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Whittier Street Health Center Recognizes National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

BOSTON, MA, ISSUED JULY 13, 2023…Whittier Street Health Center, a community health center with a mission to serve as a center of excellence that provides high quality and accessible health care and social services that achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of a diverse patient population, stresses the importance of providing medical information and treatment to diverse populations during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond.

Designated by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, National Minority Health Awareness Month, observed in July, seeks to raise awareness of mental illness and to improve access to mental health services and treatments for racial and ethnic minority populations.

Defined as including emotional, psychological, and social well-being, mental health affects the way we think, feel, and act – and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Sadly, racial and ethnic minorities often suffer from mental health issues as a result of multiple factors which include lack of access to care services and discrimination.

In an effort to mitigate those issues in the communities it serves, Whittier Street Health Center has integrated a Behavioral Health program into its primary care offerings. The Behavioral Health Department consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and licensed mental health counselors who offer individual, family, couple, and group counseling and medication management services for children, adolescents, and adults. A wide range of mental health issues, such as depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and stress-related problems are treated.

“Access to accurate information and resources is essential to improved mental health outcomes among minority sectors,” said Dr. Oluranti Adepoju, psychiatrist at Whittier Street Health Center. “We are dedicated to providing and advocating for proper mental health care for the most vulnerable and recognize that as a nation, we need to raise the bar for better mental health care for everyone, and in particular minorities.”

“The impact of race related stress often goes unrecognized, as does consideration of the obstacles faced by minorities to access quality mental health assessment and treatment,” said Frederica M. Williams, president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center. “The nation may shine a light on minority mental health in July, but our commitment to promoting wellness and eliminating health disparities is one we observe year-long.”

For more information, please contact the Whittier Street Health Center Behavioral Health Department as 617-858-2429 (fax 617-989-3227).

About Whittier Street Health Center

Whittier Street Health Center is an independently licensed community health care center with a mission of providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary healthcare for diverse populations while promoting wellness and eliminating health and social disparities. A champion of equitable access to high quality, patient-focused care, social justice and economic equity, Whittier Street Health Center is accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC), certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, and recognized by the NCQA for its Behavioral Health Integration. Through its locations in Roxbury and North Dorchester, and its Mobile Health Van program, Whittier Street Health Center serves more than 30,000 patients and 20,000 community outreach visits annually; its ethnically and racially diverse patient base is primarily made up of individuals from Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and greater Boston. Approximately 28% of Whittier’s patients are uninsured. Whittier Street Health Center provides a comprehensive array of 40 healthcare programs and services designed to meet the primary health care, behavioral health, and social needs of the community. For more information, please visit www.wshc.org as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/WhittierStreetHealthCenter), Twitter (@Whittier_Boston), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/whittier-street-health-center), or call 617-989-3221.