Free family course on mental illnesses offered in Minneapolis
by One Nation News Staff
Do you have a family member living with a mental illness? The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota is offering a free educational course that helps families gain a greater understanding of mental illness, discuss resources, build communication skills, reduce stress and find support.
Maria Jose Carrasco, director of the Multicultural Action Center, a national NAMI partner, said communities of color are less likely to seek help for mental health issues. In an article published on the NAMI website, Carrasco wrote:
“The significant progress made in discovering effective treatments for serious mental illness has unfortunately not translated into better services for people of color living with these illnesses. In fact, as the U.S. Surgeon General has reported [in 2000], people from diverse communities — both adults and children — are less likely than white people to receive needed mental health care. When they do receive treatment, they often receive poorer-quality care.
“People from diverse communities often face additional barriers to treatment, such as discrimination and a lack of culturally competent mental health providers and services. It is crucial that a comprehensive plan to improve services and outcomes for people of color with mental illness address these surrounding circumstances as well as specific treatment and service issues.
“What follows are descriptions of some of the main barriers to mental health care treatment for people of color, and NAMI’s recommendations:
“While the health status of all population groups has improved, the gaps between Caucasians and minorities persist, and in some cases, have become more pronounced. The Institute of Medicine’s 2002 report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare, highlighted the fact that health disparities are prevalent not only in the treatment of illness but also in the delivery of care to people of color, and these disparities persist even after adjustments are made for economic status, education levels, age and insurance coverage. The mental health care arena is no exception to this reality. For example, a 2001 study indicated that people of color are less likely than Caucasians to receive the best available treatments for depression and anxiety.”
You can break that cycle of disparity. More than 3,000 Minnesota families have benefited from this course. Join others for this series taught by family members who have walked the walk. The Family-to-Family course will meet weekly on Saturdays for 12 weeks.
The course starts Sept. 8, from 9:30-12:00 at Table 31 (formerly Joyce Church), 1219 W. 31st Street, in Minneapolis. Registration is required; call Gina at 612-859-7095 or Lynda at 612-242-7608.
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