Let’s End the Stigma Project
GK Folks Foundation Mental Health Program: “Let’s End the Stigma”
Destigmatizing mental health among the Black and African diaspora community in Utah – A pilot project
LOCATION: UTAH
DATE: October-November 2020
The Challenge: Immigrants and refugees are often confronted with significant barriers to accessing mental health services. These barriers comprise a lack of awareness about mental health, the stigma associated with mental illness in their home countries, and the financial strain associated with accessing mental health services (Derr, 2016). Utah is home to roughly 200,000 foreign-born immigrants who face similar challenges in accessing mental health services.
The Opportunity: Although Utah has a long-standing commitment to immigrants and refugees, there are limited mental health awareness initiatives tailored to Black immigrants in Utah. We believe it’s possible to increase awareness about mental health while breaking the stigma associated with mental health in Utah immigrant and refugee communities.
Our Strategy: Our overarching goal is to increase mental health awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness in immigrant and refugee communities. To do this, we are implementing a pilot project that will consist of a series of 5 online discussion-based workshops. Each session will comprise two components:
Storytelling, featuring black immigrants’ personal experiences dealing with mental health issues;
A 50-minute discussion on mental health facilitated by a licensed mental health professional.
This 50-minute discussion will include the following topics on the following dates listed below.
Oct 22nd at 6:30 pm: Introduction to Mental Health, barriers, and stigma
Oct 29th at 6:30 pm: Anxiety and Depression Part 1 – Warning signs and triggers
Nov 5th. at 6;30pm: Anxiety and Depression Part 2 – Coping skills
Nov12th at 6:30 pm: Knowing when to seek help.
Nov 19th at 6:30pm: Wrap up & Summary, Self-care recommendation
PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES
- Participants will have to live in Utah
- Participant must be a Black immigrant
- Must be 18 years or older
- Must have a telephone/computer with Internet Access
- Participant must attend all 5 workshops
- Participants will be required to register for the workshop and complete a survey to assess current beliefs and attitudes toward mental health and mental health service utilization. After the 5-session discussion-based workshops, participants will be asked to complete a second survey to assess their behavioral intentions based on new knowledge gained.
PRIZES
Participants who complete all sessions will receive a $25 Gift Card
Participants have an additional opportunity to enter a drawing for the grand prizes $200 Gift Card
QUESTIONS? Contact Our Mental Health Team
Nana Mensah
[email protected]
Phone:1.877.636.7704
Donika Byng
[email protected]
Phone: 1.877.636.7704
Mental Health