Cheryl Grills has a plan for the Association of Black Psychologists.
Grills, chair of the Psychology Department at LMU, was recently named president-elect of the international association, whose members include psychology researchers, educators, and clinical practitioners. Her term includes two years as president-elect followed by two years as president.
During that time, she plans to shift the organization’s emphasis from its current, inward-looking focus to a broader concern for issues outside the association’s traditional purview.
“The association, for the last few years, has focused on addressing concerns around supporting the professional members, and also on developing and implementing our certification training process,” Grills said. “Now that that’s rolling, the focus is going to shift toward public policy.”
Grills is a longtime member of the association, and has served several terms on the board of its Southern California chapter, including two stints as president. She also says her track record in securing resources for community-based research and services will serve her well in her new role.
The shift in focus means reaching out to policymakers in the federal government – Grills is already planning a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus – and elsewhere to address issues facing the community. Those issues go beyond mental health as it relates to treatment of those diagnosed with mental illnesses, and include developing integrated mental health strategies and ways to improve social “safety net” programs in black communities.
“The expectation is that I will be moving in a very strategic way on the national level with federal public policy and mental health issues as they affect the African American population,” she said.
