Mental health within minority groups requires ‘a call to action,’ activists say

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and various organizations are highlighting the disparities diverse populations face when it comes to mental illness.

“I think a lot of the challenges with the minority population is the stigma with mental health,” said Rachele Espiritu, a partner with the Change Matrix who works in mental health awareness. Change Matrix is a women- and minority-owned small business certified as a participant in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program.

“There is a tendency to keep the illness within the family,” she said.

As a result, she said many organizations are trying to raise awareness of the issue.

“I think the first step for agencies and organizations is understanding the demographics of the population,” she added.

This could be anything from recognizing that poverty hinders access to mental health services to lack of transportation for meeting with service providers.

Kiara Estill, a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist and board member of the Nevada chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said it is also about acknowledging there are extra hurdles.

In her opinion, another barrier that keeps black people from seeking mental health treatment is fear of punishment.

“We get criminalized for seeking treatment for mental health,” she said. “We go to jail or lose custody of our children. Our white counterparts are treated differently.”

Espiritu said it comes down to mental health providers paying attention to the populations they are serving.

“If the community is 25 percent Latino, yet you’re only serving 5 or 10 percent, you should be asking what’s going on,” she said.

Estill said this could be recognizing that certain groups don’t talk about mental health.

“In the (African American) culture, there was no such thing as a mental illness problem,” Estill said.

Growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s during the civil rights era, emotions ran high.

“Everyone was depressed,” she said. “We just had to keep going no matter what.”

Even if minority groups have access to care, another component is making sure service providers are culturally competent. Espiritu said some organizations are working to make sure counselors and mental health providers are getting the training and resources to reach within minority groups. In some instances, it means fostering partnerships between service providers and trusted community leaders.

“That could be faith leaders,” she said. “That could mean partnering with churches or parks and recreation departments. I know some (service providers) have partnered with hair salons in the African American community.”

When recognizing Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Espiritu said change can happen on an individual level.

“With Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to bring a call to action,” she said. “There is a lot we can do to honor this month.”

To reach Henderson View reporter Michael Lyle, email mlyle@viewnews.com or call 702-387-5201. Find him on Twitter: @mjlyle.