Happy Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month!

This past Sunday during a Win With Black Women webinar, I had the honor to present Sisters Say Her Name & Celebrate: Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to amplify the name and work of Bebe Moore Campbell. It’s critical for us to know that July is named in her honor and memory for a reason. Bebe Moore Campbell (February 18, 1950 – November 27, 2006) was a three time New York Times bestselling author, extraordinary mental health advocate, and supporter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). After starting a prayer group as a means of coping with caring for her loved one who lives with bipolar disorder, she co-founded (along with long-time friend Nancy Carter) NAMI-Inglewood in California now known as NAMI Urban LA. Bebe wanted to create a space that was safe for African American people to talk about mental health concerns. During her life she did all she could to help her loved one and to increase awareness about mental health conditions and resources in the African American community. 

In 2008, the 110th Congress designated July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to achieve two goals:

• Improve access to mental health treatment and services and promote public awareness of mental illness.

  
  

• Enhance public awareness of mental illness among underserved communities.

The tremendous work of her long-time friend and college roommate, Linda Wharton Boyd and former Congressman Albert Wynn is to be commended. They tirelessly garnered the community and bipartisan congressional support necessary for the Concurrent Resolution to pass. Since that time, mental health organizations like NAMI, Mental Health America and Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective continue to lift her name and celebrate her work. Additionally, the American Psychiatric Association will hold its 5th Annual Moore Equity Walk in her name on July 19th to raise funds for youth mental health services. And, for my fellow attorneys, you can earn CLE credit in Bebe’s name! Sponsored by the American Bar Association, I created The Intersection of Severe Mental Illness, Housing, and the Law. It’s a powerful presentation that delves into the impact of policies, litigation, and court decisions on those living with severe mental illness (SMI). 

The statistics are astounding! Studies show that:

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.

1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year.

Even more alarming, African American adults are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress than white adults. However, only 1 in 3 African American adults in need of mental health treatment receive it.

SMI is unlike any mental illness. SMI causes a person’s perception of reality to be significantly altered with hallucinations, delusions, and anosognosia - a lack of insight. It is truly heart wrenching to witness a loved one not even know that they’re sick. As an attorney, author, and advocate, I am dedicated to elevating Bebe Moore Campbell’s message regarding SMI. With a loved one who battles such challenges, I strive to raise awareness about SMI, share resources with those affected, and create a safe space for individuals to share their lived experiences on the Corey Empowers Mental WELLth Wednesday digital program. 

Call to action in 5 tips:

1. Make your mental and physical health top priories. That looks like making your own medical appointments and actually going to the appointments.

2. Just be, unapologetically. Give yourself grace and space to feel however you feel even when you don’t know how to feel; talk to a confidant, or simply take a nap. I declare that I will be a human being, not a chronic human doing.

3. Educate Yourself: Research credible sources about symptoms, resources, and treatment options. You can download the free go-to mental health guide at coreyempowers.com to take a first step on your learning journey.

4. Accept Professional Help: Consult with an attorney that provides estate planning, power of attorney, and guardianship/conservatorship services. HR professionals can also help you navigate procedures to take leave pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act or request a reasonable accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

5. Develop a Support System: Connect with a local NAMI chapter or a behavioral health organization that provides family and peer support, housing, and wraparound around services.

There are several days, weeks and months designated to focus on various aspects of mental health and SMI. Mental health is a 365-global issue. Through all the advocacy and increased awareness, we cannot allow Bebe Moore Campbell to be erased, omitted, or replaced.

 “Once my loved ones accepted the diagnosis, healing began for the entire family, but it took too long. It took years. Can’t we, as a nation, begin to speed up that process? We need a national campaign to destigmatize mental illness, especially one targeted toward African Americans…It’s not shameful to have a mental illness. Get treatment. Recovery is possible.”– Bebe Moore Campbell, 2005