusivity, safety and the continuous evolution of their services, PPI is leading the way toward a future where mental health care is accessible, sensitive and inclusive for all individuals.

BIPOC Mental Health – Insights from Dr. Swigart

Beb Moore Campbell was an advocate who worked diligently to shed light on the mental health needs of the Black and other underrepresented communities. Because of her work, Congress formally recognized July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding mental illness in the US. Today, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) is a term used to refer to nonwhite members of society. By including “BI” Black and Indigenous with “POC” people of color, we can honor the unique experiences of Black and Indigenous individuals and their communities.

Alison R. Swigart, MD

Alison Swigart, MD, Attending Psychiatrist, Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) has been at PPI for almost 5 years. She works full time in outpatient clinics where she is the psychiatrist for PPI’s CAPSTONE First-Episode Psychosis program and treats individuals with schizophrenia across the lifespan.

She is also an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry And Behavioral Health and the director of the Penn State Community Psychiatry Resident Track for Penn State College of Medicine.

A focus on BIPOC mental health

What drew her to an interest in psychiatry in general, also drew her towards an interest in BIPOC mental health:

“I find it important to get to know individual stories. Everyone’s pathway to where they are in front of you, their journey with mental illness is unique. It can be very rich to understand from an individual level how people get to the point where they’re working with you. I think my experience working in psychiatry has given me a good appreciation for how unique backgrounds and life experiences shape risk for mental illness and its development. It also shapes factors that give people strength and resilience.” Explains Dr. Swigart.

People who identify as being two or more races are most likely to report any mental illness within the past year than any other race/ethnic group.

“I work with a population that has a high percentage of BIPOC individuals. When I work with people one on one and get to know them well, I really get to see their value as an individual unique person. I think contrasting that with the prejudice or discrimination or bias that they might experience because of their appearance or the color of their skin in other settings, is what made me very interested and aware of how those factors influence them” describes Dr. Swigart on her interest in BIPOC mental health.

The BIPOC racial groups typically seen at PPI reflect the community’s local population: African Americans and refugees from Bhutan and Nepal.

“One of the things that’s interesting is that people, based on their backgrounds, cultures or maybe their spiritual beliefs, all have different ways of conceptualizing what is causing symptoms of mental illness. There are many times that I will work with people or with families who may have a much different explanation about what’s causing certain symptoms that are bringing them in for treatment. For example, a spiritual explanation would be spirits possessing them.”

“A lot of times people are looking for explanations for what is causing a change in behavior or thinking in themselves or loved ones, and their cultural or ethnic background will influence how they explain, conceptualize or understand it. And so, it’s really important to have the individual or the family explain to you what their conceptualization of it is so that you can try to find areas of common ground in your understanding and be able to partner and work together on finding a solution.”

There is data that shows that BIPOC have more difficulties accessing and getting quality care. “BIPOC youth with mental illness or behavioral health problems have been shown to be much more likely to be funneled into the criminal justice system or the juvenile detention system rather than the mental health treatment system. There are demonstrated inequities in terms of how people of color are viewed when they have mental health problems and what kind of interventions they are given.”

Social determinants of health and risk for mental health

Social determinants of health – the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age – influence and shape the development of physical and mental illness. These include factors such as your family, physical environment, neighborhoods, education access, experiences of poverty, experiences of discrimination and opportunity for socioeconomic advancement.

“Unfortunately, because of the historical preference and prejudice towards white people in the United States, many Black, Indigenous and people of color have been put into the position where they face more difficulty with these social determinants of health. That has a downstream effect on both the development of physical health conditions and on mental health conditions.”

Further explaining, Dr. Swigart continues, “For example, when I went through medical school, I was taught that African Americans were more likely to have hypertension or high blood pressure, which has since been debunked as not being a genetic difference or a biological difference. Rather, it is caused by higher chronic levels of stress due to experiences of racial prejudice and discrimination that creates long-term higher levels of stress hormones in the body and thereby elevates blood pressure more often. What’s really interesting is that there are these social influences, these environmental factors that actually work to change our biology. They act on our genes in order to increase or decrease the likelihood of developing certain illnesses, both physical and mental.”

“A lot of these adverse social determinants of health, which can be more common in BIPOC communities, create the conditions for a higher likelihood to develop mental health conditions because of those higher long-term experiences of stress. There’s evidence that race and the experience of race-based discrimination can predict a higher likelihood of development of depression or other mood disorders. It can also predict a higher likelihood of development of PTSD. So, how we how we treat each other as members of society and how we assign different values to different groups based on appearance has a pretty substantial impact on those groups’ health outcomes long term.”

History of misdiagnosis

“In terms of the work I do in psychosis, there are racial disparities in how the diagnosis of psychosis or schizophrenia has been assigned historically. There have been numerous studies that have suggested that Black Americans are two to three more times likely than white Americans to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, and that’s controlling for a lot of other factors which might contribute. There have also been studies that have shown that clinicians are more likely to diagnose schizophrenia rather than a mood disorder or a post-traumatic stress disorder in individuals who are African American compared to their white counterparts.”

“There’s been this tendency historically – probably because of biases that clinicians aren’t always aware of – to over-diagnose or mislabel schizophrenia in Black Americans. Some of this seems to date back to the civil rights era in the 1960s. When you look at the label of schizophrenia, if you look in the early 1900s up to about the 1950s, in state hospitals, schizophrenia was a diagnostic label primarily 1960s given to white women. In the 1960s [during the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.], it’s been documented that there was a significant shift in the language used to define schizophrenia as being a condition of more violence, anger or aggression. And state hospitals saw a shift in terms of the label of schizophrenia being applied to Black males more commonly than white women. And so historically, there was this shift towards schizophrenia being a label more commonly placed on Black men during that time of civil unrest, while they were fighting for their civil rights in this country.”

Bringing it back to today, Dr. Swigart reveals why this is important for mental health professionals. “We as mental health professionals have to be humble, curious and respectful while trying to understand from the perspectives of the individuals that we treat so that we don’t mislabel something as mental illness when it might just be a cultural or ethnic difference. It’s really important for us to be mindful of our own biases, our own cultural background and how that informs the way that we perceive other people.”

Racial impact on schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Evidence points to Black Americans being less likely to receive effective treatments for schizophrenia, potentially due to their social determinants of health, access issues, sense of mistrust in the healthcare system or the lack of healthcare professionals of color.

“Discrimination or racism in and of itself is a risk factor for developing psychosis. Traumatic experiences are also a risk factor for developing psychosis. So, if you’re a person of color who is treated differently, who maybe suffered police brutality, whose family has been forced to stay in a neighborhood where they haven’t been able to escape poverty, you’re more likely to experience traumatic events and then you may be more likely to develop psychosis later on” notes Dr. Swigart.

“For the refugee population, there are a lot of studies that show that rates of psychosis and schizophrenia are actually higher in people who emigrate to other countries. Probably because of being thrust into a higher stress environment, being thrust into a status of feeling minoritized or marginalized in some way or feeling disconnected from other people around you.”

“When you think about a refugee population, you have to consider traumatic experiences that people have been through. There are just so many factors that make things more stressful, more difficult, more challenging to navigate in a new country, like the language barrier and cultural differences. Often, large geographical or environmental changes in the type of setting they’re living in can all confer a really high level of stress and make people more susceptible to developing mental health conditions. Any experience of trauma is a risk factor for the development of any future mental health condition, not just PTSD, but depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder.”

People from racial/ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive mental health care. Among adults with any mental illness, 48% of whites received mental health services, compared to 31% of Blacks and Hispanics and 22% of Asians.

Stress can manifest physically

Stress can even manifest in physical symptoms. “What I’ve noticed and talking with some other clinicians who treat refugees from New Nepal and Bhutan, there is a greater likelihood of expressing mental distress in the form of physical symptoms. People may come to me as a psychiatrist expressing stomach pain, headaches, body aches or weakness and they’ve been worked up by their primary care doctors and there’s been no medical explanation for it.”

“There’s a book about the effects of trauma that’s called The Body Keeps the Score which talks about how trauma and social environmental factors can change your genes. Trauma can change the expression of our genes; it can change the way our organs function and in some ways it can change our ability to tolerate physical and mental distress. It has a profound impact.”

A better approach

Cultural humility is the concept of approaching another person with curiosity and attempting to understand from their perspective while trying to not make assumptions based on their appearance or ethnic group.

“We need to be careful not to make assumptions about a person’s beliefs or practices based on how they look or what sort of ethnic group they’re from. Because there’s still a lot of variability within an ethnic, cultural or religious group.”

“I have seen and read statistics about Black Americans being often more mistrustful of traditional healthcare systems, and that is rooted in real history of being mistreated by medical professionals. They were mischaracterized, misdiagnosed or having studies done on them without their consent – these are real reasons that Black families might not readily trust and seek out care within the traditional health care system.”

“There are other studies that show that they [Black Americans] may be more likely to seek out solutions from a faith community or from a religious leader, and there’s even some initiatives that I’ve seen presented where mental health professionals are trying to partner with churches or religious leaders in order to collaborate where people can get both the religious and spiritual support they seek, but also the treatment that they might need.”

PPI helps to destigmatize

To help destigmatize BIPC mental health, PPI has an EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) initiative – a group that gathers regularly to look at policies and procedures, making them more inclusive and helping to identify any training that would be helpful to staff and employees.

“PPI is striving to increase and value diversity among the workforce. They recognize that it makes us stronger both in terms of the care that we can provide for patients and in terms of the support that we can give each other if we have an ethnically and culturally diverse workforce. We also recognize that some people prefer to meet with providers who can speak their native language, who reflect their racial background or have some awareness of their cultural group. There’s a real effort to try to as much as we can recruit providers from diverse backgrounds so that we can reflect the patient population that we serve.”

“Traditionally there are hierarchies and power imbalances within healthcare, but PPI promotes an attitude of respect and valuing the input of all types of employees within PPI. Someone who works as a housekeeper may have a very valuable perspective or input on a patient or can offer a perspective that really is eye opening for the team. Being open and carefully listening to patients’ perspectives and opinions helps us better understand what they’re going through and helps figure out how to find common ground and partner and work towards a shared goal.”

PPI also has specialty clinics, including the Hispanic Clinic , which has Spanish-speaking psychiatry and therapy services, so patients can receive care in their native language.


Dr. Swigart comes to us from the Butler Hospital, Providence, RI. She completed her residency in general psychiatry and served s a chief resident in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI and received her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY.

PPI is available to help. Peruse our website or call 866-746-2496, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Lagman shares her culture – AAPI month exclusive

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month. A month for celebrating and recognizing the contributions and influence of Asian and Pacific Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) celebrates our Asian patients and staff, by committing to learning more about them each year.

Jasmin Lagman MD

You may have seen the smiling face of Jasmin Lagman, MD, around the halls of PPI. As a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor at Penn State, we have asked Dr. Lagman to share about her Filipino background and culture.

Dr. Lagman grew up in the Visayas region of the Philippines where she went through college, medical school, and three years of pediatric residency before moving to the U.S. Before meeting her husband, she always thought she would return to her hometown to practice. “I came to the U.S. for love,” Dr. Lagman explained. “My husband, who was also born and raised in the Philippines, had been living in Philadelphia since 1990. It just happened to work out that I was accepted to residency in Philly five years after arriving to the U.S.” Three years of psychiatry residency and two years of a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship later, Dr. Lagman joined the team at PPI in 2018.

Coming from honest means, hard work and determination brought her to where she is today. “Many parents/grandparents worked hard to provide a good education for their children as student loans do not exist in the Philippines. We rely on scholarships and hard work. I had to travel to a different island for schooling,” explains Dr. Lagman. “Thankfully today more universities and schools exist, and availability of education is better, although the bigger universities remain in bigger cities.” As a first-generation immigrant, Dr. Lagman still has a strong connection with her Filipino culture.

Filipinos were in fact the first Asians to migrate to the U.S. in the 1500s as slaves under Spanish colonization. It wouldn’t be until 1800, that the first Japanese, and then Chinese immigrants would arrive (in 1869).

The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands with over 120 languages. Dr. Lagman speaks Hiligaynon and Tagalog – which was integrated with others to create the national language, Filipino. “People will speak their native tongues at home or speak the Filipino language to understand each other around the country. English is taught as soon as kids start going to school and both the Filipino language and English are the official languages in the Philippines. But when it comes to school and government materials, English is usually used.”

As an archipelago, there are so many different cultures within the Philippines, each area with their own ways and food choices – like we have with the different regions in the U.S. However, Dr. Lagman gives a quick overview of the country, speaking generally, and to her own experience.

Values and Religion

“Adhering to Filipino values while living outside of my home country is important. Being honest, loving, friendly and hospitable while respecting family and our elders are important cultural traits. In Filipino culture, there is always a term used before anyone’s name used to denote respect. When I first moved to the U.S. and was told to call my supervisor by their first name, even though that is normal here, it felt disrespectful to me because of how I grew up,” notes Dr. Lagman.

Filipinos are very family oriented. “Typically, you will see extended families living together,” notes Dr. Lagman. “Great-grandparents and their grand children are often seen under the same roof. And it is not unusual for adults to live in their household until they are married.”

The Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia. A majority of the population are Catholics, followed by protestants and other Christian denominations. This was due to the more than 300 years of Spanish Colonization of the country. However, there are also other religions in the country with Islam as the second most popular, especially in the Mindanao area.

So far, I’ve gotten positive remarks from those who have gotten to know me as a Filipino based on their previous notion of Filipinos being friendly, hospitable, and hard workers.”

Chicken adobo
Image credit


Food

The ultimate Filipino comfort food is chicken (and sometimes pork) adobo. Vinegar, soy sauce and garlic come together to make this flavorful stew that is served with rice. Other popular dishes are: lumpia (think Filipino eggroll), pancit (similar to Lo Mein) and inasal (chicken barbeque on a stick). Rice is also served at every meal – even breakfast! “Filipinos love sweets. Sweets of choice differ depending on the region you are in, but popular favorites are halo-halo (shaved ice with toppings), and rice deserts like suman, kutsinta, puto, bibingka and pitchi pitchi. And lots of coconut,” added Dr. Lagman.

Culture and Transportation

Apart from the usual celebrations like Easter and Christmas, fiestas are celebrations held throughout the year to honor patron saints or to celebrate bountiful harvests. “Filipinos are very happy people, we love to celebrate a lot of things,” shares Dr. Lagman. “During festivities, there is always dancing, singing karaoke, various programs, and lots of food. Fiestas are a time when we open our homes to visitors, even strangers, to eat. There are Filipino community groups in Lancaster and Harrisburg who come together and hold celebrations like our Independence Day celebration in June, though the larger celebration happens in Philly and New Jersey.”

A popular form of transportation is the Jeepney, a leftover nod to when the Americans were in the Philippines, is as it sounds, an elongated Jeep known for crowded seating and eccentric décor.

Fiestas
Jeepney
Celebrations

Misconceptions

“Many people know me as Asian, but not necessarily a Filipino. Filipinos don’t usually fit into the common Asian stereotypes that many think of. It’s important to understand that Asia is the largest continent with 48 countries containing several different cultures. The skin color spectrum is wide, we speak different languages, hold differing traditions and our cultures are not the same, religions vary and each person’s experiences in the U.S. are different,” points out Dr. Lagman. “Some come to the U.S. for family, to legally emigrate, to work, have been here for decades due to slavery or come as a refugee.”

Regarding any hate she may have experienced, Dr. Lagman noted, “During Covid, there was a little bit of a scare due to the increase in Asian hate crimes. There is a need for us to continue to educate people to treat each other fairly and justly.”

Impact on Her Work

Filipinos are known to be hard workers, and as such can be sensitive and persistent in their work. In Dr. Lagman’s experience, she saw the difference with harder work schedules and caseloads as a medical student and a pediatric resident in the Philippines. “Coming to U.S. where there are more services, I was able to appreciate being able to give more focus on my patients.”

Dr. Lagman brings her Filipino values of respect and compassion into all her interactions. As a child psychiatrist, families are brought into the discussion, and as a fellow immigrant, she can be more sensitive and understanding with some of the families she sees. Those patients and their families feel more comfortable when they can identify with a provider like Dr. Lagman, with whom English is also a second language.

“I have noticed very few microaggressions understanding that as an immigrant, other parents and patients may see me differently, however with my training in psychiatry, I try not to be too sensitive to it and continue to do the best for the patient. Overall, I’ve had a good experience at PPI.”

“PPI truly tries to be culturally sensitive and caters as much as possible to our patient population. We have interpreters available by phone or in person who not only know the language but also understand the cultural backgrounds. Though I know staffing is always a challenge, it would be nice to have even more therapists and providers from different backgrounds at PPI. In the meantime, it’s great that we can continue to educate ourselves, and can ask other colleagues if we have questions.”

Dr. Lagman is also involved in some Global Mental Health works. Penn State and PPI are supportive of her, allowing her time to work on her projects and giving her mentorship. Currently, she is doing the Project ECHO in the Philippines. “I get to collaborate with psychiatrists, family medicine, pediatric and municipal health officers in the Philippines as well as school guidance counselors and teachers. We discussed cases through tele-mentoring, where we had 60-70 people in attendance, with six more sessions to go.”

This is the first child and adolescent mental health Project ECHO in the Philippines. “My hope is to help improve the management of child mental health by local providers, through tele-mentoring and with the assistance of the local experts in the area. I am so thankful for Penn State and PPI for giving me this avenue,” remarks Dr. Lagman.

Dr. Lagman sees children and adolescents who have mental health issues at PPI’s outpatient and child partial programs.
Visit ppimhs.org or call 866-746-2496, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to schedule an appointment.

Remembering Keiko Okami: The Trailblazing Japanese Woman Who Became a Doctor in a Western World

This year for Women’s History Month, we want to highlight women who have impacted the daily lives of Pennsylvanians and improved our world.

Keiko Okami, the first Japanese woman to obtain a medical degree from a Western university, paved the way for future generations. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s important to remember the incredible accomplishments of women like her.

Keiko Okami was born as Keiko Nishida on September 11, 1859, in Tokyo, Japan. During her childhood, Japan was going through a period of intense change, transitioning from feudalism to a modern, industrialized society. As a young girl, Keiko was knowledgeable and deeply interested in education. She attended a school for girls run by the American missionary Sarah Prudden, where she learned English.

In 1878, Keiko graduated from the Sakurai Girls’ School and became an English teacher. During this time, she met her future husband, an art teacher named Frank Okami. Frank was also deeply interested in Japanese culture, and they fell in love. In 1880, they got married and moved to the United States.

While living in the U.S., Keiko pursued her dream of becoming a doctor. She applied to the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, which would later merge with other schools to become a part of Drexel University. She was accepted, partly thanks to financial aid from the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church. Keiko studied hard and excelled in her classes, eventually graduating with a medical degree and becoming one of the first Japanese women to obtain a degree in Western medicine in 1889.

After graduation, Keiko moved back to Japan, where she became the first Japanese woman to practice Western medicine. She opened a clinic in Tokyo and focused on treating women and children. Her clinic became extremely popular, and she was widely respected for her medical expertise and dedication to her patients.

Throughout her career, Keiko faced many challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field. She had to fight against societal expectations that women should not work outside the home, let alone become doctors. But she persevered, and her example inspired many other women to pursue careers in medicine.

Keiko Okami passed away on September 2, 1941. Her legacy, however, lives on. She was a trailblazer who paved the way for future generations of women to pursue their dreams and break down barriers in male-dominated fields.

In honor of Women’s History Month, remember Keiko Okami and the countless other women who have made significant contributions to society. Let us celebrate their achievements and continue to fight for gender equality and women’s rights.

Anandibai Joshee, Kei Okami, and Sabat M. Islambouli
Kei Okami. (2021, July 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_Okami

Photograph of Anandibai Joshee (left) from India, Kei Okami (center) from Japan, and Sabat M. Islambouli (right) from Ottoman Syria, students from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. All three were the first woman from their respective countries to obtain a degree in Western medicine from a Western university.

Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania

Keiko Okami was one of many trailblazers to graduate from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Founded in 1850, the school maintained a long history of notable women who have made an indelible mark on the medical profession:

  • Caroline Still Anderson (class of 1878), one of the first African American female physicians
  • Anna Broomall (class of 1871), professor of obstetrics and founder of the first outpatient maternity and prenatal care clinic in the United States
  • Susan Hayhurst (class of 1857) was the first woman to receive a pharmacy degree in the United States
  • Agnes Kemp (class of 1879) was the first woman to practice medicine in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
  • Susan La Flesche Picotte (class of 1889), the first Native American female physician
  • Mildred Mitchell-Bateman (class of 1946) was the first African American woman to hold an office in the American Psychiatric Association as vice president. Founded the Marshall University Department of Psychiatry and namesake of Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital, West Virginia’s state psychiatric hospital.


Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month was established in 1981 as a national celebration, with Congress passing Pub. L. 97-28 authorizing the President to designate the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” Congress continued to pass joint resolutions over the next five years, designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, officially designating March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” From 1988 to 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to declare March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each year, Presidents have issued proclamations recognizing and celebrating the contributions women have made to the United States and highlighting the specific achievements women have made in various fields throughout American history.

Learn more at WomensHistoryMonth.gov.

Rachel Carson: A Trailblazing Environmentalist from Pennsylvania

This year for Women’s History Month, we want to highlight women who have impacted the daily lives of Pennsylvanians and improved our world.

Rachel Carson was a writer and environmentalist born in the small town of Springdale, Pennsylvania. Her impact on the world of environmentalism is still felt today, and her pioneering work in the field helped to launch the modern environmental movement. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we want to recognize her remarkable achievements and significant impact on history.

Carson is best known for her book “Silent Spring,” which was published in 1962. The book is a powerful critique of pesticides’ indiscriminate use and harmful effects on the environment and human health. It helped launch the modern environmental movement and inspired a new wave of activism and concern for the health of our planet.

Before “Silent Spring,” Carson was already an accomplished writer and scientist. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1952 for her book “The Sea Around Us,” which explores the mysteries and wonders of the ocean. Her writing was known for its lyrical beauty and ability to capture the awe-inspiring complexity of the natural world.

“Eventually man, too, found his way back to the sea. Standing on its shores, he must have looked out upon it with wonder and curiosity, compounded with an unconscious recognition of his lineage. He could not physically re-enter the ocean as the seals and whales had done. But over the centuries, with all the skill and ingenuity and reasoning powers of his mind, he has sought to explore and investigate even its most remote parts, so that he might re-enter it mentally and imaginatively.”
– Rachel Carson, The Sea Around Us

Carson’s work was groundbreaking because it challenged the prevailing attitudes of the time, which viewed the environment as a resource to be exploited for economic gain. Instead, she argued that we need to take a more holistic and compassionate approach to nature and that we need to recognize the interconnectedness of all living things.

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Carson’s love for nature was shaped by the region’s rolling hills and lush forests. She attended college at nearby Chatham University and went on to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Pittsburgh. Her experiences in her home state helped shape her worldview and commitment to environmental protection.

Despite facing criticism and pushback from powerful interests, Carson continued to speak out for the environment and to advocate for a more sustainable and compassionate approach to nature. Her work inspired a new generation of environmental activists and helped lay the foundation for many of the environmental protections we take for granted today.

“Never silent herself in the face of destructive trends, Rachel Carson fed a spring of awareness across America and beyond. A biologist with a gentle, clear voice, she welcomed her audiences to her love of the sea, while with an equally clear determined voice she warned Americans of the dangers human beings themselves pose for their own environment. Always concerned, always eloquent, she created a tide of environmental consciousness that has not ebbed.”
– President Jimmy Carter, remarks from the Presidential Medal of Freedom Presentation Ceremony

Rachel Carson passed away in 1964, but her legacy lives on. Her pioneering work in environmentalism and her impact on Pennsylvania’s history serves as a reminder of the power of one person to make a difference. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we are inspired by Rachel Carson and her commitment to protecting the planet and promoting a more sustainable and compassionate world.

Rebecca Lukens
Rachel Louise Carson
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

A reading list from Rachel Carson

  • Under the Sea-Wind
    • 208 pages
    • Originally published in 1941
  • The Sea Around Us
    • 288 pages
    • Originally published in 1951
  • The Edge of the Sea
    • 304 pages
    • Originally published in 1955
  • Silent Spring
    • 400 pages
    • Originally published in 1962
  • The Sense of Wonder
    • 112 pages
    • Originally published in 1965
  • Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson
    • 288 pages
    • Originally published in 1998
  • Women’s History Month

    Women’s History Month was established in 1981 as a national celebration, with Congress passing Pub. L. 97-28 authorizing the President to designate the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” Congress continued to pass joint resolutions over the next five years, designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, officially designating March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” From 1988 to 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to declare March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each year, Presidents have issued proclamations recognizing and celebrating the contributions women have made to the United States and highlighting the specific achievements women have made in various fields throughout American history.

    Learn more at WomensHistoryMonth.gov.

Rebecca Lukens: Pioneering CEO in Steel Manufacturing

This year for Women’s History Month, we want to highlight women who have impacted the daily lives of Pennsylvanians and improved our world.

Rebecca Lukens
Rebecca Lukens, from the collections of the National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum, Coatesville, Pennsylvania

Rebecca Lukens was a leader in the male-dominated field of steel manufacturing. She has been recognized as the first female CEO in the United States, and she ran the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, for over three decades. Her remarkable career and impact on Pennsylvania history are worth celebrating during Women’s History Month.

Born in 1794 in New Jersey, Rebecca married Isaac Pennock in 1813 and moved to Coatesville, where her husband’s family owned the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory. When her husband died in 1824, Rebecca took over the management of the factory. At the time, it was rare for women to hold positions of power in the workplace, especially in such a male-dominated industry as steel manufacturing.

Despite the odds against her, Rebecca proved to be a capable and visionary leader. Under her guidance, the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory flourished, becoming one of the largest and most successful ironworks in the United States. She was known for her innovative ideas and willingness to invest in new technology, which helped improve the factory’s efficiency and profitability. One of Lukens’ most significant achievements was her development of the hot-rolled iron process. This process involved heating iron to a high temperature and then rolling it into sheets or bars. It was a breakthrough in steel manufacturing, and it helped to make the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory one of the most successful businesses of its time.

“I must have possessed some energy of character, for now I look back and wonder at my daring. I had such strong, such powerful incentives for exertion that I felt I must succeed.”

– Rebecca Lukens, America’s first female CEO

Despite her success, Rebecca faced significant challenges as a female CEO in the 19th century. She was often subjected to discrimination and sexism from her male colleagues and was not always taken seriously as a business leader. Nevertheless, she persisted. Rebecca Lukens passed away in 1854, but her impact on Pennsylvania’s history and the steel industry is still felt today. Her pioneering work paved the way for future generations of women to succeed in the workplace, and she is remembered as a trailblazer and an inspiration to women everywhere.

On January 6, 1994, the 200th anniversary of Lukens’ birth, the Pennsylvania Legislature and City of Coatesville declared her “America’s first woman industrialist.”

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is essential to recognize the contributions of women like Rebecca Lukens, who have significantly impacted their communities and industries. Her groundbreaking work in the steel industry and her role as the first female CEO in the United States serve as a reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Her legacy inspires women to break through barriers and achieve their dreams.

Interested in learning more about Rebecca Lukens? Listen to this episode of “From the Stacks” by the Hagley Museum and Library.


Embedded Video – The Life & Times of Rebecca Lukens – https://youtu.be/jTBqZ214W50

Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month was established in 1981 as a national celebration, with Congress passing Pub. L. 97-28 authorizing the President to designate the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” Congress continued to pass joint resolutions over the next five years, designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, officially designating March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” From 1988 to 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to declare March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each year, Presidents have issued proclamations recognizing and celebrating the contributions women have made to the United States and highlighting the specific achievements women have made in various fields throughout American history.

Learn more at WomensHistoryMonth.gov.

Dr. Ala Stanford: Advocate for Health Equity & Mental Health

This year for Women’s History Month, we want to highlight women who have impacted the daily lives of Pennsylvanians and improved our world.

Dr. Ala Stanford
Photo courtesy of SpotlightPA.org’s Diverse Source Database

Dr. Ala Stanford is a distinguished pediatric surgeon who has dedicated her life to advocating for health equity and social justice. As the founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, she has played a critical role in providing free testing and medical care to underserved communities in Philadelphia during the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of Women’s History Month, we celebrate her tireless efforts to promote health equity and mental health awareness in the healthcare industry.

Dr. Stanford’s career began with a degree from Pennsylvania State University, graduating from the Penn State University College of Medicine with a residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. As the first Black female pediatric surgeon trained entirely in the United States, she has been a trailblazer for women and people of color in the medical field. Throughout her career, she has been a passionate advocate for healthcare reform, mental health awareness and health equity.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Stanford founded the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which has been providing critical medical care and resources to Black communities in Philadelphia. The Consortium set up testing sites throughout the city and worked tirelessly through the pandemic to ensure that those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 had access to the care they needed to stay healthy and safe.

“Our mantra is access, empathy and action for the people we serve – the folks of Philadelphia.”

– Dr. Ala Stanford, Alumni Spotlight, Penn State Science Journal, Winter 2021

In addition to her work with the Consortium and mental health advocacy, Dr. Stanford has also been a vocal advocate for health equity and social justice. Her tireless efforts to promote health equity and social justice have earned her national recognition, including being named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year.


In April 2022, in recognition of her expertise and knowledge, President Biden appointed Dr. Stanford to a key role within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She will be acting as the HHS Regional Director in Region 3, serving Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Dr. Stanford and the other Regional Directors will be critical to the President’s efforts to rebuild communities most impacted by the pandemic, the economic recovery and climate change.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we are inspired by Dr. Ala Stanford and her dedication to improving the lives of others. Her work with the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and her advocacy for mental health awareness is a testament to the importance of access to care and resources for all individuals, particularly those in underserved communities. We salute her efforts to promote health equity and mental health awareness in the healthcare industry, and we are proud to recognize her as a true leader and role model for women everywhere.

Follow Dr. Stanford on Twitter to learn more about her ongoing work to improve the lives of people across Pennsylvania.

Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month was established in 1981 as a national celebration, with Congress passing Pub. L. 97-28 authorizing the President to designate the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” Congress continued to pass joint resolutions over the next five years, designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, officially designating March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” From 1988 to 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to declare March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each year, Presidents have issued proclamations recognizing and celebrating the contributions women have made to the United States and highlighting the specific achievements women have made in various fields throughout American history.

Learn more at WomensHistoryMonth.gov.