Black Minds Matter 2!
Sharing Community Defined Strategies and Tools that if Implemented Could, with Funding, Improve Outcomes for African Americans Living with Mental Health Challenges
Speaker
- Gigi R. Crowder, L.E., Executive Director, NAMI Contra Costa
Summary
For our February 2023 General Meeting in recognition of Black History Month, our Executive Director, Gigi Crowder, L.E., shared community-defined strategies and tools that, if implemented with funding, could be used to improve outcomes for African Americans living with mental health challenges. Because Black Minds 2! This was a frank and interactive discussion.
Gigi R. Crowder, L. E., a native of Oakland, CA, is the mother of two biological children; 31-year-old twin sons and had served as a foster mom and mentor to many more through divine interventions. Gigi served for over 9 years as the Ethnic Services Manager for Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services and worked in the Behavioral Health Care field for more than 32 years after completing her studies at the University of California, Berkeley. As a family member of several loved ones who received private and public mental health services, she is a strong advocate for promoting culturally responsive behavioral health services for all peers and family members. She is unapologetic about her efforts to address the needs of African Americans who she deemed as the most harmed and neglected due to systemic racism. She created Black Minds Matter 2! which gave her opportunities to speak across the nation. Most recently, she was one of California Responders to President Biden’s State of the Union Address, which presented his Unity Plan.
Gigi is the Executive Director for NAMI Contra Costa and accepted this position in January 2018 after serving in a consultant role as their Fund Developer. She is also the FaithNet Coordinator and advanced efforts statewide to reduce mental health stigma by training Faith Leaders using the Mental Health Friendly Communities training curriculum she co-designed.
Gigi promoted utilizing natural resources such as those found in faith/spiritual communities and worked hard to advocate for the use of community-defined strategies for all, with a particular focus on better addressing the needs of unserved, underserved, and inappropriately served ethnic and cultural communities. Her current focus is addressing the needs of those living with mental illness who were often criminalized for living with a medical condition.
Highlights of her career included being inducted into the Alameda County Women Hall of Fame for her work in developing programs to enhance employment opportunities for individuals living with mental illness, receiving the 2013 MHAAC Mental Health Achievement Award. She also received the 2016 Multi-Cultural Outreach Award from NAMI California, the 2020 “Making a Difference Award,” from the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County.
Gigi was also credited for positioning NAMI CC to beat out 600 other NAMI Affiliates and win the NAMI 2021 Multicultural Outreach Award. On January 18th, 2022, she was deemed the 2022 Adult Humanitarian of the Year by the Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County. In November 2022, she was honored as the 2022 East Bay Leadership Council with the Change Maker Philanthropic Award.
