First Muslim Community Mental Health Conference held in Houston

by Ilyas Hasan Choudry

Ibn Sina Foundation (ISF) in collaboration with prominent community organizations, arranged the first Muslim Mental Health Conference for Community Leaders in Houston, Texas on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at Marriott Hotel Sugar Land, Texas.

Mental health is a great challenge faced by people from all walks of life. There is a huge disparity in access to mental health services, especially for lower-income communities.

The goal of the conference was to challenge the status quo and inform the community leaders on mental health status, sensitize them on mental health needs, and provide resources’ information to promote mental health and wellness. The conference provided a unique platform to bring together community leaders, professionals, and partner organizations (public and private) to understand the mental health needs, address challenges faced by community leaders and navigate the individuals and families to the right resources. It also provided an opportunity to engage, discuss, and develop a better understanding of the prevalence, associated challenges and available resources in managing these conditions at the community level and connecting with partners and stakeholders.

More than 300 leaders and professionals from Texas and other States attended and benefited from the conference. Mayor Houston, Sylvester Turner, as Chief Guest; Congressman Al Green, Guest of Honor; and Attorney General, Keith Ellison, Guest of Honor, and other public officials attended this important conference. They highly applauded Ibn Sina Foundation’s struggle in improving the health & wellness of disadvantaged communities in Texas. They assured their fullest support and cooperation to promote mental health & wellbeing. Mayor Houston particularly said that he is excited to work with Ibn Sina Foundation on this critical and much-needed agenda of mental health.

Mr. Nasruddin Rupani Chairman Ibn Sina Foundation, thanked the participants and shared his great concerns on the current status of mental health of uninsured communities. He said that Foundation gives great importance to this challenge and assures extended support and facilitation to overcome it. He added that the foundation’s long-term plan includes the establishment of Islamic Medical University and Hospital to promote medical education, reduce the workforce gaps and address the unmet health needs of the communities at large.

Dr. Asim A Shah renowned and expert psychiatrist gave a detailed presentation on the status of mental health illnesses in the US and highlighted how COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental wellness of communities during the last two years.

Ibn Sina Foundation was established in 2001 by a group of local physicians, business, and healthcare professionals. The vision was to bridge the growing gap between the health care needs of a rapidly expanding population of underserved families and the ability of existing public health clinics to meet it. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure the health of the community by providing integrated, preventive, and primary care in a clinical setting through the dissemination and application of health-related knowledge, thereby enhancing the quality of life for future generations. Ibn Sina Community clinics have been providing, low-cost medical, dental, behavioral, specialty and diagnostic services to low-income, uninsured, and indigent patients in the Greater Houston area for many years.

For further information contact:

Liaquat Khowaja, COO, Ibn Sina Foundation

Email: liaquat@ibnsinafoundation.org – Contact: 832 884 9715