Archive for category: Behavioral Health

Post written by Cecilia Ponce, LSCSW, Behavioral Health Clinician

July has been designated as National Minority Mental Health Month.

In May of 2008, The United States House of Representatives announced July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Bebe Moore Campbell identified as African American and was a well-known author, advocate and the co-founder of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles. Campbell passed in 2006, but her tireless work lives on. The goal of this designation is to improve access to mental health treatment, to help destigmatize mental health and to promote public awareness.

Upon first glance, one might question the difference between mental health diagnosing and treatment of persons identified as minorities. As a mental health professional or health professional, we are taught to assess, collaborate and treat individuals with a culturally effective approach. We are also taught that in the presence of culture there is no diagnosis and also provided with an explanation of “cultural concepts of distress” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

According to the last Census (2017) about 40 percent of the U.S. population identifies as a minority, and minorities account for the majority of the population in four states. The U.S. Census names African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino and two or more races as minorities. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), states racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to have access to mental health services and more likely to utilize emergency departments in hospitals; and as a whole appear to have poorer mental health outcomes.

Breaking Down Barriers

As a Social Worker and Mental Health Professional (BHC), it is my professional and personal mission to help break down barriers to care and help empower clients. This aligns with Health Partnership Clinic’s mission “we are dedicated to improving the health of the communities we serve through the provision of high quality, affordable, accessible and culturally appropriate care to all individuals regardless of ability to pay”. We also offer integrated visits and promote wellness with a preventative approach thus decreasing the barriers of cost, wait times, referral process and stigma. We are patient centered, and we treat the whole person.

As I write this blog, we as a nation are experiencing political and systemic protests, a pandemic and economic instability. Given this platform, it would be irresponsible to leave out the impact that discrimination and racism has on minority mental health. As a Latinx individual, I have the privilege of being bicultural, bilingual and other. This does not imply that I am impervious to direct discrimination, microaggressions and institutional barriers that many of our patients face.

#HPCSTRONG

Our campaign of #HPCSTRONG fits best to describe how a diverse group of medical and mental health professionals can help break down barriers and empower individuals one visit at a time, one community outreach program at a time, one educational support presentation at a time, and one advocacy event at a time.  We can accept that mental illness does not discriminate and those of us who identify as minorities have different experiences and ways of coping.

“Once my loved ones accepted the diagnosis, healing began for the entire family, but it took too long. It took years. Can’t we, as a nation, begin to speed up that process? We need a national campaign to destigmatize mental illness, especially one targeted toward African Americans…It’s not shameful to have a mental illness. Get treatment. Recovery is possible (Campbell, 2005).”

This July, let us honor Campbell and other advocates who have come before us to incite change.

Below is a list of ways that you can help ignite change:

1. Presentation: Consider a dialogue or communication with your community about mental health.
2. Strive to be a culturally competent provider/professional.
3. Advocate: call, write, dialogue, and/or present to your legislators both locally and nationally.
4. Share your story or experience.
5. Join a virtual or in-person walk (NAMI, PRO-ACT Recovery, Out of the Darkness, Speak Up).
6. Consider donating to a local agency or campaign.
7. If you are a health or mental health professional continue your education: https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/education/behavioral-health.

Post by Tristen Winston, MA, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist and Behavioral Health Director

The first week of October, Sunday, Oct. 6 – Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 is Mental Illness Awareness Week.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. However, mental illness affects everyone directly or indirectly through family, friends or coworkers. It is vital that we recognize the importance of mental health and continue to combat the stigma that continues to exist. This is why Mental Illness Awareness Week is so very important to our community.

One in five adults will experience mental illness this year.

Since 1990, when Congress officially established the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week, advocates have worked together to sponsor activities, large or small, to educate the public about mental illness. Education is key to removing the stigma to mental illness and mental health treatment. It is important to learn the signs, symptoms and treatment options. Access to treatment can be a challenging process.

At Health Partnership Clinic we are proud to offer Integrative Behavioral Health Care to all our patients regardless of their financial status or ability to pay. We believe that incorporating mental health evaluation in the Primary Care setting can increase the access to care and help educate patients to reduce the stigma.

Mental Health Facts from NAMI

• One in five (46.6 million) adults in the United States experience a mental health condition each year.
• One in 25 (11.2 million) adults in the United States experience a serious mental illness each year.
• Approximately 46.6 million adults in the United States face the reality of managing a mental illness every day.
• Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75 percent by age 24, but early intervention programs can help.
• Up to 90 percent of those who die by suicide have an underlying mental illness as revealed by psychological autopsy. Forty-six percent of those who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental illness.
• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. With effective care, suicidal thoughts are treatable, and suicide is preventable.
• Individuals with mental health conditions face an average 11-year delay between experiencing symptoms and starting treatment.
• Common barriers to treatment include the cost of mental health care and insurance, prejudice and discrimination, and structural barriers like transportation.
• Even though most people can experience relief from symptoms and support for their recovery in treatment, less than half of the adults in the United States get the help they need.