Boston College School of Social Work Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rocío Calvo was appointed last fall to the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Advisory Commission by Governor Charlie Baker before he completed his term of office.
Rocío Calvo (Lee Pellegrini)
The commission will work to address barriers to the delivery of equitable, culturally competent, and clinically-appropriate behavioral health care. Its task will be to identify and assess the challenges facing the behavioral health workforce; examining the feasibility of increasing the behavioral health competency of mental health workers through training programs; and analyzing the factors that create or perpetuate disparities in health care.
The commission’s findings will determine its recommendations for the distribution of money in a newly established trust fund for behavioral health care, and prioritize the needs of communities that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is an acute need for culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health care in Massachusetts,” said Calvo, an associate professor whose research focuses on the role that social services play in integrating immigrants into American society. “I’m so appreciative of the Massachusetts leadership for responding so decisively and with such intention to these issues.”
University Communications | January 2023