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AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Plan Now – July is BIPOC Mental Health Month

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With the month of July approaching, now is the time to start planning for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month! “Formally recognized in June 2008, Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, [or BIPOC Mental Health Month] was created to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding mental illness in the United States. ” In commemoration, Mental Health America (MHA) recently released their 2023 BIPOC Mental Health Outreach Toolkit.

The theme of MHA’s 2023 Toolkit is Culture, Community, & Connection, highlighting “how an individual's culture and community impacts their mental health, suggestions for making changes to improve mental well-being, and how to seek help for mental health challenges. ” It includes sections on: Outreach Ideas, Key Messages, Community, and a lengthy list of Resources from MHA and other external organizations. Individual toolkit items, posters, fact sheets, worksheets, and social media graphics from the 2023 Toolkit can be found here. 

The AHRQ Academy includes several resources to help prepare for BIPOC Mental Health month. The Topic Brief on Health Equity represents a brief overview of the role of behavioral health integration in reducing disparities in health and healthcare. Items on stigma can be found in both the Unhealthy Alcohol Use Tools & Resources Collection, and the Substance Use Tools & Resources Collection (which also includes items on Social Determinants of Health). In addition, the Academy Literature Collection includes journal articles and grey literature related to Healthcare Disparities.

Several other organizations have also posted information and resources to help people get involved with BIPOC Mental Health Month, including the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Equity program includes resources for BIPOC and other minority groups. The program includes dedicated pages for: