Capacity-building for African American mental health training and research: Lessons from the Howard-Dartmouth Collaborative Summer School

Background: Many psychiatric residents have traditionally received little-or-no training in cross cultural approaches to psychiatric training and research. Method The Dartmouth-Howard Collaboration summer school training program had a 5-year grant to explore approaches to enhancing understanding of cultural factors in mental health treatment and research. Results Participants' questionnaire rating responses indicated that their experience in the Summer School program enhanced their understanding and experience in dealing with minority, largely African American patients and the diverse factors that affect their treatment. Conclusion: The Dartmouth-Howard Collaboration provides a model for a feasible training program that imparts knowledge regarding culture and mental health, and the conduct of mental health research, with particular attention to African American mental health. The program is unique in that it offers an intense, 1-week course delivered to several types of mental health professionals and trainees in research and practice.