About the NAMI Multicultural Action Center

NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. NAMI created the Multicultural Action Center in 2002 to focus attention on system reform to eliminate disparities in mental health care for diverse communities, ensure access to culturally competent services and treatment for all Americans and particularly to help and support people of diverse backgrounds who are affected by serious mental illness.

The NAMI Multicultural Action Center works to:

• Advance NAMI’s policy agenda and address issues that disproportionately affect diverse communities.
• Develop and promote culturally competent programs and practices.
• Decrease stigma through public education that addresses specific cultural barriers.
• Support NAMI grassroots multicultural advocacy and outreach efforts.
• Build diverse leadership at all levels of the organization.
• Develop strong partnerships with multicultural organizations.

(Click the links above for easy navigation to highlights of the Multicultural Action Center activities in each of these priority areas)

Activity Highlights

.Advance NAMI’s policy agenda and address issues that disproportionately affect diverse communities

• Grading the States 2009: NAMI’s report assesses the nation's public mental health care system for adults. One of the key areas states were measured on was their level of cultural and linguistic competence.  The Multicultural Action Center was the lead researcher on this domain.
• Evidence Based Practices and Multicultural Mental Health: This white paper focuses on the role culture plays in evidence based practices (EBPs), discussing EBPs, practice-based evidence and culture. The mental health system has been moving toward adoption and implementation of EBPs.  This presents a new challenge to multicultural mental health since the needs and cultural preferences of diverse communities have not been fully incorporated into these practices.  This paper also provides policy recommendations to ensure cultural competence in the development and implementation of EBPs.
• Listening Sessions Series: These community-specific mental health listening sessions bring together individuals with mental illness, family members, providers and other expert leaders to discuss pertinent mental health issues in diverse communities and provide recommendations for the mental health system as a whole and for NAMI.  The Multicultural Action Center provides proceedings of these listening sessions to the field. Click here for information on the 2007 GLBT Listening Session and click here for information on the 2009 American Indian/Alaska Native Listening Session.
• Read about the Multicultural Action Center's policy priorities here.

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Develop and promote culturally competent programs and practices:

• Recovery for All is the quarterly e-newsletter of the NAMI Multicultural Action Center, offering timely information and updates on the activities, resource development and projects surrounding multicultural issues in mental health.
• ¡Avanzamos! is NAMI's quarterly Spanish-language newsletter (with English language summaries). Available electronically and in hard copy, it features news from NAMI, research and policy updates specific to Latino issues, educational resources, personals stories and more.
• Multicultural Mental Health Guides: As part of this series, the Multicultural Action Center has published A Family Guide to Mental Health: What You Need to Know and A Mental Health Recovery and Community Integration Guide for GLBTQI Individuals: What You Need to Know. These publications aim to provide culturally competent and community-specific information on mental illness and recovery.
• Educational resources:  An extensive number of fact sheets that target African American; Latino; Asian American/ Pacific Islander; American Indian and Alaska Native; GLBT; and other traditionally underserved communities.  Materials are also available in Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Italian. Click here to access these resources.
• Web site (www.nami.org/multicultural): The Multicultural Action Center’s section on the NAMI Web site contains many resources, information and news on multicultural mental health issues.
• Find NAMI's resources on cultural competence here.

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Decrease stigma through public education that address specific cultural barriers:

• Sharing Hope: Understanding Mental Health: A toolkit-based outreach and education initiative specifically tailored for African American congregations. The program consists of a 1-hour presentation by a faith leader, a person living with mental illness and a family member who share their experiences of dealing with mental illness and educates congregations about symptoms, treatment and support. The presentation goals are to decrease mental health stigma in this community, increase awareness of mental health recovery and to introduce NAMI education and support programs.
• In Living Color: Depression Treatment in Primary Care: An education program developed in partnership with the American Psychiatric Association. This innovative three hour education course equips physicians practicing in primary care settings with the knowledge and tools to identify and provide appropriate treatment of depression to medically underserved ethnic and racial groups. The course is facilitated by a team consisting of a person living with depression, a family member and a physician.

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Support NAMI grassroots multicultural advocacy and outreach efforts:

• Do-It-Yourself Outreach Manuals: Geared specifically for outreach efforts at the NAMI state and local levels, these manuals provide community-specific information and step-by-step suggested outreach activities. Our most recent manual is the 2008 Multicultural Outreach Planning Guide which covers important issues to consider when embarking on efforts to reach out to any specific group. 
• Technical Assistance: For NAMI state organizations and local affiliates embarking on multicultural outreach efforts, cultural competence presentations and trainings and more.

Build diverse leadership at all levels of the organization:

• NAMI Multicultural Leaders Initiative: Leadership opportunities are offered through our leaders groups made up of experts from our targeted communities: African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American/ Pacific Islander, Latino and GLBT. These leaders groups advise the Multicultural Action Center. The Multicultural Action Center also provides scholarships for major NAMI events including the annual NAMI Convention, annual NAMI Leadership Institutes, program trainings and more.

Develop strong partnerships with multicultural organizations:

• State Cultural and Linguistic Coordinators’ Network: Hosted in partnership with the National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development.  The CLC Network provides information and resources; linkage to national and federal cultural and linguistic competence activities and resources; and expands their network of allies and partners to promote system transformation.
  

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