BIPOC Mental Health Month, named in honor of the late author and advocate Bebe Moore Campbell, traces its origins to her efforts to raise awareness and address the mental health disparities experienced by Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color. Inspired by her own family’s experiences with mental illness, Campbell recognized the urgent need for culturally affirming mental health care and support.
Bebe Moore Campbell’s work, including her bestselling novel “72 Hour Hold,” shed light on the challenges faced by BIPOC individuals in navigating mental health systems and highlighted the importance of community-based solutions. In 2005, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) partnered with Campbell to establish BIPOC Mental Health Month as an annual observance in July, with the goal of promoting mental health education, reducing stigma, and advocating for equitable access to mental health resources.
BIPOC Mental Health Month by Bebe Moore Campbell serves as a tribute to her legacy and continues to foster conversations and actions to address the unique mental health needs of BIPOC communities. It provides a platform to amplify diverse voices, uplift the experiences of marginalized populations, and advocate for inclusive mental health practices, policies, and services that acknowledge the intersectionality of race, mental health, and wellness. Through this month-long observance, Campbell’s vision of promoting mental well-being and fighting stigma lives on, inspiring individuals and organizations to champion equity and justice in mental health care.
Understanding Barriers to Mental Health Treatment for the BIPOC Community
BIPOC individuals often face disparities in mental health care, with unequal access to quality services and resources. Socioeconomic factors, such as poverty and limited healthcare coverage, can further compound these barriers, making it difficult for individuals in these communities to prioritize and seek help for their mental health and well-being
Additional barriers for BIPOC folks in receiving quality mental health support include lack of culturally aware and affirming providers, language barriers, cultural stigma surrounding mental health, and systemic oppression and discrimination and related identity-based traumatic stress. Let’s take a deeper look at these barriers:
Lack of culturally aware and affirming providers
Lack of culturally aware and affirming providers refers to the limited availability of mental health professionals who possess an understanding of and sensitivity to the diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences of BIPOC individuals. This barrier can impede effective communication, hinder accurate assessment, and lead to misdiagnosis, as well as inadequate and harmful treatment.
Likewise, finding a therapist with a shared identity is important for many, and when considering racial diversity in the mental health therapist community, much is left to be desired. A 2023 estimate found the most common ethnicity of therapists is White (72.6%), followed by Asian (11.3%), Hispanic or Latino (7.9%) and Black or African American (4.0%), making it more challenging for BIPOC clients to access BIPOC clinicians.
Limited access to linguistically competent care
Limited access to linguistically competent care and concomitant language barriers are a significant source of difficulty in accessing mental health services, due to a lack of providers who are proficient in the languages spoken by BIPOC communities. According to survey results released by the American Psychological Association in 2016, approximately 10.8% of U.S. psychologists reported being able to provide services in a language other than English, with only 5.5% able to provide services in Spanish. This significant and troubling barrier can result in miscommunication, limited understanding of symptoms or concerns, and reduced access to appropriate care, further exacerbating mental health disparities.
Cultural stigmas surrounding mental health
Cultural stigmas surrounding mental health pertain to the negative attitudes, beliefs, and taboos within BIPOC communities that discourage open discussions about mental health issues. Such stigmas can contribute to the fear of being labeled as “crazy” or weak, hindering help-seeking behaviors, and creating additional barriers to seeking professional support and treatment.
Historical trauma
Historical trauma encompasses the collective psychological and emotional wounds experienced by BIPOC communities due to generations of systemic oppression, discrimination, and violence. These traumatic experiences can have long-lasting effects on mental health, including feelings of mistrust towards healthcare systems, reluctance to seek help, and a need for culturally sensitive approaches to healing and recovery.
Reducing Barriers to Mental Healthcare for BIPOC Individuals
Reducing barriers for culturally affirming and aware care for BIPOC individuals is crucial to ensuring improved mental health. Here are some ways we can reduce the barriers discussed above:
Lack of culturally aware and affirming providers
To reduce the barrier of lack of culturally aware and affirming providers, efforts can be made to increase diversity in the mental health workforce, ensuring representation of BIPOC professionals who can best understand and meet the needs of their communities. Seeking training from BIPOC clinicians, consultants, and educators is paramount in continuing to foster culturally aware and affirming spaces.
Limited access to linguistically competent care
Language barriers and limited access to linguistically competent care can be addressed by improving language access in mental health services, such as offering interpretation services or hiring bilingual providers. Collaborating with community organizations and leveraging technology can also help provide multilingual resources and information on mental health in accessible formats, breaking down language-related barriers.
Cultural stigmas surrounding mental health
To combat cultural stigmas surrounding mental health, comprehensive community-based education and awareness campaigns are crucial. Engaging trusted community leaders, promoting culturally sensitive messaging, and sharing positive personal anecdotes with mental health treatment can help normalize discussions around mental health, challenge stereotypes, and encourage help-seeking behaviors within BIPOC communities.
Historical trauma
Addressing historical trauma requires creating trauma-informed care approaches that acknowledge the impact of past and ongoing systemic injustices, oppressive practices, and harmful and racist practices and policies. This involves building trust and establishing safer spaces within mental health settings, utilizing culturally appropriate healing practices, and empowering communities to lead their own healing processes through initiatives grounded in cultural strengths and empowerment.
Resources for Mental Health Care for BIPOC Individuals
However, there are a variety of resources in place to support BIPOC individuals access culturally affirming and aware care. Check out just some below:
Nonprofit organizations:
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – A national organization providing advocacy, education, and support for individuals affected by mental illness, including specific resources and initiatives dedicated to BIPOC mental health.
- Mental Health America (MHA) – A leading nonprofit addressing all aspects of mental health, MHA offers programs and resources that specifically address the mental health needs of BIPOC communities.
- Black Mental Health Alliance – A national organization focused on promoting mental health and addressing disparities in the Black community through education, training, and advocacy.
- Latinx Therapy – An organization dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and providing culturally competent therapy resources for the Latinx community.
- Asian Mental Health Collective – A nonprofit organization committed to destigmatizing mental health in Asian communities by offering resources, support, and a platform for storytelling and community engagement.
- The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation – Founded by actress Taraji P. Henson, this organization aims to provide mental health support and resources for the African American community, with a particular focus on youth and young adults.
- Queer & Trans People of Color Mental Health – An online resource hub and community network that provides mental health information, support, and resources specifically tailored to queer and trans BIPOC communities.
- EmbraceRace – A national organization that supports and advocates for the mental health and well-being of children, specifically focusing on racial and ethnic minority children, by providing resources, webinars, and a supportive online community.
- SouthLight Healthcare – Based in North Carolina, SouthLight Healthcare offers comprehensive behavioral health services, including specialized programs that address the mental health needs of BIPOC individuals in the local community.
Online directories to connect with culturally affirming therapists:
- Therapy for Black Girls – An online directory that helps Black women and girls find therapists, featuring a wide range of mental health professionals who understand the unique experiences and challenges faced by Black individuals.
- Therapy for Black Men – A directory specifically designed to connect Black men with therapists who can provide culturally sensitive and affirming mental health care.
- Latinx Therapy – A directory that focuses on connecting Latinx individuals with therapists who share their cultural background and understand the specific mental health needs of the Latinx community.
- Inclusive Therapists – A directory that focuses on providing equitable access to radically affirming, culturally responsive mental health care. Inclusive Therapists celebrates and promotes services by and for folx from historically marginalizes communities, including but not limited to 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC, and neurodivergent folx.
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) – A directory that prioritizes the mental health needs of queer and trans people of color, providing access to therapists who have expertise in working with diverse LGBTQ+ communities.
- Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian American (APISAA) Therapist Directory – A directory that highlights mental health professionals who specialize in working with Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian American communities, offering culturally sensitive support.
- Open Path Collective – While not specific to BIPOC individuals, Open Path Collective offers a sliding-scale fee structure to make therapy more affordable and accessible for all, including a diverse network of therapists.
- National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA) – NLPA provides a directory of mental health professionals who serve the Latinx community, promoting culturally responsive and bilingual mental health care.
- Therapy for Queer People of Color (TQPoc) – A directory dedicated to connecting queer people of color with therapists who have expertise in supporting LGBTQ+ individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) – NAAPIMHA offers a provider directory that lists mental health professionals who specialize in serving Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Affirming Therapy for BIPOC Individuals in North Carolina
Be BOLD Psychology and Consulting provides affirming therapy for Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color (BIPOC) Online in North Carolina. Our culturally affirming and aware clinicians offer:
- Individual therapy
- Family therapy
- Couples therapy
- Relationship therapy
- Group therapy
Start Online Therapy Specializing in BIPOC Mental Health Today
At Be BOLD Psychology & Consulting we are dedicated to providing culturally affirming and aware care. This includes continued training, learning, and research in offering culturally aware and affirming services for BIPOC mental health care.
Are you seeking culturally affirming, inclusive therapy services with a trained therapist? If the answer is yes then follow these steps:
- Send an email to info@beboldpsychnc.com or submit a request for a free 20-minute consultation here!
- Schedule your first appointment for online BIPOC affirming therapy
- Start getting the support you deserve in a safer space, affirming ALL parts of you!
Other Online Therapy Services Available Throughout North Carolina
Our mental health services are open to all people, races, neurotypes, abilities, genders, sizes, religious beliefs, and spiritual backgrounds.
Our affirming and experienced therapists offer inclusive individual therapy, couples therapy, and group therapy. These services are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities! Our online therapy services include trauma therapy, PTSD treatment, and grief counseling. In addition to therapy for chronic pain, and caregiver fatigue.
You can receive support from anywhere in North Carolina with online therapy.
