Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Hispanic, Asian, and African American adults with mental illness are less likely to receive mental health services than White adults.

"I believe that it's important that we highlight people of color when it comes to mental health because we are an under-served community. We're under-represented as well when it comes to healthcare,” says Lindsay Yisrael, Lottie House Program Manager, Mental Health Association Oklahoma.

Organizations and non-profits around the U.S. are taking steps to bring more assistance to people of color. In Oklahoma, Mental Health Association Oklahoma and the Joshua Harvey Outreach are recognizing Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

“I think it's very important that we get the word out there. We talk about how important our mental health is and we get those issues addressed," says Yisrael.

Lack of access and cultural differences play a role in why people of color don't receive mental health services.

“I think access to care is a big issue. I also believe that it's a cultural thing. I think that sometimes admitting that you need help is a sign of weakness. And I think that a lot of times we've grown up hearing those narratives. So, I think it's very important that we change the narrative within the community,” says Yisrael.

Social worker, Shettra Snowball says mistrust is also a problem in the community.

"Another issue is there's a great deal of mistrust from the black community in people in power positions. They don't trust the police; they don't trust the teacher at the school cause they're scared. They're gonna call in a child welfare referral on 'em. They don't trust the person at the corner store. They don't want the neighbor in their business," says Snowball.

Mental Health Association Oklahoma offers multiple services to assist those in need of mental health services. Program manager, Lindsey Yisrael says employees are trained to be sensitive to community needs.

“I believe that we are very inclusive. I believe that is a big issue. I think that we need to be not just reflective of the communities that we serve, but we also need to be culturally sensitive to the communities that we serve. And I know with our organization, there's a lot of training when it comes to cultural sensitivity. They push a lot of that in trying to be educated about the different cultures and communities that we serve,” says Yisrael.

Cultural awareness and mental health training are something Roma Presley says may have helped save her son’s life. 

"I think that it would be good for them to have more training on mental health services because it's a lot of 'em that don't know, you know, and now they have the cope teams to come out and help 'em when they have the breakdowns, but they need to make it more accessible because sometimes they only operate eight hours out of a day. But mental health is 24 hours a day, people that need help,” says Presley.

On August 24th, 2018 Presley’s son, Joshua Harvey suffered a mental health crisis in downtown Tulsa. 

"Well, my son Joshua, he was a really outgoing, lovable person and he had run into some different life changes where he had mental issues and substance abuse at the same time. And in the midst of all of this, he had a mental breakdown, and he was killed in Tulsa," says Presley.

An altercation with Tulsa Police resulted in Harvey being tased more than 20 times within a three-minute period.

"The Tulsa Police had tased him 27 times, which automatically just shut him down. But at the time they weren't aware of the mental status that he was in to, you know, get him the appropriate help that he needed," says Presley.

Harvey died 3 days later.

Presley says this led to the creation of the Joshua Harvey Foundation.

"So I felt that I needed to reach out to the community because I know there's a lot of more people with mental health issues and substance abuse and a lot of times the people, they try to medicate the mental health and with drugs is not get the right help and then it causes other problems to get addicted to the drugs,” says Presley.

The foundation helps connect rural and minority communities with mental health resources.

“Our purpose right now is to make people aware of the mental health and substance abuse promises faced in the community. And by getting out, we go out to the community, and we give them information about the different things that's available where they can go to the mental health facilities in Muskogee, Tulsa, Wagner, all around,” says Presley.

Snowball thinks the state should consider investing more in mental health services.

"When they cut mentoring services through the Medicaid program or they're cutting mental health services and they're increasing prison services and paying more for the prisons and y'all paying for the mental health, we need mental health services in schools. My daughter is just recently joined a nonprofit and start working for a nonprofit that they are fighting to be counseling in Star Spencer High School in Oklahoma City. Because we went back and looked and there was like a fight every single day. And that stresses children out and it increases their anxiety,” says Snowball.

Snowball says mental health services should be offered in multiple environments like schools and jobs because she says, at some point everyone needs help.

"On pretty much everything that, you know, we on the news, focus on all the robbing and killing and shooting and it's even the, even the officers and the people in those power positions of power suffer from mental health issues. How many of these stories that have been out when an officer has hurt somebody and said, I was afraid, that's a form of anxiety. They don't know how to manage it," says Snowball. 

Snowball and Yisrael want people to know that it's okay to reach out for help or speak up if you see a loved one needs help.

"Make somebody aware because when you suffer in silence, nobody knows and they can help you. So, the biggest step is to find somebody that you feel safe talking to and then reach out to that person and say, hey, I need some help," says Snowball.

“Don't be afraid to speak up and speak out and let them know, hey, I noticed it seems that you're suffering. And give them a non-judgmental ear and just listen," says Yisrael.