Turning Our Vision Toward the Invisible: Minority Mental Health
Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to acknowledge that we live in a time when the patients and communities we serve are experiencing the impact of ongoing racial injustice, health care inequities and civil unrest. As a health care workforce, we also operate daily under the same realities, with the added pressures of providing quality health care in a constrained financial environment.
Arline Geronimus’ “Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society,” examines the impact of injustice on the health of structurally marginalized populations. The renowned public health researcher delves into the mental health impact of micro- and macroaggressions, discrimination and oppression on communities dealing with sustained hardship. Historically marginalized communities often do not seek care, especially for mental health, and may have limited access to care given these inequities. Imagine how the impact of bias is heightened when you are sick or vulnerable.
Active self-care, attention to well-being, and recipes for healthy living are critical to anyone’s overall physical and mental well-being. It is important that we truly see each other, create psychological safety through belonging and inclusion, and leverage racial inequities as a catalyst for innovation and justice.
At CommonSpirit, our Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging is developing a framework for Belonging Circles to foster an inclusive environment for those who share a common identity, as well as building allyship to support belonging. It is through this intentional validation of support that we will provide safety and curate Humankindness for our workforce and build trust.
To the people who are providing care, I see you and all that you experience every day while working to save lives, including serving those with unmet mental health needs.
To the patients receiving that care, I acknowledge the trauma you are subjected to by an often unjust society and unaddressed social factors that influence health.
To our community as a whole, our hope is that barriers of care — such as stigma surrounding cultural beliefs, lack of culturally appropriate care, language barriers, socioeconomic factors, geographic barriers, discrimination and bias, and mistrust of health care systems — are fully removed so that you can access the best care to help you heal and experience your best health.
Healthy well-being, both physical and mental, is a daily goal. Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is a reminder that healing starts with Humankindness.
Rosalyn Carpenter
AHA IFDHE Leadership Council member
Senior vice president
Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Community Impact officer
CommonSpirit Health
Paul Rains, R.N.
System SVP Behavioral Health
President St. Joseph's Behavioral Health Center