City Council recognizes need for more BIPOC mental healthcare providers

Research shows that most ethnic groups overall report similar or fewer mental health disorders than Whites. Ethnic groups are more likely to have unaddressed and persistent mental illness than Whites since they are less likely to access treatment and receive poorer quality of care. The racial disparities in access to high quality of care have been associated with a lack of cultural congruence between mental health providers and clients.

A major challenge across Boston’s mental health organizations and agencies and in Boston Public Schools (BPS) is the lack of BIPOC providers available to meet the specific mental health needs of ethnic groups. The Council recognizes the lack of BIPOC providers across Boston’s mental health organizations and agencies in BPS, and encourages government agencies, public and private institutions, businesses and schools to develop multiple pathways of mental health educational opportunities for ethnic high school students. The hope is to increase providers of color within mental health services and practices to effectively and adequately respond to the mental health needs of ethnic groups.