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In July of 2021, the significance of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is a pressing reality. As the nation shifts into a post-pandemic recovery, the weight and damage of the COVID-19 pandemic remain pressing realities. Started by the Office of Minority Health, a part of the National Department of Health and Human Services, the goal of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is building awareness.

Describing the agency’s mission, “The Office of Minority Health is dedicated to improving the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities.” In 2021, the HHS Office of Minority Health promotes tools and resources that address the stigma surrounding mental health in racial and ethnic minority communities.

Reflecting the Office of Minority Health, Tarzana Treatment Centers prioritize offering fair and integrated healthcare services to racial and ethnic minority communities. Thus, a major TTC goal is to service underserviced populations, fostering equality in healthcare services distribution in Southern California. Hence, there is a page with the following title on the TTC website – “Addressing Social Justice, Equity and Health Disparities.” By highlighting such disparities, we hope to reduce the gap in healthcare services distribution.

The Start of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month began in 2008. In May of that year, the United States House of Representatives designates July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. A co-founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles, who died in November 2006, Bebe Moore Campbell advocated for mental health education and support among individuals of diverse communities.

Sponsored by Rep. Albert Wynn [D-MD] and cosponsored by a large bipartisan group, National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month focuses on two goals:

1. Improve access to mental health treatment and services in minority communities

1. Raise awareness of mental illness in minority communities within and beyond

However, the challenge of raising such awareness is overcoming stigma against and within minority communities. Indeed, as you will see, it is a double-edged sword.

Stigma and National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Another question to ask is whether the stigma got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given a pronounced history of national discrimination and exploitation in both the past and the present, racial minorities remain wary of the government. Specifically, they question anything being freely given to them. For example, in the Tuskegee experiment, known as the infamous syphilis study, scientists gave African American men bogus treatments for the disease.

Rather than treat these poor sharecroppers with medicine, they were given placebos. Thus, the so-called doctors were scientists only interested in recording what happened if the disease was left untreated. As described on the History.com website, “In order to track the disease’s full progression, researchers provided no effective care as the men died, went blind or insane or experienced other severe health problems due to their untreated syphilis.”

Therefore, it is important to learn about the Tuskegee experiment. Indeed, the question is how widespread knowledge of such medical crimes affects racial minorities. Indeed, convincing the African American community to take the COVID-19 vaccine is proving to be a major challenge. Given historical fears, resistance to medical innovations is characteristic. Thus, overcoming vaccine resistance is a workable goal for National Mental Health Awareness Month in 2021.

A People’s Trust Once Broken is Hard to Rebuild

However, the stigma works in both directions. There is a stigma against minority communities by many healthcare providers, and there is a stigma within these communities against the offerings of healthcare institutions. Indeed, the stigma towards health and mental health awareness is a double-edged sword.

For example, African Americans wonder how I can trust you to treat me today in the harsh glare of the past? How do I know such abusive treatment will not happen again?

Building Trust During National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

As Daniel H. Gillison, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, eloquently explains, “The effect of racism and racial trauma on mental health is real and cannot be ignored.” Given the negative history, efforts are made to build bridges of trust to these minority communities. Through mental health trainings, educational opportunities, and telehealth sessions, Tarzana Treatment Centers believes that such offerings reduce stigma.

Indeed, the key part of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is awareness. By building awareness, we effectively combat stigma. After all, stigma often means ignorance. Hence, the opposite energy that opposes ignorance is awareness. With awareness, minority families make mental health choices that lead to treatment and healing. Indeed, a key mental health choice is overcoming the fears of the past.