Report on Serenity Wellness and Mental Health: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals in Community Healthcare

This report analyzes the operations and community impact of Serenity Wellness and Mental Health, a practice founded by Dr. Chiamaka Nnah in Catonsville. The center demonstrates a significant commitment to advancing several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its targeted services and operational philosophy.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The practice’s model directly supports key SDGs, particularly in the areas of health, equality, and economic growth.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Serenity Wellness and Mental Health makes a direct contribution to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

• Expanding Access to Mental Healthcare: The center has grown to serve over 300 patients, providing essential psychiatric and therapeutic services to the community.
• Targeted Psychological Support: Dr. Nnah’s transition from emergency nursing to psychiatric care was driven by a desire to focus on the social and psychological aspects of medicine, addressing a critical component of overall health.
• Reducing Stigma: The practice actively works to destigmatize mental health by creating an approachable and inviting environment, which is crucial for encouraging individuals, especially those from hesitant communities, to seek initial treatment.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

A core mission of the center is to reduce health inequalities by providing culturally competent care, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations.

• Representation in Healthcare: The practice intentionally employs providers from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to ensure that clients can connect with professionals who may share similar life experiences.
• Focus on First-Generation Americans: Dr. Nnah, a first-generation Nigerian-American, established the practice to serve individuals navigating the unique cultural pressures and identity challenges of straddling two cultures.
• Addressing Cultural Barriers: The center acknowledges and addresses specific stigmas within immigrant communities, such as the belief that depression is not a legitimate illness or that success is narrowly defined, thereby providing more effective and empathetic care.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The establishment and rapid expansion of the practice contribute to local economic growth and the creation of quality employment opportunities.

1. Business Inception: Dr. Nnah founded Serenity Wellness Mental Health Center in 2024 to address a specific need she identified in the community.
2. Job Creation: Within its first year of operation, the practice has created 10 jobs, providing employment for healthcare professionals in the Baltimore County area.
3. Sustainable Growth: The rapid acquisition of over 300 patients indicates a sustainable business model that meets a significant market demand, contributing positively to the local economy.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

The leadership and professional development within the organization exemplify the empowerment of women in the specialized healthcare sector.

• Female Entrepreneurship: Dr. Nnah founded and leads her own successful mental health practice.
• Intergenerational Professional Advancement: Dr. Nnah and her mother, also a nurse, pursued advanced degrees in psychiatric health together, showcasing a commitment to female education and career advancement within the family and the profession.

Community Impact and Strategic Approach

Addressing Systemic Challenges

The center’s strategy is designed to overcome significant barriers to mental healthcare.

• Cultural Stigma: The practice confronts the challenge present in many first-generation homes where mental health issues are often dismissed in favor of religious solutions or misunderstood due to a lack of awareness about the physiological basis of conditions like depression.
• Societal and Familial Pressure: The providers are equipped to help clients manage the immense pressure to succeed and the cultural clashes that affect the mental health of first-generation individuals.

Primary Achievement

The most significant outcome of Serenity Wellness and Mental Health’s work is the creation of a safe and relatable space for community members to discuss mental health. By fostering open conversations and ensuring provider relatability, the center has successfully made therapeutic services more accessible and less intimidating, thereby fulfilling a critical public health role aligned with global development objectives.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is the promotion of mental health services and the reduction of stigma associated with mental illness.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article focuses on providing culturally competent and accessible mental healthcare to specific communities, particularly first-generation Americans, to address disparities in health services.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The story highlights female entrepreneurship and leadership in the healthcare sector through the example of Dr. Chiamaka Nnah founding and running her own successful practice.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article describes the creation of a new small enterprise that has grown to provide employment for several people.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being.

   The entire article is dedicated to this target. Dr. Nnah’s practice, Serenity Wellness and Mental Health, was established to provide mental health services. She states her goal is “creating a space for people like me to feel comfortable to discuss their mental health and to reduce the stigma in the community that I live in.” This directly supports the promotion of mental health and well-being.

2. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services.

   The practice focuses on making mental healthcare accessible and relatable. Dr. Nnah emphasizes this by saying, “our focus is really on giving back and being accessible to our community.” By hiring providers from diverse backgrounds, the practice aims to provide “quality essential health-care services” that are culturally competent and appealing to “specific community demographics.”

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social inclusion of all, irrespective of race, ethnicity, or origin.

   Dr. Nnah’s work directly addresses the social inclusion of first-generation Americans and other ethnic groups in the context of mental healthcare. She notes the importance of representation: “As a first-generation American, I also really wanted to offer representation for others who have that same experience.” The practice’s diverse staff is a deliberate strategy to ensure clients from various backgrounds feel seen and understood, thereby promoting inclusion.

2. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome.

   The article discusses the stigma and cultural barriers that create unequal access to mental healthcare for certain communities. Dr. Nnah’s practice aims to reduce this “inequality of outcome” by providing an “approachable and inviting” entry point to therapy. By addressing the “big stigma” in religious and first-generation homes, she works to ensure that these communities have an equal opportunity to achieve good mental health.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

1. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic and public life.

   Dr. Nnah’s story is a clear example of this target in action. As a woman, she founded and now runs her own successful mental health practice. The article states, “in 2024, I opened my own practice called Serenity Wellness Mental Health Center… It’s been a year and I now have ten employees and more than 300 patients.” This demonstrates female leadership and entrepreneurship in the economic and public health spheres.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support entrepreneurship and the growth of micro- and small-sized enterprises.

   The article profiles the creation and rapid growth of a small enterprise. Dr. Nnah’s journey from working for her mother to opening her own practice, which “grew very quickly,” exemplifies the entrepreneurship that this target supports. The success of Serenity Wellness as a small business contributes to local economic growth.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Implied Indicator: Coverage of mental health services (related to Indicator 3.8.1).

   The article provides a direct measure of service coverage by stating that the practice serves “more than 300 patients.” This number quantifies the reach of the mental health services being provided to the community.

2. Implied Indicator: Reduction of barriers to seeking care.

   Progress is implied through Dr. Nnah’s efforts to “reduce the stigma in the community” and make therapy “approachable and inviting.” The rapid growth of the practice suggests these efforts are successful in lowering the barriers for people to make their “first appointment.”

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. Implied Indicator: Provision of services tailored to specific ethnic/origin groups.

   The article indicates progress by describing the composition of the staff: “We have a range of different providers of different races and ethnic backgrounds, so that there is someone on staff that can relate or appeal to our specific community demographics.” This is a qualitative indicator of the effort to provide equitable and culturally competent care.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Implied Indicator: Job creation by new enterprises (related to Target 8.3).

   A specific indicator of economic growth and decent work is mentioned in the article: “I now have ten employees.” This shows the direct impact of the new enterprise on local employment.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

1. Implied Indicator: Women in managerial positions (related to Indicator 5.5.2).

   The article provides a clear example of a woman in a leadership role. Dr. Nnah is the founder and head of her practice, which employs ten people. This serves as a qualitative and quantitative indicator of women’s leadership in the economic sphere.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: baltimoremagazine.com