As part of our commitments to inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA), in June 2021 we facilitated an IDEA Roundtable with Lauren Hall Bushman, LCSW, RYT, cofounder of Irvington Counseling Collective, for a brave and inclusive discussion with other TiER1ers processing mental health challenges and systemic inequities impacting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Irvington Counseling is a nonprofit, income-based sliding-scale therapy practice located in Indianapolis that is focused on making mental health support accessible and equitable, regardless of socioeconomic background. In addition to income-based therapy, Irvington Counseling offers a BIPOC Mental Wellness Fund to further address inequities in Indianapolis.
As an organization focused on mental health, it was important that we recognize the disproportionate mental illness and health challenges that plague individuals who identify as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+. Lauren joined a group of TiER1ers for an IDEA Roundtable conversation focused on cultural humility, white privilege, and anti-racism. Lauren shared insights on how she’s leaned into her privilege as a white clinician in this space, the importance of practicing cultural humility, and the impacts of racial and sexual orientation trauma and systemic inequities, such as inadequate healthcare access, misdiagnosis, and stigma.
The facilitated group discussion provided space for TiER1ers to reflect and explore their perspectives about mental health challenges and inequities impacting BIPOC, especially Black/African-American and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as processing how we are feeling and experiencing the world as it relates to the dimensions of IDEA. Some of the topics that we addressed were the disparities in care experienced by LGBTQIA+ youth, especially transgender youth; the heightened awareness of inadvertent harm and systemic inequities; racial trauma; and why it’s important to support BIPOC communities through a mental wellness fund.
To ensure our commitments to IDEA are realized through conscious actions, we believe that dialogue is important paired with self-reflection and learning. Prior to this conversation we shared a few resources as pre-work for TiER1ers to serve as thought primers to the discussion, and we’re sharing these resources with you plus an infographic from Mental Health America to serve as awareness of mental health impact on BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ communities.
Over the next few months, interested TiER1ers are volunteering their talents and time to support Irvington Counseling’s efforts to activate their mission to support racial equity and mental health in the greater Indianapolis area.
Resources Related to Mental Health: BIPOC and LGBTQIA+
Article: “What Is Cultural Humility?”
A short read on the concept of cultural humility, defined as “a lifelong process of self-reflection and self-critique whereby the individual not only learns about another’s culture, but one starts with an examination of her/his own beliefs and cultural identities.”
Podcast: “On Being: Resmaa Menakem and Robin DiAngelo in Conversation”
A deep dive conversation on the topic of racial trauma and restorative anti-racism work between trauma therapist and author of My Grandmother’s Hands, Resmaa Menakem and Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility.
Case Study: Mental Health Inequities in Indiana
A local study that highlights inequities in access to and utilization of mental health services for Indiana residents, particularly within Black communities and those experiencing poverty.
Infographic: BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ Mental Health
This infographic from Mental Health America raises awareness of the mental health impact experienced by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.
