APNA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council

Vision
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council will advise the board on how APNA can actively foster diversity, equity, and inclusion* within the organization, as well as for the profession, in order to help address health disparities and create positive and sustainable change for those to whom psychiatric-mental health nurses provide care.

Goals

• Provide guidance to ensure that APNA offers education, resources, and programs which integrate considerations of relevant cultural needs, preferences, and issues.
• Communicate accurate and current information about diversity, equity, and inclusion to leadership in order to inform conversations among the board and the membership.
• Advise the board on an ongoing strategy for addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion for the membership and the psychiatric-mental health nursing profession.

Chair

Barbara Jones Warren, PhD, RN, APRN-CNS, PMH-BC, FNAP, FAAN

Associate Chair

Kathleen McCoy, DNSc, APRN-BC, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNKF

Steering Committee

Joan Bourne, DNP, PMHNP-BC, LMSW
Nadia Ali Charania, PhD, RN
Natalie Hart, DNP, MSN, CRNP-PMH, PMHNP-BC
Cynthia Jovanov, DNP, MBA, RN, CNS, FNP-BC, ACNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
Julia Jung, BA, MSN, RN-BC, NE-BC, CNL
Vonda Keels-Lowe, MSN, CPN, PMHNP-BC, APRN-CNP
Kimberly Sennet, APRN, CNM, PMHNP-BC, MSN
Andrea Smith, EdD, RN, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Briana Snyder, PhD, RN, PMH-BC, CHPN, CNE, RYT 200
Neinguii “Lucy” Suokhrie, MS, BSN, RN-BC, PMHN
Antonio Zapata, MS, RN

Advisory Panel

Zeinab Abdelsalam, Dr.
Dorothy Adams, RN, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Shirin Ahmadieh, RN, BSN
Avery Anderson, PhD, PMHNP-BC, APRN
Kelsey Arganda
Anyinke Atabong, APRN, DNP
Folake Azeez, PMHNP
Florence Azie
Akisha  Bailey, MSN, RN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Paula Baisden, EdD, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC
Catherine Baker, PhD, PMHNP-BC
Susan Barnes, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, CNE
Kimberly Barnes-Ayers, BSN, RN-BC, MAEd
Griselle Batista, PhD, RN, CTN-A
Susan Blaakman, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Adaobi Bosah, PMHNP-BC, MSN, MSC, APRN, PHN
Margarida Botelho, APRN-BC
Ashley Brady, PMHNP-BC
Brian Brooker, DHSc, RN-BC, NE-BC, MHA, HACP-CMS, CART
Tina Brooks, RN, MSN
Sharon Brown, APRN
Amy Bun, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Jonah Burrell, BA, BSN, RN
Keisha Burrell
Adiatu Busairu-Martin
Katie Buys, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
Yang Chen, CRNP, MSN, RN, BSN
Bridget Clyburn, APRN
Rose Constantino, PhD, JD, RN, FACFE, FAAN
Patricia Conteh, RN, MSN, PMHNP- BC
Christine Costa, PhD, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNE
Sharri Davis, RN
Tymeeka Davis
Stacie Dee, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Joanne DeSanto Iennaco, PhD, APRN, PMHNP-BC, FAAN
Sonia Edwards
Cynthia Estes, DNP, MHA, RN, PMH-BC, NEA-BC
Adrian Geeslin, RN
Jessica Giddens, DNP, FPMHNP-BC, MSN, RN, BSN
Hedy Gerber, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNE
Pepper Ginder, MSN, RN, NI-BC, PMH-BC
Anaximenes Gonzalez
Paula Gravitt, MSN, PMHNP-BC, APRN
Diane Greenberg, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC
Christina Griffin, AGPCNP-C, PMHNP-BC, ACHPN
Ashley Guzman, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Daniel Hardy, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC, ADHD-CSSP, ASDCS,  PMGT-BC
Shabana Haxton, RN, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Marcu Henderson, MSN, RN, FNAP
Tracy Hicks, DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, FIAAN, FAANP, FAAN
Rachel  Hill, APRN
Rachel  Hoffer, RN
Haley, Howell, RN
Ma Inocian, RN-BC
Georgia Johnson, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CPHQ
Koren Johnson, RN
Nicole Jonas, RN, MSN
Eudora Jones, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC
John Kellerman, RN, MBA/HCM
Emma Kirkham, APRN
Aparna Kumar, PhD, MSN, MPH, MA, PMHNP-BC
Aaron Langford, RN, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP
Marcia Lee, ARNP, CPNP-PC, PMHS
Nita Magee, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, MHNP-BC
Therese Mathews, PhD, APRN-NP, FAAN
Jamie Matthews, DNP, MS, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ
Alvin McDonald
Charlzetta McMurray-Horton, MS, BSN, PMH RN-BC, NEA-BC
Rudley Miland, BSN, BA, RN, TTS
Danika Mills, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Tiffany Mohabeer, RN
Joshua Moran Jimenez, DNP, PMHNP, CARN, CPHQ, NE-BC
Pedro Morante, DNP, PMHNP-BC, LNC, FNP-BC, NP-C, PMHNP-C, GERO-BC, MEDSURG-BC, PMH-BC, APRN
Betty Mosier-Johnson, MSN, RN, PMH-BC
Erin Muladore
Frances Musto, PsyD, MSN
Elle O’Rourke, PMHNP
Linda Oakley, PhD, RN
Sharon ONeill
Mel Orosco, MSN, RN, PMH-BC
Joanne Patterson, DNP, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Jacinda Perez, RN, LVN
Andrea Petrash, MSN
Kathy Pitten
Michelle Plasse, PhD, PMHNP-BC, Psychiatric CNS-BC
Rebecca Puchkors, MSN, RN, PMH-BC
Tristan Reed, PMHNP-BC
Ora Robinson, PhD, RN
Donna  Sabella Monheit, PhD, MEd, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Amanda Sage, MSN, RN, PMH-BC, NPD-BC
Robin Schafer, DNP, CPNP, PMHNP-BC
Bianca Shah, RN, BSN, MSHSA
Carole Shea, PhD, RN, FAAN
Willa Shields
Christie Simon-Waterman, DNP, CRNP, PMHNP-BC
Natalie Sims RN
Simran Singh
Max Slotwinski, DNP, FPMHNP-BC
Ashley  Spicer, BSN, RN, PMH-BC
Jeanne Stacciarini, PhD, RN, FAAN
Umeika Stephens, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP
Patricia  Stewart, RN
Ferquita Stokes, DNP, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Camillia Terrell, PhD(c), APRN, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC
Candace Thompson, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Deidra Thompson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC
Willa Thompson
Rachel Tillman, MSN, RN, CNE
Kadijah Tuitt, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Exta Tweneboa,  PMHNP
Farid Uddin, MBBS, DPM, MCPS, ADN, BSN, RN
Amenaghawon Ugwuede, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Michael Valenti, Ph.D., APRN, PMHNP-BC, NEA-BC
Theresa Warfield, RN
Alanda White, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, FADLN
Nichole Yarbrough, MSN

*APNA uses these terms as defined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in their Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Academic Nursing Position Statement (2017):

“…diversity references a broad range of individual, population, and social characteristics, including but not limited to age; sex; race; ethnicity; sexual orientation; gender identity; family structures; geographic locations; national origin; immigrants and refugees; language; physical, functional, and learning abilities; religious beliefs; and socioeconomic status.

Inclusion represents environmental and organizational cultures in which faculty, students, staff, and administrators with diverse characteristics thrive. Inclusive environments require intentionality and embrace differences, not merely tolerate them. Everyone works to ensure the perspectives and experiences of others are invited, welcomed, acknowledged, and respected in inclusive environments. More broadly, equity is interrelated with diversity and inclusion.

Equity is the ability to recognize the differences in the resources or knowledge needed to allow individuals to fully participate in society, including access to higher education, with the goal of overcoming obstacles to ensure fairness (Kranich, 2001). To have equitable systems, all people should be treated fairly, unhampered by artificial barriers, stereotypes or prejudices (Cooper, 2016).”