Transcript

YAINA SAMUELS

As a user accessing public services and being a Black woman, it was difficult. And the reason why say it was difficult is because there was a lack of understanding of cultural awareness and the barriers that prevented me from accessing services and also, on my part, a lack of trust.

I didn’t see anybody in the services at the time that looked like me. On the other side of it as a professional, my difficulties arise when I’m accessing public services on behalf of a client. I often find myself in discussion, in debate about the level of service, about the needs of the clients. I often find myself in difficult situations because of the complexities of ethnic minority mental health issues.

Firstly, we have the stigma and the shame attached to mental health. That prevents people accessing the services. Then we have the possibility of an inaccurate diagnosis that often happens, especially when many cultures are deemed as aggressive as in my culture, African.

I myself have been deemed aggressive as a diagnosis in the past. And then we have care. If you have an incorrect diagnosis, then that can lead to the incorrect care. And I think there can be a huge barrier and language issue when it comes down to care.

And the danger of not having the correct care for somebody having a mental health episode can be a huge risk to the client’s life. Based on my own leadership journey, my advice would be to get out there and meet the people, mix with the community, attend meetings and forums, so you get your face seen, let people know what you do, and also engage with the community at a level that you understand them, and they understand you, and the trust gets built up.

Once trust is built up, you can then start having those conversations for change around mental health and the stigma attached to mental health. So first and foremost, go into the community, get to know who you’re working with, and build up those relationships.