A True Mental Health Evangelist: GiGi Crowder, CEO of NAMI - Contra Costa

GiGi Crowder

GiGi Crowder is one of our most requested speakers for Mental Health Mondays. She is popular because she is on a mission to make mental health care as accessible, normalized and respected in the Black community as Sunday Service.

As the CEO of Contra Costa County’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), GiGi is an advocate for mental health care for everyone. NAMI-Contra Costa has its main office in Concord, but has recently expanded to Antioch to meet the mental health care needs of the growing African American community in the East County. The Antioch office is co-located with the new African American Wellness Hub at 1020 East Tregallas Rd., Antioch, CA

Ms. Crowder’s journey to becoming one of the most powerful advocates of mental health care for ethnic populations in the State of California, included work in residential treatment facilities, Rubicon Programs, and a clubhouse model of care in Oakland. She served as the Ethnic Services Manager in Alameda County for many years, where she led efforts to reduce health disparities, particularly for African Americans.

Gigi is especially interested in addressing systemic issues affecting young Black people, including how the educational and mental health systems often fail to provide appropriate support and care. Rather, these systems often contribute to low self-esteem and missed potential. She is a staunch advocate for a more holistic approach to mental health care that addresses root causes; an approach that involves both schools and families, and emphasizes the importance of preventative measures and empowerment.

Refused to Delay The Black Wellness Hub in the East Bay

As the CEO of NAMI, Gigi recognizes the persistent racial disparities and the need for Black-led initiatives in Eastern Contra Costa County. She led the initiative to obtain County funding to establish the Wellness Hub. When the process to bring the Hub online became too sluggish, GiGi not only stepped in to find an appropriate site, but she used her own money to launch the Hub!

Under GiGi’s leadership at NAMI, the organization has expanded its focus to become involved in police accountability and mental health services for immigrant communities. Keenly aware of the continued existence of systemic racism, and the slow progress in addressing racial justice issues, GiGi often intervenes in a process to get right to the heart of a problem, and solves it.

Ms. Crowder believes that more virtual spaces like Mental Health Mondays for Black people are needed because it provides a platform for empowerment and support.