National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July to bring awareness to the unique struggles racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental health in the United States. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), barriers to mental health care for minorities include a lack of access, lower rates of medical coverage, discrimination in the delivery of care, language barriers, and greater levels of stigma within communities.
Getting connected with a culturally-competent provider can be a roadblock to receiving care for minorities as well. For information on cultural competence, and questions to ask when searching for a care provider, review Finding Mental Health Care that Fits Your Cultural Background. For more information, visit the NAMI’s resource on Multicultural Mental Health.
Employee Service Program (ESP) counselors can assist employees with finding in-network culturally competent mental health providers. State of Michigan employees and their eligible family members may call ESP at 1-800-521-1377 to talk confidentially with a counselor or request to schedule a video meeting with an ESP Counselor at MCSC-ESP@michigan.gov.
