July is BIPOC Mental Health Month. During this month, we want to recognize and bring awareness to the mental health needs and challenges of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). While stigma of and discrimination toward mental health and mental health treatment has a storied past for many, the BIPOC community has faced additional adversities such as intergenerational trauma, discrimination, oppression, and systemic racism both individually and collectively. Systemic disparities are highlighted in the additional barriers BIPOC communities face in accessing proper mental health care.
As we celebrate BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important that we help to eliminate barriers to mental health care by:
- Educating ourselves and each other
- Building trust by creating safe and inclusive spaces
- Increasing awareness of health care disparities in BIPOC communities
- Practicing a cultural humility perspective
We all must be willing to listen, reflect, and learn in order to improve mental health in the BIPOC communities.
To learn more about BIPOC Mental Health, ways to provide and receive support, check out some of these resources:
Mental Health America
Mental Health Resources
Strong Hearts-Native Resources
Buffalo Urban League
Learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging here.