Clinical depression is a leading cause of disability and lost productivity in the United States. Studies cited by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 18.8 million Americans (9.5% of adults) will suffer from a depressive illness each year. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will increase access to treatment for depression by requiring all plans offered through health insurance exchanges to cover mental health services. Such coverage, however, does not guarantee that those at risk for depression will get the treatment they need.

Community Partners in Care (CPIC) is a collaboration of community and academic partners working to improve depression care in vulnerable populations. CPIC blends traditional primary care-based approaches to treating depression with community engagement models to address issues that contribute to adult depression.

Learn more about how community engagement improves depression treatment and the potential benefits of the ACA on mental health care access and coverage. Hear from:

• Loretta Jones, founder and CEO, Healthy African American Families
• Kenneth Wells, MD, MPH, David Weil Endowed Chair and professor-in-residence in the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

A recording of the webinar and the presentation slides are available below.