We take a close look at some of the community organisations delivering culturally-informed mental health services
SUPPORT: Recent years have seen a number of initiatives launched to better meet the needs of black people system since the tragic death of David ‘Rocky’ Bennett in October 1998.
Nearly two decades later serious concerns remain. Campaigners have highlighted how the Mental Health Act has led to disproportionate numbers of black people detained against their will. The violence she, her mother and five siblings experienced led to them leaving their home in the city and coming to London in the early 90s.
In 2009, after suffering a breakdown, she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.The project, run by the Hackney branch of the charity Mind, aims to provide community-based solutions to people of African and Caribbean heritage who are experiencing mental ill-health.
Anthea credits Irie Minds with helping her overcome some of the cultural stigmas that often prevent many black people from seeking help. Explaining the project’s approach to working with clients Nichola Lauder, Director of Irie Minds says: “It’s really about love for the people coming through the door. How do we create that? It starts with recruitment. We look for staff who work with their hearts. For us, it’s about creating relationships from the moment people walk through the door. We slip back all the formalities.
“So, for example, if a black person kisses their teeth, we wouldn’t be asking for an interpretation of that because culturally are aware of what that means”.BHI individual, group and talking therapy sessions closely follow guidelines set down by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapists. However cultural aspects are added.
“There were times when I felt like I wanted to commit suicide” he tells The Voice. “I grew up in Jamaica. Over there, if you called the police on your partner after an argument it made you seem weak as a man.” “It helped that the sessions were confidential,” he says. “I didn’t know the counsellor so that made it easier for me to open up. Each week after the sessions I felt a lot better. I still have my ups and downs, but it’s much better than before.Coulson says he also benefited from the fact that his counsellor was from the same cultural background as he was.
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