Some Indiana communities are facing environmental hazards linked to climate change, and a licensed clinical psychologist said the fallout can extend beyond physical health.

Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order in 2025 prohibiting state agencies from using environmental justice as a determining factor in permitting, enforcement or grant decisions.

Derrick Sebree, a therapist and Massachusetts program director at the Michigan School of Psychology, argued the policy leaves vulnerable communities at greater risk. Sebree pointed out climate change can create hazards beyond the immediate physical environment.

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“For instance, extreme heat, it tends to exacerbate mental health emergencies and tends to have an impact on people who take antidepressant medication because of things like the difficulty with the body regulating heat,” Sebree outlined.

Sebree stressed climate change affects the social determinants of health, adding climate infrastructure problems in major cities are a result of systemic racism. Industrial pollution and lead-contaminated soil are mostly found in low-income and minority neighborhoods in Gary, Hammond, East Chicago and Indianapolis.

Sebree acknowledged some front line communities do not have the resources for advocacy or activism, making it essential to support grassroots efforts.

“I think a big thing is just really the importance of creating more sustainable and justice-oriented solutions for these kinds of injustices and gaps within care — and public health as well,” he emphasized.

The Hoosier Environmental Council and the Indiana NAACP Environmental Climate Justice Program are among the state-based organizations addressing pollution challenges in low-income communities. Braun’s order said state decisions should focus on protecting public health, natural resources and economic growth without favoring or disadvantaging any group based on race, ethnicity or other social criteria.