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National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental health care and wellness. Through the work of START across the nation, the inequities that multicultural communities face are often all too evident. As a network, this month is an opportunity to renew our commitment to equity for all in accessing appropriate mental health care.
4 Ways to Intentionally Support Black Clients and Caregivers
*This the first of a 3-part series
Photo by Vonecia Carswell on Unsplash
Members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities and other minority groups often face disproportionate inequities in care, support, or mental health services in this country. Systemic racism and historical barriers and inequities have left particular ethnic, racial, and minoritized populations facing trauma, loss, bias, social disparities, and other unique challenges that have gone unsupported and largely unaddressed.
The information below highlights how providers, including START teams, can better support the mental health needs of Black community members. While these recommendations are targeted, they can be generalized to other communities as long as the community’s experiences are centered.
- Educate yourself on Disability and the African American Experience
A comprehensive review of American history shows that medical professionals and individuals in power used labels such as “persons disordered in their senses, fugitive slaves, and others” to oppress individuals of African descent. There is a long history of institutionalization, pathologizing, and denied access to care on the sole basis of race. Many of these practices, diagnoses, and standards of assessment continue today. Clinicians should educate themselves on disability and the African American experience in an effort to increase the ability to provide culturally responsive and effective services.
African American and the disABILITY Experience: Timeline
- Continuously Assess for Biases and Inequities
Implicit bias is a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally, and nevertheless affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors. We all have implicit biases and should be continuously working on ways to be mindful of these biases. Our entire lives, we are bombarded with messages, imagery, and teachings that shape our biases. More often than not, the messages we are fed shape our biases to have a negative response to the characteristics of Black and Brown communities. A novel example- In childhood movies, villains or the bad guys are often dark or appear to wear dark clothing, while the good guys are in white or appear to be brighter. We would be remiss to think that these biases don’t have some influence on our clinical work. It is our responsibility to be intentional in our efforts to be mindful of our own biases and recognize when biases are affecting mental health care for the people we support.
*To be continued - Stay tuned for more resources continuing through this month.
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We want your opinion about START telehealth!
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Why: We will use what we learn to improve START telehealth services
Who:
- START service users ages 14-35 AND their family members
- Living in states
- Had at least 3 months of START telehealth
What will happen:
- We will meet on Zoom for 1-2 hours.
- You can take breaks and have help
- We will ask you some questions about your experience with START telehealth services
- You will receive a $50 gift card at the end of the meeting
When:
What’s next?
There are three ways to get in touch with us to learn more:
- Scan the QR code and we will contact you
- Email Start.TelehealthStudy@unh.edu
- Call us: 1-866-807-0987
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Want to know more? Use the links below to learn more about this study and learn how to be a part of this research.
English
Español
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Certification Announcements
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Congratulations to San Andreas START for obtaining their Program Certification!
All START programs share the same core mission, values, principles, and practices. START programs are, first and foremost, learning communities in which data is collected, analyzed, shared, and used to inform clinical practice. Rigor is employed using evidence informed decision making (including the use of the START Information Reporting System [SIRS] database) to promote a network of continued learning and growth. The National Center for START Services (NCSS) provides in-person and web-based support in the form of training, technical assistance, planning, and case consultation with the aim of providing support to all START programs. This ongoing technical assistance also includes regular quality assurance (QA) activities such as stakeholder interviews, document reviews, and SIRS data compliance evaluations. These activities typically occur during planned visits (on-site or virtual) to assure fidelity to the START model. Program Certification is part of this ongoing support and occurs when a program has completed all the initial training and is fully operating as a START Program.
The San Andreas Team has worked tirelessly for the last year to meet these expectations and master the START model.
Congratulations to the following START Coordinators on their recent certification!
Coordinator Certification indicates a demonstration of effective implementation of the START model. Achieving the rigorous training and practice standards set by the National Center for START Services (NCSS), as part of the well-respected Institute on Disability/UCED at UNH, verifies fidelity to the mission, values, principles, and approaches of START. Additionally, certification validates specialized knowledge in the field of IDD-MH. Being a certified START Coordinator affords opportunities to contribute to the broader field through valuable research and networking opportunities. The competencies required for certification have been identified by the National Center for START Services through best practices in learning, data collection, and input from experts in the field of IDD-MH, including members of the START network, persons with lived experiences of IDD-MH, and their families.
Jae Antonio - CA Alta
Tiera Click - CA San Diego
Anthony Pesce - CA Alta
Michelle Bagby - TN START
Connetta Terry - NC West
Chelsie Moody - CA East Bay
Aminata Sesay - NY Reg. 4: SUS/RK
Cindy Cohen - NY Reg. 4: SUS/RK
Sunita Persaud-Garib - NY Reg. 4: SUS/RK
Magney Hector-Williams - NY Reg. 4: SUS/RK
Juliana Sanchez - CA San Diego
Casey Wells - I-START
Jillian Rinaldi - NY Reg. 5
Ashley Wilberding - NC West
Victoria Juarez-Ochoa - TX El Paso
Cassandra Paez - NY Reg. 4: YAI/TB
Jessica Morales - TX Tarrant
Amber Weis - NY Reg. 5: Suffolk
Julia Klein - NC West
Lindsey Malcolm - NC East
Caressa Hernandez-Martinez - CA Alta
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The IOD Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of 2021 fiscal year activities and financial performance. This year, stories and graphics highlight examples of IOD’s impact across more than 36 projects and programs, including the National Center for START Services.
View the 2021 IOD Annual Report
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Training & Professional Development
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POSTPONED
The Positive-Interactive-Behavioral Therapy (P-IBT) course planned for August 2022 has been postponed. New course dates will be announced in the coming weeks. If you have any questions please contact ncss.training.iod@unh.edu.
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National Access and Functional Needs Symposium
July 19-20, 2022 - 12:00-3:00pm ET Daily
This online event will highlight forward-leaning, inclusive, innovative practices in emergency management.
Learn more and register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-access-and-functional-needs-symposium-tickets-362727677247
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NCSS Professional Development Series
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MHIDD Course for Direct Support Professionals
Next course begins September 20, 2022
The course consists of 6 weekly, webinar-style sessions via Zoom (105 minutes each) where the course facilitator will demonstrate how the information reviewed during sessions can be applied in the day-to-day support of people with IDD-MH. Each session will host 75-minutes of instruction and a 30-minute office hour session will follow for more in depth discussion with questions and answers. Registration is $149 per person and participants can receive University of New Hampshire Continuing Education Units and a Certificate of Completion for MHIDD Training for Direct Support Professionals.
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MHIDD for Care Coordinators & Case Managers
The next course begins October 24th, 2022
The course consists of 6 weekly, live sessions via Zoom. The weekly instructional session is 75 minutes immediately followed by a 30-minute discussion session. Session topics include guiding principles & approaches to effective MH-IDD case management; mental health aspects of IDD; understanding the service needs of people with MH-IDD; working with families; systemic engagement; & leadership. Registration is $299 per person and participants receive University of New Hampshire Continuing Education Units and a Certificate of Completion for MHIDD Training for Care Coordinators & Case Managers.
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Have a healthy and happy week,
National Center for START Services
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