Committee reappoints Dr. Julia Lopez to St. Louis City Mental Health Board

The Health and Human Development Committee of St. Louis City voted to reappoint Dr. Julia Lopez to the city's Mental Health Board after she summarized her experience in community mental health and her prior service on that board.

"I've been on the mental health board since, I work at WashU School of Medicine and Infectious Diseases," Dr. Julia Lopez told the committee, identifying herself as a licensed clinical social worker who has worked for 20 years in community mental health with immigrants, refugees and queer and transgender people affected by severe mental illness and advanced HIV.

Committee members thanked Lopez for her service and said they would support her appointment. Alderwoman Autumn Boyd asked for a motion; the committee made and seconded a motion to appoint Lopez and the chair announced the appointment. The transcript records the motion and second but does not name the motion maker or provide a roll-call tally for this item; the committee chair said, "Miss Lopez, congratulations. You have been appointed back onto the mental health board."

Earlier in the meeting the committee approved its January minutes by roll call. The minutes vote recorded verbal "aye" responses from Alderman Farmer, Alderman Taiz and Chair Boyd and the clerk announced "We have 3 aye votes." The committee clerk later confirmed she had the candidates' resumes but no written testimony on the nominees.

Lopez said she has chaired the programmatic committee, served on the executive board as treasurer and secretary, and that she has worked on grant review and program support for grassroots and larger community organizations. Committee members said they appreciated her grassroots perspective and experience evaluating grants.