Leadership

CEO, Dr. Alexendre Sacha Vington
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Dr. Vington received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College, Columbia University in New York City.  His medical training was at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway New Jersey.  He completed his residency in psychiatry at New York University/Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, and did post-graduate fellowship training in public psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.

MANMAN,* I AM A GROWN UP NOW

When I was young, it was “When I grow up…”
Will manman understand
that I am a grown up now?
How can I tell her that she taught me how? 
She stopped being a “Haitian Lady” to be a woman
Today I stopped being a man to be a person
 It is never easy for the firsts,
and more is expected from those who follow
Too much pain, Too much pride,
Too much love
Manman you gave me too much
for me not to want more
Yesterday you taught me to dream,
And you did not say how far
Today, manman I am a grown up now

Alexendre Sacha Vington, M.D., Sept. 1987
*Manman is the Haitian term for mother.

I have returned to Brooklyn to help address some of the social challenges which plagues communities like Bushwick, Brownsville, East New York, Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and the South Bronx e.g. (internalized) racism, HIV/AIDS prevention, hypertension, diabetes, gang (domestic)violence, substance abuse, crime, and poverty to name a few.  After so many years of training, I believed that I am in very good position to speak authoritatively on the mental health needs of these communities. But since returning,

I have come to appreciate that these challenges are not specific to the urban communities New York City but are product of deeper challenge facing society, indeed humanity in general:  Humanity is still at a state in its evolution where we are functioning from a fear-based paradigm which often gives rise to the creation of an “other” (otherfication, otherization) in an “Us vs. Them” world view.

This is reflected in our present sciences of health, which are actually sciences of disease treatment and prevention. I believed that I am in very good position to speak authoritatively on these inadequacies of the present mental health paradigm, and the implications of such to human society in general.

Having held several leadership positions for a local clinic for the last fifteen years, I have developed a keen understanding of the present shortcomings of the basis of our present community mental health models: The present science is disease-based.  This reality has a disproportionate negative consequence in communities like those above.  Changing the science of mental health to being health-based is an example of a paradigm-shift I hope to be instituting in these communities.

Human Core/Community Process (HCP) is a tool which focuses on the comprehensive process of being human.   And, because HCP regards humanity as a celebration of life, by focusing on one’s core HCP is a health-based, not disease-based, process.  

As a community psychiatrist, it has hit home to me that many parts of neighborhoods mentioned above are under siege in terms of mind health challenges.  Having grown up in Brownsville, I believe I offer a very vital approach to some of the socio-psychological plagues of inner city existence.  My dedicating my life to public services is not new. At my high school, Wingate High School in Brooklyn, my name is on the School Service Award wall.  I received similar honorable acknowledgement at Columbia College that typifies my commitment to public service.

I had some challenges during the early period of my professional studies and training.  For me, that period was not just about obtaining a career, but connecting with my professional calling.  This process took all of me.  Accessing my purpose in life, and learning to take care of my patients was all I could do. 

The last fifteen years have felt like an intensive period of “downloading” unformatted text (with introns and exons).  Though it may on paper appear to be off of the traditional course of “publish or perish,” it is clear to me that I was a necessary step.  The processing of getting publish (including the necessary component of academic literature review) could have deterred from my process of spiritual-intellectual downloading, and resulted more in intellectual contamination.  During this period I have sharpened my skills as a clinician, teacher, and administrator.  Armed with these experiences, I am better equipped to evaluate the literature and develop programs that are clinically grounded. The professional success that I am now enjoying is because I bring something very unique to the table: I bring the fusion of being raised within these communities with a very strong academic and clinical training, along with an unquestionable record of commitment.

In 1987 I changed my name to Vington (meaning 21st) in dedication to my doing my part in helping humanity take its necessary steps in the new millennium. It is only recently, while writing these series of personal statement that it has fully become clear to me that my calling is to help society to move beyond fear.  And it is that very process of moving beyond fear within myself that is enabling to take these next steps in my life.

It is out this commitment that I have committed all my resources to opening a mind health institute in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.   I am very happy to be at a place in my life where I can put my story in context.  I feel fortunate that I have been given the skills and training to make the fruits of my process accessible to others.  But perhaps most importantly, the biggest gift is that I still believe.  And it is a science and technology of accessing of belief--getting to one’s core--that is the foundation of this project.  Indeed, I have lived the science that I am bringing to community mind health.  And it is this systematic technology of accessing one’s core belief that I hope will offer a creative and effective tool to help to individuals  develop the knowledge and rituals to strengthen their minds and to maximize their human potential and move humanity beyond and us vs. them worldview.