FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lamar Davis, NBCSL Communications Director
Phone: 501.993.1283
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators Recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month and Touts Collaborative Efforts
Washington, D.C. – May 7, 2021 – The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL)
In communities of color, Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to acknowledge and remedy past physical and emotional trauma, while increasing access to mental health services and promoting systemic policy alternatives. Recent studies now confirm what communities of color have known all along; that is, racial discrimination harms us mentally and physically. For example, we know that Black adults are more likely to experience symptoms of emotional distress than their white counterparts. Likewise, people with an untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during an encounter with the police.
“Generally, people of color have less access to healthcare, and are more likely to receive inferior quality of care when they are treated. We want to assist our Members in changing this reality, said Georgia State Representative Billy Mitchell, NBCSL President.” “Acknowledging these healthcare disparities is only part of the battle. We must continue our work through our policy committees and collaborations and fight for systemic change,” Mitchell continued.
In furtherance of our objective, NBCSL has partnered with The Confess Project. Dubbed as “America’s First Mental Health Barbershop Movement,” The Confess Project is committed to building a culture of mental health for boys, men of Color, and their families.
Learn more about NBCSL and our work to promote better mental health by clicking the link below.
NBCSL 2021 RATIFIED POLICY RESOLUTION “LJE-21-33” ON EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH.
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