In December 2019, Integral Care received two grant awards totaling $13,955 from the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities for the Central Texas African American Family Support Conference (CTAAFSC). The conference, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in February 2020, focuses on mental health and the African American community. The conference offers a series of workshops, poster presentations, panel discussions, and keynote addresses that aim to destigmatize mental illness and eliminate health care disparities. CTAAFSC provides much-needed awareness and empowerment for a community that is disproportionately affected by mental illness.
TCDD, a longtime supporter of CTAAFSC, provided stipends for two guest speakers: Le’Andria Johnson, a Grammy-winning Gospel recording artist with lived experience of mental illness, and SaulPaul, a “Musician with a Message” whose presentation focuses on the intersection of self-care and artistic expression. In addition, TCDD provided stipends for 40 individuals with lived experience and their family members to attend the conference at no cost.