Houston TAAP Monthly Chapter Meeting & CEU Event – April 2019

Often psychiatrists and other mental health/addiction professionals are trained in a very academic scientific approach to identification and treatment of mental illness. Too often this model does not fit the needs of all patients due to it not taking into account ethnic differences in communication and desired outcomes of the patient. This often leads to a lack of understanding with both sides, the behavioral health professional and the patient.Too often a patient may see the physician, be given a diagnosis, starts taking a prescription, but then not be able to explain what is their diagnosis, the name of the medication, what it is for, nor what is the medication supposed to do for them. This could lead to unexpected poor outcomes due to the lack of effective communication. This talk will attempt to explain the barriers of communication to the Black community while appreciating and supporting cultural nuance, effective communication and support recovery.

Napoleon B. Higgins, Jr., MD, is a psychiatrist in the Houston/Clear Lake City Area. He currently serves as Owner, CEO and President of Bay Pointe Behavioral Health Service, Inc., and South East Houston Research Group, Inc. He also practices as the Medical Director of Hold My Hand Residential Treatment Center. Dr. Higgins specializes in treating mental health disorders through medication management, psychotherapy and behavioral training. He treats mental health conditions while considering everyone’s individual situation and personalizes treatment to fit a patient’s individual needs.

As a native Houstonian, Dr. Higgins continued his educational goals and received his MD from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his residency in Adult Psychiatry and his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He is a Past President of the Black Psychiatrists of America and currently serves as the President of the Caucus of Black Psychiatrists of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Higgins has worked with and founded many programs that help to direct inner-city young men and women to aspire to go to college and finish their educational goals. He has worked with countless community mentoring programs and has special interest in trauma, racism, and inner-city issues and how they affect minority and disadvantaged children.

The Houston TAAP Chapter does not endorse the speakers, associated companies or sponsors but we are grateful for collaborative education in the industry. If you are interested in sponsoring or providing information about other educational events to post on TAAP emails or social media, please email us here.