Copy of #ImpactOfTrauma Facebook Cover Template.png

July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month.

According to Mental Health America (MHA), BIPOC Mental Health Month (formerly known as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month) was created to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding mental illness in the United States.

This year, BIPOC Mental Health Month’s theme is #ImpactofTrauma.

MHA stated in their toolkit that “people can carry trauma throughout generations due to historical adversities, violence, and oppression. Sometimes, our daily lives are influenced by trauma that we aren’t even aware of. Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, and those who identify as BIPOC — especially queer and trans people — can often recount tales of actions, words, and events that have made a deep impact on the way they live, speak, and think.” This is especially relevant now due to the recent rise in civil rights movements in response to the increased documentation of systemic racism and how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected BIPOC communities.

MHA wanted to create an opportunity where people can learn about all of the ways that racism can affect a person’s mental health. You can download the toolkit plus find other available resources by using the links below.

Resources to Support BIPOC Mental Health Month:

BIPOC Mental Health Month 2020 Outreach Toolkit (Mental Health America)

This toolkit includes handouts, graphics, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community-specific resources, and fact sheets on racism and mental health and racial trauma. You can download the full PDF by clicking the link above.

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month Community-Specific Materials (Mental Health America)