FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA
CONTACT:
Nina
Greenwood/510-325-4281
Faith-Based
Organizations Lead the Way to Mental Wellness
for African Americans in the Sacramento Area
"Mental Health Friendly Communities,” a new statewide initiative underway in Sacramento County,
harnesses the power of the faith community to address stigma and discrimination.
SACRAMENTO, CA – November
15, 2013– The problems of stigma and discrimination faced by African Americans
with mental health concerns will be addressed at the launch of the Mental
Health Friendly Communities (MHFC) initiative on Saturday, November 23, from
9:00 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. at the Center of Praise Ministries in Sacramento. The
faith-based MHFC initiative is part of a comprehensive statewide effort to reduce
stigma and discrimination and improve outcomes related to mental illness. The MHFC initiative is administered by California Mental
Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), which
is funded by counties through the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act
(Prop 63).
Mental illness has long been a taboo subject among African
Americans and the result is that serious needs for support and treatment may
fail to be recognized and addressed. Studies show that many African Americans
suffer from a diagnosable mental illness but do not seek help because of fear
of judgment, isolation and discrimination. A lack of access to culturally responsive
services also influences many African Americans to be wary of seeking needed
services from the traditional mental health system.
When experiencing mental health challenges, African Americans
often turn first to their faith-based roots for information and support. According to a
statewide survey of more than 2,600 respondents, "72% of African-American
mental health consumers and family members across California believe it is
appropriate for the public mental health system to address spirituality as a
part of mental health care.”
Mental Health Friendly Communities – a new program being
introduced in four regions across California including Sacramento County, the
Bay Area/Solano County, San Bernardino/Riverside Counties, and Kern County – harnesses
the power of the faith community to address African-American community mental
health needs. It provides culturally focused trainings and resources that speak
directly to the mental health issues facing African Americans. Additionally, MHFC
offers innovative and exciting opportunities for individuals and family members
living with mental health concerns, African-American faith leaders, county mental
health providers, and community organizations to come together to learn from
one another and foster the faith community’s important role as a center of
support for African Americans.
According to MHFC Co-Developer and Trainer, Senior Pastor Horacio S.
Jones, President and CEO of Tri Cities Community Development Center in Newark,
"MHFC is not just a training program, it’s a transformative experience. By
involving and giving a voice to all three stakeholder groups –providers, faith
leaders and mental health consumers and family members – in the same process in
a way that values the cultural context of African-Americans, we maximize the
potential for immediate and lasting results in reducing stigma and improving
outcomes.”
The MHFC kickoff event at the Center of Praise Ministries in Sacramento
is designed to inspire the diverse group of faith-based, mental health, and
community-based attendees from throughout Sacramento County to begin to work
together to identify and address the needs of the local African-American
community. The event sets the stage for selected churches to become Mental
Health Friendly Congregations that will receive culturally competent training to
dispel myths and misconceptions about mental illness and broaden the competency
of faith leaders as first responders to mental health crises.
The MHFC initiative will help to inspire churches to create
welcoming communities for individuals and families living with mental health
challenges and will help mental health professionals understand the important
role of spirituality in creating wellness for African-American consumers and
families. Most importantly, the MHFC program is not a quick fix for a complex
problem. Instead, it is designed to build partnerships that will be sustained
over time and provide culturally responsive resources to meet the ongoing needs
of local African-Americans.
The Mental Health Friendly Communities
program, administered by CalMHSA, is funded by the voter approved Mental Health
Services Act (Prop 63). The California Mental Health Services Authority
(CalMHSA) is an organization of county governments working to improve mental
health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. CalMHSA operates
services and education programs on a statewide, regional and local basis. For
more information, visit www.calmhsa.org.
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