Resources

As part of our commitment to provide educational resources for consumers and family members from diverse communities and the NAMI leaders reaching out to these communities, NAMI has developed materials to provide culturally relevant information about mental illness, treatment options, recovery and support. This page is the portal for viewing and downloading these materials as well as resources from our partners and other experts in the field. Contact us at MACenter@nami.org to request hard copies.

Cultural Community Information

Our collection of featured videos highlighting cultural perspectives and experiences in mental health.

Linguistic Community Resources

 
Mental Health Care in Multicultural Focus

• Cultural Competence Resources
• The Facts about Stigma and Mental Illness in Diverse Communities
• Multicultural Issues in Veterans Mental Health Fact Sheet
• Evidence-Based Practices and Multicultural Mental Health: A review of current literature discussing pertinent issues around the opportunities and challenges EBPs present for the achievement of quality mental health service delivery and access among diverse commuities.
• Overview of Multicultural Issues in Children's Mental Health: A summary of documented disparities in access and quality issues in children’s mental health for four racial- and ethnic-groups: African American, Asian American, Latino/Hispanic American, and American Indian/Alaska Native.

Helpful Tools for NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates

Resources and tools for recognizing and promoting National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month each July

• NAMI Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion Planning Guide (manual)

• Let's Talk: Diversity In Action (do-it-yourself facilitation toolkit for dialogue among NAMI leaders) 
• Basic Steps for Successful Multicultural Outreach
• Guidelines for Translation of Materials
• Collecting Race and Ethnicity Data 

Educational Programming 

• Sharing Hope: Understanding Mental Health- An outreach and education initiative aiming to create partnerships in African American faith communities.
• In Living Color: Depression Treatment in Primary Care- A three-hour education course for primary care physicians serving traditionally underserved communities.

Research and Reports

• Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (2001): This landmark report of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services determines that people of color, both adults and children, are less likely than their white counterparts to receive needed mental health care. The four identified racial/ethnic communities of the report's focus are shown to face additional barriers such as poverty, lack of service and supports, pervasive stigma and prejudice, language barriers and lack of cultural competence in service delivery. 
• Cultural Psychiatry Reference List, generously provided by Dr. Francis Lu of University of California San Francisco.  A wonderful resource of research articles and books about health care for many racial and ethnic groups.
• Additional Web Sites and Links

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