This November, the Ethnic Minorities Section will be sponsoring several inspiring NCFR conference sessions. Three of these symposia are highlighted here.

On Wednesday, Nov. 2, Bill Allen and Cari Michaels will present the symposium "The Cultural Providers Network: Building Community-Provider Linkages." The CPN is a collaborative effort of educators, researchers, and practitioners who share the goal of improving access to and the quality of mental health services to several underserved populations in a major urban setting in the upper Midwest. Over the past decade, CPN members have worked together on innovative research regarding community definitions of family health and well-being, and have shared effective approaches to providing culturally competent care to a range of diverse populations. This session describes the group's history and shares ideas with participants who are interested in starting similar collaborations.

Also on Wednesday, Nov. 2, Kevin Shafer and colleagues will present the session "Barriers to Father Involvement Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities." Paternal involvement in the lives of children varies substantially by race and ethnicity; however, research studies addressing variability in father involvement by race/ethnicity have had difficulty parsing out the effects of racial/ethnic minority status from economic issues. The papers in this session will address how contextual and cultural factors interact with socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors to influence father involvement in African American and Hispanic families, specifically exploring how economic opportunities and cultural influences may interact to support or hinder paternal involvement.

On Friday, Nov. 4, Antoinette Landor and colleagues will present the symposium "Human Rights and Relationships of African Americans: Exploring Health and Well-Being." This session will focus on the myriad factors found to be associated with the health and well-being of African Americans and their families. Little, however, is known about the impact of human rights issues on African American relationships more broadly, including intimate relationships and relationships with law enforcement. This session will explore how human rights issues such as discrimination, access to health insurance, exposure to trauma and violence, and gender inequalities impact relationships of African Americans, as well as implications for health and well-being.

Many other thought-provoking papers and posters will be presented at the conference. Be sure to read our preconference newsletter in late October for more details. In addition, the Students and New Professionals (SNP) representatives are planning an engaging networking opportunity during our oral history session on Thursday evening.

Finally, thank you to everyone who reviewed proposals for this year's conference. Your time and meaningful feedback are critical in supporting the success of the sessions sponsored by our section. See you all in Minneapolis!