|
MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES POLICY BRIEF
The newly published Policy Brief on Mental Health Disparities in Colorado was commissioned by The Colorado Trust to inform its grantmaking activities related to advancing quality mental health care. Based on an extensive literature review on mental health disparities, input from community members and an advisory group comprised of Colorado community mental health leaders, the Brief also includes input from participants in the November 2006 Colorado Mental Health Disparities Summit.
The Brief addresses the need for the provision of quality mental health care for individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, noting that the consequences of inadequate or inappropriate mental health services are serious, resulting in such things as an overrepresentation of communities of color in government systems like juvenile justice, criminal justice and child welfare; decreased productivity in the workplace; increased homelessness; and increased physical health care costs.
 The policy issues identified as needing particular attention include:
- Allowing reimbursement of culturally-traditional, indigenous, faith-based or alternative services within the mainstream mental health system
- Removing financial and regulatory barriers, providing incentives, encouraging collaboration and rewarding communities that integrate and utilize culturally-traditional services and best practices
- Enhancing education and expanding the cultural competency of the current and future workforce at all levels of care
- Creating a more diverse workforce to enhance the mental health of communities of color
- And convening diverse stakeholders to develop culturally appropriate guidelines.
The Brief and the full report are available at www.coloradotrust.org.
|
