NYU Langone’s Department of Psychiatry Health Equity Committee comprises many subcommittees to advance diversity and health equity within the department.

Education Subcommittee

The Education Subcommittee, led by Deepti Anbarasan, MD, is working to systematize foundational diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training for all faculty, staff, and trainees in the department in order to increase awareness of DEI issues among all in the department.

Clinical DEI Subcommittee

The Clinical DEI Subcommittee, led by Rachel A. Caravella, MD, supports clinicians engaging in transparent self-reflection, self-assessment, and methodical examination of their own clinical services to advance the following dual goals:

• eliminating mental healthcare disparities that harm minoritized patients
• providing excellent, compassionate, and evidence-based mental healthcare that improves the wellbeing of all patients

Research DEI Subcommittee

The Research DEI Subcommittee, led by Crystal F. Lewis, PhD, supports psychiatry faculty in research efforts aimed at investigating the role and impact of racism and other salient social and structural inequalities experienced by the mental health workforce, people with mental health conditions, and community and clinical study populations, and purposefully identifying and testing prevention and intervention strategies to remove racism and inequality wherever present.

Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion Subcommittee

The Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion Subcommittee, led by Christin Drake, MD, develops programs and initiatives that increase opportunities, minimize burden, and integrate recruitment, retention, and promotion for underrepresented people in the department.

Community Engagement and Advocacy DEI Subcommittee

The Community Engagement and Advocacy DEI Subcommittee, led by Arslaan Arshed, MD, supports faculty and staff in programs that develop relationships within the minoritized and marginalized community our institution serves, to do the following:

• work together to address health equity–related issues
• promote wellbeing for positive outcomes
• elevate community awareness of departmental engagement in these activities

Communication Subcommittee

The Communication Subcommittee, led by Jennifer Sotsky, MD, works to raise awareness of departmental and NYU Langone–wide DEI initiatives and to increase departmental engagement with DEI initiatives through effective and inclusive communication, optimizing use of existing platforms.