Climate Change and Mental Health

The Center for Public Health Workforce Development at the Rutgers School of Public Health is hosting a seminar at 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 28.

“Climate Change and Mental Health” will provide an overview of climate change and its impact on mental health. The presenters will focus on survey data and experiences from the [Superstorm] Sandy Child and Family Health Study to identify and explore recovery among children and families, and the
experiences of Sandy-exposed families with children in New Jersey. In addition, the presenters will discuss interconnected relationships among mental, physical, and community health, how each is affected by climate change, and ways to be environmental justice advocates in your community.

Presenters:

• Patricia A. Findley is a professor at the Rutgers School of Social Work and the director of the school’s master of social work program. She is a clinician/researcher with a long history of working with individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Her research interests are in the exploration of issues related to chronic illness and disability and how they impact individuals’ ability to receive care and live in the community. She is also interested in how physical health impacts mental health. She has received several grants that address disaster management and climate change-related issues. She publishes her work numerous peer-reviewed journals.
• Nicole Hill serves as the research and marketing Manager for ecoAmerica. She received a master of public health degree with a focus on environmental health science and policy from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. In her current role, she researches climate perspectives in the United States and reports on how attitudes have changed year over year. She is a recent co-author of the Mental Health and Our Changing Climate report, released by ecoAmerica and the American Psychological Association.
• Derrick Sebree Jr. is a core faculty member of the master of arts in clinical psychology program at the Michigan School of Psychology. He graduated with his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Michigan School of Psychology in 2016. Sebree’s clinical work involves multicultural counseling and ecopsychology. He is a climate aware therapist in the Detroit metro area, working with various Michigan-based agencies and groups on environmental and social justice issues impacting Black Americans.

Online via Zoom

Free and open to the public. Advance registration required (Zoom login access will be provided to registered attendees). For more information, contact Kendra Julien, program coordinator: kj446@sph.rutgers.edu.