Toolkit features resources to help communities of color confront systemic barriers to mental health care and well-being

(Black PR Wire) ALEXANDRIA, Va.—To commemorate Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Health Awareness Month, Mental Health America has released a free, downloadable toolkit to help individuals of color facilitate discussions about mental health in their communities.

Each July, MHA honors the life of Bebe Moore Campbell, a trailblazer, advocate, and extensive author. Through her work, Moore Campbell explored themes of how living with a mental health condition intersected with racial identity, family dynamics and other aspects of life.

MHA’s toolkit features a host of resources to help Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) reflect upon the unique challenges faced by their communities—along with tools to help break down those barriers and foster constructive dialogue around mental well-being. These include: a cross-generational conversation guide; myth-busting some common cultural stereotypes related to BIPOC mental health; social media templates; and a worksheet to help communities cope when they are under attack.

The toolkit comes as 2023 data from MHA’s National Screening and Prevention Program—a collection of free, anonymous and clinically validated screening tools—show that BIPOC communities are at a disproportionate risk for having mental health concerns. For example, rates of suicidal ideation for all BIPOC individuals were higher than rates for white screeners, with 40% of BIPOC screeners reporting frequent suicidal ideation compared with 33% of white screeners.

“Since our founding in 1909, equity has been a north star for Mental Health America as we promote well-being and access to needed care for all,” said Schroeder Stribling, President and CEO of MHA. “Because these communities face unique structural barriers to care, it is vital that we champion approaches informed by lived experience as well as other factors such as identity, geography, and access to basic resources that drive positive mental health outcomes.”

To this end, MHA also has a new, updated policy statement related to the social drivers of mental well-being, which include racism and other forms of discrimination, poverty, educational inequality, lack of access to nutritional food, and violence, among other factors. Download the free toolkit here.

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About Mental Health America

Mental Health America is the nation’s leading community-driven nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being, resilience, recovery, and closing the mental health equity gap. Mental Health America’s work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of whole person health, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; and integrated care, services and supports for those who need them. Learn more at MHAnational.org.

Source: Mental Health America