COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
Nova Wallace is not an official spokesperson for Community Mental Health, but she recommends them based on the help and treatment she received in Lansing, Michigan.
Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties (CMHA-CEI) is a public agency serving people in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties. As a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Expansion Grantee, CMHA-CEI provides a comprehensive set of services used to increase access to care, support people in crisis, and provide treatment for those with the most serious and complex behavioral health needs regardless of their insurance coverage. CCBHC’s integrate additional services that focus on recovery, wellness, trauma-informed care, and physical-behavioral health care integration.
Website: COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
Social Media: Community Mental Health, Facebook
NAMI
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
Website: NAMI
Social Media: NAMI, YouTube channel NAMI, Instagram
Information about mental illness from the NAMI Organization:
According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than white adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress, such as sadness and feeling like everything is an effort. Black adults living below the poverty line are more than twice as likely to report serious psychological distress than those with more financial security.
Despite the needs, only one in three Black adults with mental illness receive treatment. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Facts for African Americans guide, they are also:
Less likely to receive guideline-consistent care
Less frequently included in research
More likely to use emergency rooms or primary care (rather than mental health specialists)
Socioeconomic factors can make treatment options less available. In 2020, 10.4% of Black adults in the U.S. had no form of health insurance.
The Black community, like other communities of color, are more likely to experience socioeconomic disparities such as exclusion from health, educational, social and economic resources. These disparities may contribute to worse mental health outcomes.
Stigma
Negative attitudes and beliefs towards people who live with mental health conditions is pervasive within the U.S. and can be particularly strong within the Black community. Although beliefs and attitudes vary, research shows that many Black adults – especially older adults – view mental health conditions as a consequence of personal weakness. As a result, people may experience shame about having a mental illness and worry that they may be discriminated against due to their condition.
For many in the Black community, it can be incredibly challenging to discuss the topic of mental health due to how they may be perceived by others. This fear could prevent people from seeking mental health care when they really need it.