July is Minority Mental Health Month

It's hard to imagine the unique struggles that minorities in America have to face on a day-to-day basis. It's even more difficult to understand the struggles and challenges minorities are facing when they are suffering from mental health issues. It's one of the primary reasons that National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July. It's necessary as a means of shining a spotlight on the plight of literally millions of our fellow Americans.‍

‍

About Minority Mental Health Month

‍Minority Mental Health Month in America is far from a new concept. The foundation of this effort was created in 2005 by Bebe Moore Campbell and her close friend Linda Wharton-Boyd. This tradition was innovated as a way to draw attention to the inequalities that exist in the mental health treatment community for minorities. It's noteworthy that Campbell, co-founder of the National Alliance of Mental Illness, Urban Los Angeles has long been advocating for better mental healthcare in minority communities all over America.

‍

‍The Task at Hand

‍The task at hand is very simple. There is an increasing need for affordable mental health resources for all races. However, the need has never been more pronounced than now among minority communities everywhere.The call coming from Minority Mental Health Month is for more and easier access to mental health treatment resources, largely in black and brown communities. Said communities face two significant issues. First, there simply aren't enough mental health facilities to handle the growing number of American minorities who are struggling with different facets of their lives.Second, the cost of mental healthcare in America has risen to the point most minority families can't afford to get the help they need. Without affordable access to treatment for a wide range of mental health issues, there is every reason to believe that minority communities will be stuck with the consequences that come with troubled individuals left roaming the streets.

‍

‍Meeting the Challenge

‍Every July, the call goes out for the mental health community to bring awareness to the issues related to the lack of mental health treatment resources for minorities. The call goes out at every level, including neighborhood, city, country, state, and even the national level.To meet this challenge, a vast number of organizations will be running a number of workshops and events in support of this glorious cause. In some cases, the events are simply being organized to bring about awareness in regard to the issue at hand. There will also be fund-raising efforts to help create the resources that are needed to help the minorities that need the help the most.In recent years, it's been heart-warming to see the level of support Minority Mental Health Month has been getting at every level. Almost every significant minority mental health organization has been getting behind the cause. However, the support goes beyond what is happening in minority communities. Because of the designation of July as Minority Mental Health Month, it has become increasingly clear that minority mental health treatment issues are an American problem. In that regard, all kinds of organizations have been getting behind this cause.

‍

‍How You Can Make a Difference

‍Since we have established that minority mental health access issues are American issues, it's incumbent on all of us to get involved and do all we can to help this July.How can your help? There are more than a few ways all of us can lend a hand to this noble cause. Of course, there are a number of non-profit minority mental health organizations that can make good use of financial donations, but this effort is going to require more than money. It's going to require volunteers to get out there to spread the word about this horrible secret. No one in America who is suffering from a mental health issue should be left to fend for themselves.As Americans, we can't complain about the poverty and crime in minority neighborhoods without looking at the causation. When some of the causes are directly linked to mental health treatment issues in these neighborhoods, it's unconscionable that we aren't willing to do something about it.That's the reason Campbell and Wharton-Boyd decided to create this very special initiative. Now is the time to create awareness of this growing problem while there are still steps we can take to make a difference.At Hollywood Hills Recovery, we serve as part of the mental health community in the Los Angeles, California region. We are offering our support for this very important cause and hope you will do the same.If we can be of help to any of you in any way, we hope you will take a moment and reach out to us.