In a growing population of new immigrants minority groups, many disciplines have to be prepared and acquire the ability to meet the cultural and linguistic needs that these groups have. One critical area of health care services has not being paying enough attention to the growing need of minority groups is mental health education. Mental health clinicians do not have the appropriate training and tools to serve properly to non-English speaking patients or to meet their patients' cultural diversity needs. Because of the lack of educational training for clinicians, the level of quality services is poor and many new minority immigrants do not seek for services or stay in treatment as they feel inadequate with their mental health clinician.
"National estimates indicate that mental health services meet the needs of 31% of non minority children but only 13% of minority children. Furthermore, children of color tend to receive more mental health services in juvenile justice and child welfare systems than in schools or mental health settings. In addition to the fact that minorities are less likely to receive mental health services, when they do access services, those services are more likely to be of low quality or ineffective."
Helen Dao, MHA
www.daoconsultingservices.com
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