Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Black and Minority Ethnic Women

1. Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Black and Minority Ethnic Women

2. Project Aims • To identify the barriers for women from BME groups to accessing primary and secondary mental health services in North West Kent. • To explore models of overcoming these barriers; so as to facilitate more appropriate and more easily accessible care and support. • To work with existing BME groups and organisations to implement most appropriate model so as to improve access to services for women from the BME communities.

3. CSIP [Care Services Improvement Partnership] provided funding for the project. A Project Group was established in partnership with Invicta Advocacy Networks and Rethink : • Evaluation of local and national research of existing issues for women from BME communities accessing mental health services. To include what people want, and what is currently available. • A service user event would then look at practical solutions. • Review information given out by KMPT; develop ‘business card’ listing different contact details in different languages, depending on what information community what. • Link up with Community Development Workers that have been recruited.

4. A very successful event took place for Black and Minority Ethnic women on 28th January 2009 at Woodville Halls in Gravesend. • There were over 90 attendees, the vast majority from the South Asian communities in North West Kent. • There was much enthusiasm and engagement by the women in discussing their concerns and experiences of gaining access to mental health care.

5. The event was coordinate and delivered by KMPT in partnership with Rethink and Invicta Advocacy Network, with funding from CSIP. • It saw the launch of a report ‘Aiming for Change’ published by Rethink which the partnership group had produced which reviews mental health service access for Black and Minority Ethnic women in west Kent • The report made a number of recommendations from the national and local evidence which were then discussed and added to by the women on the day.

6. The report emphasised the importance of improving collection of ethnicity data across the health community. The themes from the report and the event were about: • Improving understanding of and access to GPs, particularly women GPs, • The importance of having a specific transcultural counselling services, • Investment in community engagement with other BME communities such as Chinese and refugee/ asylum seekers, • Improving confidentiality and safety, • Reducing stigma.

7. Increased attention to and awareness of the value of community development workers (CDWs) and their key role in facilitating change • A simple mapping of services which outlines all mental health services available locally. This map should be clear and in simple English. • More Women’s events to talk about issues, share and gain knowledge. • Drop Ins at the new temple (all health wellbeing including Mental Health). Social Networking on internet.1-1 surgeries ie monthly benefit sessions • Educating community about mental health • Evaluation of translation services • To see same consultant who has access to notes

8. An action plan is being developed to take this valuable work forward in improving access to mental health services for women from the BME communities across Kent and Medway.