Observed each July and originally designated as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, BIPOC Mental Health Month highlights the unique mental health challenges and needs of historically
disenfranchised or oppressed racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) still encounter a broad range of discrimination, oppression and inequity rooted in America’s colonialist history, all of
which foster both collective and individual trauma.
Counselors, therapists and other mental health professionals are essential to promoting BIPOC mental health and well-being and addressing the systemic discrepancies in quality of and access to care for these individuals. By providing counselors with the
support, education and professional resources needed to serve BIPOC clients, we can work together to create deep multicultural competence and provide effective care for the mental health of every individual.