July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Why? Mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. However, a person’s culture and identity can make access to mental health treatment much more difficult.
Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 2008 to start changing this reality. In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives designated July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in honor of the leading African American novelist and journalist, who also was a voice for individuals and families affected by mental Illness.
Bebe Moore Campbell, who died in 2006, was an accomplished author, advocate, co-founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles and national spokesperson. She received NAMI’s 2003 Outstanding Media Award for Literature for the children’s book “Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry,” a story about a girl who learns how to cope with her mother’s bipolar disorder. In 2005, her novel “72-Hour Hold” focused on an adult daughter and her family’s experience with the onset of mental illness. It helped educate Americans that the struggle is not just with the illness, but with the health care system as well.
Campbell advocated for mental health education and support among individuals with mental illness and their families. July's awareness month was created in her honor to carry out the goal of creating mental health awareness and eliminating stigma among diverse communities.
This year’s theme is “You Are Not Alone.” With our charitable partner, NAMI, INDEAL Cares aims to provide you with the resources you need to learn more about how to prioritize mental health and to acknowledge that it’s okay to not be okay. Together, we can realize our shared vision of a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives — where no one feels alone in their struggle. Learn more, and download resources here.
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