Black suicide and the stigma of mental illness

After the suicides of some prominent African-Americans in recent history (Junior Seau, Chris Lighty, Don Cornelius), I came across an article about the stigma of suicide in the black community: http://blackdoctor.org/12194/black-suicide-stigma/  I also recently took and passed a simple suicide prevention and referral test which is open to anyone here: http://www.asklistenrefer.org/

In the black community, mental illness has a negative stigma.  Those afflicted by some form of mental illness are seen as "crazy" or "messed up" and are mocked or avoided rather than helped.  This only perpetuates the cycle.  One of the parts of the article that resonated with me was "This culture of silence continues to be a significant risk factor for many health disparities in the Black community, particularly mental illness...".  If we are hurting, why don't we ask for help?

What is mental illness?  Almost anything that affects a person's regular/normal functioning like depression, anxiety (bad nerves), and/or hearing voices or seeing things that are not there. Some causes can be: clinical illnesses, medical problems, legal troubles, relationship troubles,  drug and alcohol use, violence, money problems, and more.  Black women and returning veterans are at a higher risk than most for experiencing depression and suicide attempts.

We, as a community, need to break away from this cycle of self-abuse. Instead of putting one another down, try lifting people up.  Offer help...even if you don't know what "help" means.  A threat of suicide is often a cry for help and all you have to do is listen and refer them for professional help.  There should be NO SHAME in asking for help.

If you or someone you know is hurting, there are ways to help.  Be a friend and listen to someone who might be at risk.  Don't be afraid to ask them are they thinking about suicide.  The church is a good source of help for black Americans as we tend to rely heavily on our faith in God.  There are all kinds of counselors in the community who are able to offer services as well.  If you are not insured, ask for a sliding fee scale. Some counselors (and future counselors like me!) will provide services at low or no cost to those in need.

Suicide in the black community is real.  When people make threats, BELIEVE THEM!  They are not crazy, they need our help.

Benefits of a CACREP program

I am proud to be an UMSL M.Ed. graduate (in 13 weeks anyway)!

One of the reasons I choose UMSL's Counseling program is because it is CACREP accredited.  Neither SLU, Lindenwood, Wash U, or Webster, or any other Missouri school (I beleive) can say they are CACREP accrediated.  Let's not even mention I only spent about a 1/3 of the costs of those schools and got into a highly competitive program...but no time for bragging!

What is CACREP? In short, it is the accrediting body for counseling programs.  Both UMSL's Masters and PhD are CACREP programs.

One of the benefits to being in a CACREP program is that those graduates who become licensed can now treat our military families.  Click here for more details:  New Tri-Care Regulations Will Require  CACREP

The main highlight: The IOM recommendations specify that independent practice of mental health counselors (MHCs) in TRICARE should occur under certain circumstances: ‘‘A master’s or higher level degree in  counseling from a program in mental health counseling or clinical mental health counseling that is accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); a state license in mental health counseling at the ‘‘clinical’’ or the higher or highest level available in states that have tiered licensing schemes; the passage of the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling examination (NCMHCE); and a well-defined scope of practice for practitioners.’’

Thank you Department of Defense for your trust in us!

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome and thank you for visiting.  This blog site will host a number of different posts pertaining to health, wellness, and counseling.  The plan is to post at least a few times per month.  If you have news you would like to see or share, email me!