The devastating impact of climate change and the associated environmental degradation pose serious threats to global mental and physical health. These impacts will be most seriously felt by vulnerable populations, especially by communities of color that may not have the resources to respond to, cope with, or recover from an increased prevalence of natural disasters and dwindling access to clean, potable water. This symposium will connect the ways in which explicit discrimination and implicit racial biases affect the mental, physical, and socio-economic resiliency of communities of color in the face of climate disruption. Indigenous Nations/ Native American, African American, Hispanic/ Latinx, and Asian community representatives will each address the specific downstream effects of institutionalized and structural racism on climate-related issues. Learners will be provided with case examples and will participate in mock strategy sessions to create their own program suggestions for community adaptation and climate resiliency.

*This content was developed in collaboration with the Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities. 

**This content was captured for 2020 APA On Demand and may reference information from various sources and terminology from previous editions of the DSM.

Course References

Learning Objectives

• Define explicit and implicit racial bias, and describe how they affect climate resiliency among communities of color.
• Identify and list the specific impacts of acute climate events and slow-progression disasters on marginalized communities.
• Identify and implement interventions to promote resiliency and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Target Audience

Psychiatrists, Residents/ Fellows

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 105 minutes
Begin Date: February 1, 2021
End Date: February 1, 2024

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 1.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

Program Presenters

• Robin Cooper, M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Hector Colon-Rivera, M.D., Medical Director of the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc Behavioral Health Program; Faculty member, Einstein Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Russell Lim, M.D., Psychiatrist, University of California, Davis. Disclosures - Royalties from APPI Inc.
• Mary Roessel, M.D., APA Fellow, American Board of Psychiatry, American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Ulrick Vieux, M.D., Chairman Department of Psychiatry at Garnet Health Medical Center. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Program Planners

• Tristan Gorrindo, M.D., Director of Education, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Katie Putnam, Membership Development Specialist, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Ally Brown, Senior Program Manager, Online Learning, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance