HR offers mental health resources for Black and African American communities as nation honors Juneteenth

Behavioral health is one of the five pillars of Purdue's Healthy Boiler Program. (Image provided)

As the nation looks to honor Juneteenth on June 19, Human Resources is using the time to draw attention to mental health resources available to support Black and African American individuals on campus. Supporting the behavioral health needs of faculty, staff and students is one of the five pillars of Purdue's Healthy Boiler Program and is represented through the weekly mental health stories presented by Human Resources in Purdue Today.

According to Mental Health America’s (MHA) Black and African American Communities and Mental Health report, mental health conditions occur in Black and African American people in America at about the same or a lower frequency than in white Americans. However, “the historical Black and African American experience in America has been and continues to be characterized by trauma and violence more often than for their white counterparts and impacts emotional and mental health of both youth and adults.”

In fact, racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS), which refers to the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination, racism and hate crimes is the focus of MHA’s Racial Trauma webpage. MHA stresses the importance of understanding that RBTS is not considered a mental health disorder but rather a mental injury that can occur as the result of living within a racist system or experiencing events of racism.

MHA also reports that due to a variety of factors – including historical oppression, violence against Black and African American people and present-day racism – Black and African American people are more likely to experience chronic and persistent, rather than episodic, mental health conditions.

MINORITY HEALTH DISPARITIES

With that in mind, the findings from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) isn’t surprising. NIMHD reports:

• African Americans are more likely to experience economic distress, racism and other social circumstances that increase their chance of developing depression or other mental illnesses.
• African Americans’ depressive occurrences are more disabling, persistent and resistant to treatment than those experienced by whites.
• African Americans are 20 percent more likely to have serious psychological distress than whites.
• Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among African Americans ages 15 to 24.
• Less than half of all Americans with a mental health disorder get the treatment that they need. However, the proportion of African Americans who need mental health treatment and get it is only half that of whites.

Treatment issues, according to MHA, include the fact that because less than 2 percent of American Psychological Association members are Black or African Americans, some individuals may worry mental health care practitioners are not culturally competent enough to treat their specific issues.

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

In an effort to help in some way with that concern, MHA’s Black and African American Communities and Mental Health report provides statistical information related to demographics/societal issues, prevalence and more as well as several “Mental Health Resources for Black and African American Communities,” including:

• Black Emotional and Mental Health (BEAM), which includes a variety of resources, such as:
• Black Virtual Wellness Directory
• Tool Kits & Resources – educational videos, tool kits and infographics
• Virtual Trainings
• Ebony’s My Therapy Cards – self-exploration card decks (editions for women, men and teens available)
• Safe Black Space – umbrella under which various services are offered to address individual and community reactions to cultural and racial trauma among people of African ancestry; resources include:
• Healing in the Face of Trauma Tool Kit
• Videos – individual video links can be accessed on the Trainings and Resources webpage
• Therapy for Black Girls – online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls; resources include:
• Podcast
• Blog
• Find a Therapist
• Therapy for Black Men – provides proactive, multiculturally competent care to men of color; resources include:
• Additional Resources
• Articles
• Blog
• Find a Coach
• Find a Therapist
• Stories

Additionally, Counseling and Psychology Services (CAPS) at Purdue offers “Mental Health and Educational Resources” as well as “Purdue Campus Resources” on its The Impact of Racial Violence and Systemic Racism webpage.  See also the CAPS’ Addressing Systemic Racism and Injustice webpage.

HOW TO OBSERVE JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery. This week, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a resolution establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day.

National Today suggests the following ways to observe Juneteenth:

1. Fly the Juneteenth flag – created in 1997.
2. Attend a Juneteenth celebration – see list below.
3. Watch a movie about slavery – recommended titles include:

• “12 Years a Slave” (2013) – view the official trailer here.
• “Amistad” (1997) – the trailer is available here.
• “Django Unchained” (2012) – see the trailer here.
• “Freedom” (2014) – view the trailer here.
• “Glory” (1989) – watch the trailer here.
• “Lincoln” (2012) – see the trailer here.
• “The Birth of a Nation (2016) – watch the trailer here.

JUNETEENTH 2021 EVENTS

Many Juneteenth events are scheduled across the U.S., including in Indiana, both in-person and virtually.

Below is a sampling of Juneteenth 2021 events that may be of interest:

* Indy Juneteenth Celebration – in-person, Riverside Park

Scheduled for Saturday at Riverside Park, the 2021 Indy Juneteenth Celebration will include live entertainment, DJs, food trucks, parade and more. Those interested can RSVP here.

* Juneteenth Celebration – in-person, Tapawingo Park, West Lafayette

The Baptist Student Foundation at Purdue presents this family-friendly, community celebration from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Saturday at Tapawingo Park. For more information, call 765-743-2371 or visit the website.  

* Juneteenth Celebration – in-person, Columbian Park, Lafayette

The family-friendly event takes place from 2 to 7 p.m. ET Saturday. Attendees are asked to wear COVID-19 masks during the event to continue to be safe. Details can be found here.

* Juneteenth Celebration – in-person, Howard Park, South Bend

Event takes place from 2 to 9 p.m. ET Saturday at Howard Park and includes a car show, vendors, kids’ activities and more. Details are available here.

* Juneteenth Freedom Festival – virtual

To help better recognize and celebrate Juneteenth, The Juneteenth Foundation is holding the first-ever Juneteenth Freedom Festival virtually on Friday and Saturday (June 18-19). “Juneteenth marks the nation’s second Independence Day and should be a national pride as a significant milestone in American history,” states the foundation. Individuals who are interested in being a part of the virtual celebration can sign up to receive their link here.

* OneTransaction Conference – virtual

Fidelity (Purdue’s official provider of education, guidance and assistance related to retirement plan investments and decisions), in partnership with OneUnited Bank and Visa, is holding a free, virtual, financial conference titled “OneTransaction” in recognition of Juneteenth. The conference takes place from 1 to 6 p.m. ET Saturday and focuses on the One Transaction that will close the racial wealth gap. Register here to attend.

JUNETEENTH – MORE INFORMATION

A variety of Juneteenth resources exist that share the meaning, history and information of Juneteenth. Below is a brief list to get started: 

• 12 Things You Might Not Know Bout Juneteenth– Mental Floss
• Juneteenth– Wikipedia
• com
• Juneteenth: Fact Sheet– Juneteenth.com
• Juneteenth Has Always Been Worthy of Celebration– The Atlantic
• Juneteenth: Home – Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies
• Juneteenth Resources– Mental Health Colorado
• National Juneteenth Observance Foundation
• The Juneteenth Foundation
• Voices Remembering Slavery: Freed People Tell Their Stories– Library of Congress
• University Senate Juneteenth Statement - Purdue University Senate
• What is June 19th or “Juneteenth” and why is it so important? – SOPHE

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

The behavioral health pillar of the Healthy Boiler Program advocates for integrated care programs that focus on behavioral health and community support. Programs and resources continue to be added and enhanced to support the Purdue community, and information continues to be shared to ensure Purdue employees know what is available and accessible to them.

To assist faculty and staff

Review the Mental Health Resources webpage for a variety of available resources for faculty and staff.

To assist students

Faculty and staff who work with students or have a student at home can direct students to the resources below for behavioral health assistance. Note: LiveHealth Online Psychology and LiveHealth Online Psychiatry services are also available to Purdue students who are covered on a Purdue health plan. Mental health visits through LiveHealth Online are covered at 100 percent on the Purdue student health plan.

Office of the Dean of Students

• Continuous Network of Support
• Services and information
• Presentations and trainings
• Student of Concern reporting link

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

• Therapy services at CAPS
• Self-help resources
• Group therapy
• CAPS YouTube channel
• NAMI On Campus – a free, virtual support group on campus
• Thriving Campus – Service that provides students a way to search for mental health providers in many areas, locally and across the country.
• WellTrack – Interactive, self-help therapy app.

Questions

Contact Human Resources at 765-494-2222 or via email at hr@purdue.edu.