During Black History Month, we revisit an enlightening conversation with Dr. Sarah Vinson about the impact of structural racism on Black mental health and how mental healthcare providers can make a difference in the lives of patients by leveraging their privilege and skillsets. 

Dr. Sarah Y. Vinson is a physician who is triple-board certified in adult, child & adolescent, and forensic psychiatry. She is the founder of the Lorio Psych Group, an Atlanta, GA based mental health practice providing expert care and consultation. Dr. Vinson is also the founder of Lorio Forensics, which provide consultation on a wide variety of cases in criminal, civil, and family court cases. After graduating from medical school at the University of Florida with Research Honors and as an Inductee in the Chapman Humanism Honors Society, she completed her general psychiatry training at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School. While there, she also received specialized training in trauma through the Victims of Violence Program. She then returned to the South to complete fellowships in both child & adolescent and forensic psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine. In addition to providing mental health care services such as psychotherapy, consultation, and psychopharmacology through her private practice, Dr. Vinson is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine. She is also Adjunct Faculty at Emory University School of Medicine. She is the Past President of the Georgia Council on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Treasurer of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association. Additionally, she is an Advisor for the Judges Psychiatry Leadership Initiative. Dr. Vinson has been a speaker at national conferences including the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting and The National Urban League Annual Meeting. Dr. Vinson has received numerous awards in recognition of her service and leadership including the University of Florida College of Medicine Outstanding Young Alumna Award and the APA Jeanne Spurlock Minority Fellowship Alumna Achievement Award. 

 

Resources 

Social (In)justice in Mental Health 

Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative 

Ourselves Black