WMHC Promotional Video Participants
The extraordinary women below were featured in the Women’s Mental Health Conference’s 2021 promotional video. These activists, researchers, clinicians and survivors have dedicated their lives to improving the wellbeing of women.
We are grateful for their energy, time and passions. Read more about their work here.
Jillian is a woman of trans experience who is an advocate for the transgender community. She speaks at various venues across New England, is a mentor for trans youth, and runs a support group for transgender young adults. Jillian is pursuing her master's degree in social work to become a counselor for the transgender population and is currently a social work intern at the Yale Gender Program. She spoke on trans women’s mental health at WMHC 2019 and is delighted to be back. Look for her book, "Transitioning Later in Life: A Personal Guide," on Amazon July 21st. Email Jillian at transawareness101.com.
Jane E.M. Carter, PhD is a postdoctoral associate in clinical psychology at the Yale Health Center, Mental Health & Counseling (MHC). Increasing access to mental health services for underrepresented groups and providing platforms for people of diverse backgrounds to imagine healthy, fulfilling lives for themselves are lifelong values for Jane. Her interest in the women’s mental health conference stemmed from her first attending the conference and then answering the call to participate. She is a member of community groups that focus on reimagining the way mental health is addressed in society, starting right here in New Haven. Having grown up between Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom, Jane has worked with colleagues in Trinidad to not only connect community members to clinicians, but also service providers to each other. She is a part of a network of providers who are committed to sharing resources and thinking about ways to make sure that "Best Practices" include culturally appropriate, thoughtful, and creative action. Jane is a current WMHC committee member.
Paola Serrecchia has been in the field for almost 30 years serving people that have endured trauma, abuse, homelessness and victims of natural disasters. Her passion is advocacy and assisting constituents to have a voice in changing policy at the local, state and federal levels. “It is an honor to now be a part of a movement to educate and foster collaboration with the community and systems to better respond to those that have suffered abuse.” She is the current site manager of the Hope Family Justice Center, a nonprofit center that cares for victims of gender-based violence in New Haven, CT.
Carmen Black Parker, MD is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine with a primary clinical appointment at the Connecticut Mental Health Center in New Haven, Connecticut. She is a proud African American physician with demonstrated research and advocacy interests in addressing racism within daily clinical practice and medical education. She is also a strong supporter of the equitable treatment of behavioral emergencies within general hospital medicine by promoting the removal of police- and security-based interventions from routine hospital use.
Varuna is a queer immigrant woman of color. She writes and creates educational content around decolonizing sexual health, prioritizing emotional wellness, and reproductive justice. You can find her work online at www.varunasrinivasan.com and on Instagram @drvarunasrinivasan. She is the incoming co-chair for WMHC 2022.
Dr. Forray is a WMHC advisor, a reproductive psychiatrist, and the interim Section Chief of Psychological Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital. She is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and the director of the Center for Wellness of Women and Mothers, a reproductive psychiatry research program. Her clinical research focuses on the development of novel treatments for perinatal substance use.