Mental Health and the Marginalized

Available data indicate that mental illness affects an estimated 950 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability across all age groups. Mental health issues are the leading cause of suicide, accounting for over 800,000 deaths per year.

In many parts of the world, minoritized populations do not experience equal access to quality mental health services. The reasons are multifactorial: services are often developed for majority cultures/populations, with little regard to the culture, beliefs, traditions, and practices of minority groups. As a result, these services receive limited acceptance and utilization within these communities.

Addressing mental health for marginalized communities is part of our mission and over time, we have carried out activities to help, advocate for, educate, and enlighten the communities we serve, while connecting them to resources that help them manage their mental health.

We have done this through our media platforms, town hall meetings, conferences, and outreaches. We offer direct support and serve as the interface between the vulnerable population and mental health workers.

Our primary objective with the mental health program is to help stem the tide of the rise in mental health cases in marginalized communities by creating awareness and connecting people to needed resources to help them address their mental health issues.

We Engage Our Community

Hearing from and interacting directly with the population we serve is the most effective way of reaching them and finding out firsthand, areas of need which enable us to come up with intervention programs.

We organize conferences, and town hall meetings- in-person and virtual, to discuss with, and hear directly from the people. At these events, we bring together, stakeholders to collectively deliberate on issues of concern and collectively, carve a path that benefits all.

We also go out to the streets to engage, enlighten, and inform members of the community on matters that could potentially impact their ability to improve their lives and wellbeing.