BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month

Dear SPIRIT Community,

July is BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as National Minority Mental Health Month. Our backgrounds, cultures, and experiences permeate all facets of life—including our mental health and overall well-being. BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month offers us an opportunity to elevate the voices and experiences of people of color who live with a mental illness. As racial trauma, disparities to accessing mental health care, and systemic injustices persist, we encourage you to reflect on the challenges that BIPOC communities endure, while also celebrating the advancements made to support a more inclusive and just society for communities of Black, Indigenous and People of Color. We also can celebrate and learn from the strengths of BIPOC cultures and honor the ways our diverse communities cultivate joy, resilience, and mental well-being even in the face of adversity.

Although BIPOC mental health awareness should be at the forefront of our societal focus year-round, we hope this month in particular can be a time for self-reflection and growth, as we seek out ways to be more culturally responsive to the diverse communities in Washington State. View the resources below to learn more about BIPOC Mental Health Awareness month and how you can be involved.

Webpages provided by Mental Health America:

1. BIPOC Mental Health | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
2. BIPOC Mental Health Month | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
3. How to find an anti-racist therapist – Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
4. Healthcare Disparities Among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
5. Empowering Yourself and Your Community of Color | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
6. Racial Trauma | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
7. Social Determinants of Health | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)

External Resources:

1. Brown Girl Rise – Portland Nonprofit for Girls & Non-Binary Youth
2. QTBIPOC Mental Health and Well-Being – Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org)
3. Home Page | NNIRR
4. Latinx Therapy
5. Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Fact Sheet | Resources to Recover (rtor.org)
6. National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network – NQTTCN is a healing justice organization that works to transform mental health for queer and trans people of color.
7. If you or a loved one are struggling or in crisis, help is available. Please visit Lifeline (988lifeline.org) and text or call 988. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

Recursos En Español:

1. La salud mental en la comunidad latina | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
2. NIMH » Cómo comprender qué es la psicosis (nih.gov)
3. National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network – NQTTCN is a healing justice organization that works to transform mental health for queer and trans people of color.
4. Test de ansiedad – Pruebas gratuitas de salud mental de Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
5. Test de ansiedad – Pruebas gratuitas de salud mental de Mental Health America (mhanational.org)