We all deserve to have our mental health needs met.July is BIPOC Mental Health Month, previously known as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. It was first formally recognized in 2008 in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, an American author, journalist, teacher, and mental health advocate who worked to shed light on the mental health needs of the Black community and other underrepresented communities. Mental Health America (MHA) made the decision to remove the word “minority” and replace it with “BIPOC” to more fairly honor and distinguish the experiences of Black people, Indigenous People, and People of Color (BIPOC). This year the focus of BIPOC Mental Health Month is the impact of trauma. Racial trauma, or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS), refers to the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination, racism, and hate crimes. It can lead to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, unlike PTSD, RBTS is not considered a mental health disorder, but a mental injurythat occurs as the result of living within a racist system or experiencing events of racism. This racialized trauma can come from the direct experience of racism, from vicariously experiencing racism (such as seeing viral videos on social media of others facing racism), or can be transmitted intergenerationally. In the U.S., BIPOC are especially vulnerable to this trauma due to living under a system of white supremacy.In the U.S., BIPOC are especially vulnerable to race-based traumatic stress due to living under a system of white supremacy. Click To TweetRecent times—such as COVID-19 and the rising of the Black Lives Matter movement—are increasing the need for mental health services for BIPOC. Racial health disparities that have existed since long before 2020 are being exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The increased risk of dying from COVID-19, combined with limited access to testing and treatment,is causing BIPOC to face a collective trauma of the pandemic with minimal relief. These communities are also have historically hadless access to mental health care for the stressors and traumas caused by events like the pandemic and police brutality. It’s more crucial than ever right now that BIPOC individuals have access to the quality mental health care that they deserve. Below is a list of BIPOC organizations, people, and resources to support BIPOC mental health.It’s more crucial than ever right now that BIPOC individuals have access to the quality mental health care that they deserve. Click To Tweet
Brown Girl Therapy (founded by Sahaj Kohli for South Asians, first-gens, hyphenates, and women of color to learn more about therapy and identity exploration)
Adriana Alejandre, LMFT (created Latinx Therapy, a bilingual podcast and directory that aims to break the stigma of mental health for the Latinx community and create cultural competency for providers working with the Latinx population)
Black Women’s Wellness Day (founded by Lisa Peyton-Claire as an annual health summit to inform, inspire, and empower women and girls of African descent to build and sustain health, wellness-centered lives)
Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness (aims to sustain mental wellness of Black women through building community and connecting Black women to quality mental wellness services)
Megan Ellinghausen is the Marketing and Branding Specialist for The Winters Group, Inc. She is primarily responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring the strategic marketing plan, including web development, social media management, and content creation. She also manages the planning and distribution of The Inclusion Solution newsletter and blog. Her passions lie at the intersection of communication and social justice where she hopes to create space for transformative dialogue through compelling and truthful storytelling.
