WEEK 7 DISCUSSION 1: HEALTH INITIATIVES

WEEK 7 DISCUSSION 1: HEALTH INITIATIVES

Value: 100 points

Due: In an effort to facilitate scholarly discourse, create your initial post by Day 3, and reply to at least two of your classmates, on two separate days, by Day 7.

Grading Category: Discussions

Note: In this type of discussion, you will not see the responses of your classmates until after you have posted your own response to the question below.

Initial Post

Watch the following video:

Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Care and Stigma in Communities of Color

Video Transcript

• Briefly describe the availability of and access to mental health care in your community and geographical area.
• Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic, how have recent health crises revealed equity issues in certain communities?
• What do you see as the greatest barrier to access and how do you feel this would be best addressed? Be specific in addressing this issue in your community or geographical area. Do you believe that private or public entities are best suited to address this? How do other countries address these issues?
• How do you plan to integrate cultural competency into your practice as a PMHNP?

PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW 

Replies

Reply to at least two of your classmates. Your reply posts should build on the original post and demonstrate substantive reflection. Offer your peers an evidenced-based solution to their identified ‘greatest barrier.’

Pick out an idea from your peers’ initial post that you find most interesting and tell how you will use this information in practice.

Please refer to the Grading Rubric for details on how this activity will be graded. The described expectations meet the passing level of 80%. Students are directed to review the Discussion Grading Rubric for criteria which exceed expectations.

Posting to the Discussion Forum

1. Select the appropriate Thread.
2. Select Reply.
3. Create your post.
4. Select Post to Forum.

Introduction

Access to equitable and culturally responsive mental health care remains one of the most pressing challenges in modern healthcare, particularly within communities of color. Despite significant advancements in psychiatric awareness and treatment, disparities in access, quality, and outcomes persist due to systemic, social, and structural barriers. The video “Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Care and Stigma in Communities of Color” underscores how stigma, socioeconomic inequities, and historical mistrust of healthcare systems continue to shape the mental health experiences of marginalized populations. These issues have been further amplified by recent health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed deep-rooted inequities and highlighted the urgent need for culturally informed mental health interventions.

In many communities, including [insert your community or geographical area], access to mental health services is constrained by factors such as limited availability of providers, financial hardship, inadequate insurance coverage, and lack of culturally competent care. The pandemic intensified these disparities by disrupting services, increasing psychosocial stressors, and disproportionately affecting racial and ethnic minority populations. Studies show that Black and Hispanic communities experienced higher rates of pandemic-related trauma and loss but were less likely to receive timely mental health support (Czeisler et al., 2021). These inequities reflect broader structural issues such as healthcare segregation, underfunding of community-based programs, and cultural stigma surrounding mental illness.

PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW 

The greatest barrier to mental health care in my community remains [insert key barrier—e.g., stigma, provider shortage, or cost]. Addressing this challenge requires a multifaceted approach that combines public policy reform, community education, and interprofessional collaboration. Public health entities are often best positioned to lead these efforts because they can coordinate culturally tailored outreach programs, expand telehealth initiatives, and increase funding for minority-serving mental health clinics. However, private organizations and faith-based institutions also play a critical role in fostering trust and normalizing conversations around mental wellness. Internationally, models from countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom demonstrate that integrating mental health into primary care and community-based settings can reduce stigma and improve access for underserved populations (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023).

As a future Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), I plan to integrate cultural competency into my practice by applying the principles of cultural humility, self-awareness, and patient-centered communication. This includes acknowledging the sociocultural contexts that influence mental health perceptions, tailoring care to align with patients’ cultural values, and advocating for systemic changes that promote health equity. By fostering trust, empathy, and inclusivity, PMHNPs can bridge gaps in access and contribute to dismantling stigma within diverse communities.

PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW 

References

• Czeisler, M. É., Lane, R. I., Petrosky, E., Wiley, J. F., Christensen, A., Njai, R., … & Czeisler, C. A. (2021). Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(4), 104–110. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7004a3

• World Health Organization. (2023). Integrating mental health services into primary health care: A global perspective. WHO Press.

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. (2022). Improving cultural competence to reduce health disparities. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov