Counseling and Treating People of Colour Conference

The 35th Annual Counseling and Treating People of Colour Conference: An International Perspective was established in 1986 by Dr. C. Vincent Bakeman and Dr. Frances L. Brisbane as a forum to connect professionals of colour working in Education, Health, Substance Use, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, and Violence prevention. The conference has since broadened its scope to include youth, college students, and those impacted by the criminal justice system. The founders envisioned an environment characterized by spirituality, harmony, and respect, enabling attendees and presenters to engage collaboratively in the exchange of knowledge and skills essential for effectively counseling and treating people of colour.

Bakeman and Brisbane proposed an event that would bring together individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds to exchange effective treatment and prevention philosophies and techniques specific to their respective communities. The conference also aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of different cultural groups and promote service delivery to people of colour across various cultures. As Brisbane noted, “from the outset, our goal was to make culture the focal point of all discussions. We sought to immerse attendees in both the environment and mindset required to not only learn about, but also experience, the diversity present.” Bakeman added that the international spelling of “Colour” was purposefully chosen for the conference name to inclusively represent all nonwhite cultural groups.

Throughout its history, the conference has been hosted in more than 14 locations worldwide, regularly attracting over 400 multicultural participants prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event has featured distinguished keynote speakers, including former United States Surgeon General’s David Satcher, MD, Jocelyn Elders, MD, and Ass. Attorney General  Marilyn Gaston, MD; Na’im Akbar, PhD (author, Psychologist) Master Nan Lu (Traditional Chinese Medicine); and the Honorable Robert T. Russell Jr., founder of Veterans Treatment Courts. In addition to renowned experts and practitioners, the conference benefits from the valuable experiences of frontline professionals who provide critical insights. The diverse backgrounds of attendees and the dynamic cross-cultural exchanges foster an environment where participants gain as much from informal interactions between sessions as from the formal presentations themselves.