It’s important to recognize National Minority Mental Health Month in New Mexico because here, people of color make up a large percentage of our population. New Mexico is celebrated for our diversity: statewide, 47.8 percent of the population identify as Hispanic or Latino of any race; 10% identify as Indigenous; 3.2% identify as Black or African American; and almost 20% identify as two or more races. 

According to NAMI and Mental Health America, Black, African American, and Indigenous/Native people across the U.S. report lower overall rates of mental illnesses than white people, but are more likely to report an unmet need for or inability to access care for substance abuse or mental health issues. There are also disproportionate rates of death by suicide among Native/Indigenous people in America. Native youth between the ages of 15-19 are at more than double the risk of non-Hispanic whites. Native/Indigenous people in America struggle with alcohol and other drugs at younger ages, and at higher rates, than all other ethnic groups. 

There are some other indicators that many citizens of New Mexico may not be able to access proper mental health treatment:

• 6 in 10 New Mexicans are people of color and/or Indigenous
• 36 in 100 speak a language other than English at home
• 1 in 10 New Mexicans was born outside the U.S.
• 1 in 5 New Mexicans live beneath the federal poverty line
• 1 in 10 New Mexicans have no health insurance 

Here in New Mexico and across the U.S., barriers to healthcare access greatly affect members of diverse ethnic and racial groups. Medical and institutionalized racism, the high expense of healthcare costs in America, lack of insurance, negative stigma surrounding mental health and substance misuse, lack of diversity or cultural competency among mental health care providers, and language barriers are many reasons and factors that prevent people of color from accessing and receiving comprehensive medical care, including behavioral health services. 

988 is an important first, but not final step, in reimagining New Mexico’s behavioral health crisis system to respond to anyone in need. HSD/BHSD believes New Mexicans deserve to have mental health within reach. Building the Crisis Now Continuum of Care is about meeting people where they’re at when they need it most. This transformation will take time and requires resources from federal, state, and local levels to prepare the crisis system to better meet these needs.

On a hopeful note, recent developments for our state including increased funding for mental health programs and improvements to services have been made throughout many systems and agencies. These allocations seek to help decrease the disparity in education, access, and prevention for a variety of mental health and substance misuse concerns. The New Mexico Human Services Department, Behavioral Health Services Division (BHSD) provides many culturally relevant, inclusive, and informed services through its network of care providers. You can find them at https://newmexico.networkofcare.org/mh/index.aspx. They offer services that are sensitive to issues faced by the diverse populations of our state because culturally informed, evidence-based mental healthcare is essential to improving minority mental health. 

If you or a loved one are having trouble in gaining access to treatment, please know that help is available. Check our resource page or talk to friends and family members for possible referrals within your community. Good health—including good mental health—is a fundamental human right. Stand with us to support positive conversations about minority mental healthcare and end the stigma surrounding mental health issues.