Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and the month offers organizations of all types and sizes a wonderful opportunity to create mental health awareness in diverse communities. The US House of Representatives proclaimed July as this special month in 2008, aiming to improve access to mental health treatment and services through increased public awareness. Since then, many organizations have hosted a variety of events and activities in communities across the country each year. The National Network to Eliminate Disparities (a SAMHSA-supported initiative) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) have partnered to create webinars, share resources, and highlight related opportunities celebrating the month. .

Bebe Moore Campbell struggled to support her daughter who battled with mental illness and a system that prevented her daughter from getting help and support. She founded NAMI-Inglewood in a predominantly Black neighborhood to create a space that was safe for Black people to talk about mental health concerns. Throughout her time as an advocate, Campbell made her way to DC. On June 2, 2008, Congress formally recognized Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the US.

This year's theme is Strength in Communities, where we will be highlighting alternative mental health supports created by BIPOC and queer and trans BIPOC (QTBIPOC), for BIPOC and QTBIPOC.

Our 2021 toolkit will examine community-developed systems of support created to fill in gaps within traditional systems that may overlook cultural and historical factors that impede BIPOC and QTBIPOC mental health. It will explore three topic areas: community care, self-directed care, and cultural care and why these types of care are valid and valuable choices people can make for their mental health.

Community care refers to ways in which communities of color have provided support to each other. This can include things such as mutual aid, peer support, and healing circles.

Self-directed care is an innovative practice that emphasizes that people with mental health and substance use conditions, or their representatives if applicable, have decision-making authority over services they receive.

Cultural care refers to practices that are embedded in cultures that are passed down through generations that naturally provide resiliency and healing.

To download the toolkit go to https://mhanational.org/get-involved/download-2021-bipoc-mental-health-month-toolkit