To our community,
As mental health care providers, we are trained to listen. In the wake of the recent tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, we have been listening more carefully.
The providers and staff at Southeastern Psychiatric Associates have always strived to create a welcoming environment where all people feel comfortable seeking help. We serve a diverse community at our offices in Randolph and Dorchester.
What we have learned in the past few weeks is that it is not enough to be silently opposed to racism – we need to actively fight against it.
We pledge our support to the Black community and will promote conversation about race. It’s through these tough conversations that we will achieve growth and progress. For those of you who already trust us to be your mental health providers, we encourage you to discuss race issues and the effects of racial injustice in your psychotherapy sessions. For those in search of mental health care, please know that we are here for you.
Like many of you, we are horrified by the images and news stories that we see every day, and we are grappling with how we can best play a role in the march towards progress and racial equality. Currently, our goal is to provide a safe space for all of us to heal together (even if that space, right now, needs to be a virtual one).
Black lives matter. We do not claim to know how to dismantle systemic racism, but we know that we must be actively engaged in addressing it as both community members and mental health providers. Please know that we are here to listen, to learn and to help.
Justice and peace,
Leonard Marcus, MD
Dean Solomon, MD
Gary Warstadt, MD