July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
This month highlights the mental health hurdles facing many racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.
According to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, the U.S. is more diverse and multiracial than ever before. Over 40% of the U.S. population are BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) (U.S. Census, 2020) and 13.9% of the U.S. population in 2022 were foreign-born immigrants (U.S. Census, 2024). Despite the growing diversity of the U.S. population – a growth trend projected to continue – BIPOC communities continue to fare worse across various measures of health, mental health, health care, and social determinants of health.
Culture, ethnicity, and race all play a role in the way that each person experiences the world. These factors, among others, have profound effects on mental health, especially for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
Find resources below and learn more about the strengths and challenges communities of color face when it comes to mental well-being and mental health care.
Mental Health Resources for BIPOC Communities:
Take a free, private online mental health screening HERE. Remember – when we begin to heal ourselves, we heal our communities.
Local Resources
Cape and Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition: Our Coalition is made up of dedicated individuals on Cape Cod and the Islands. As a team, Cape and Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition takes the necessary steps to lead our region in the fight towards suicide prevention.
Bay Cove Behavioral Health & Wellness Center: Just like an urgent care health center where you might seek help for a medical problem that can’t wait, but doesn’t require care in a hospital emergency department, the Bay Cove Urgent Care Center in Hyannis accepts walk-in appointments for your urgent behavioral health needs. While this is a walk-in, non-appointment service, we do request that, if possible, you call us prior to arriving to ensure a clinician will be there to greet you.
Phone: (833) 229-2683
116 Camp St
Hyannis, MA 02601
- Open 24/7
- Crisis Intervention services for youth and adults
- Adult Community Crisis Stabilization
- Youth Community Crisis Stabilization
- Behavioral Health
- Urgent Care
Cape & Islands Emergency Services: If you are experiencing a behavioral health challenge—whether it is just starting or has been building for some time—it can be hard to figure out what to do. Bay Cove Behavioral Health & Wellness Center is here to assist! Just give us a call and we will work together to figure out the best next steps for your situation.
Phone: (833) 229-2683 (BAY-COVE): 24-hour Hotline for crisis intervention for mental health or substance use (formerly MA DMH Crisis Hotline)
Cape Cod Healthcare Behavioral Health Care: Our Behavioral Health services have expanded to meet the needs of our Cape Cod community. From early onset and intervention, through late life, the Centers for Behavioral Health provide expertise across all psychiatric disorders. Whether managing a first episode or a chronic unresolved complaint, our team distinguishes itself through treating the individual not the diagnosis.
Phone: (800) 513-4728
Two Locations:
27 Park St
Hyannis, MA 02601
100 Ter Heun Drive
Falmouth, MA 02540
Services Include:
- Adult Inpatient Services
- Emergency and Consultative Services
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Outpatient Mental Health Services
- Partial Hospital Program (PHP)
- Child, Adolescent and Adult Outpatient Psychiatric Services
- Patient and Family Support
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline: The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) is here to connect you directly to clinical help, when and where you need it. Even if you’re not sure what kind of help or treatment you may need, we can help guide you.
Phone: (833) 773-2445, Call or text 24/7
- Connect you directly to clinical help, even if you’re not sure what kind of help or treatment you may need, we can help guide you.
- It’s free, confidential, and no health insurance is required.
- Real-time interpretation in 200+ languages
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Cape Cod: NAMI is a grass-roots non-profit organization serving the families and friends of people with mental illness, as well as the individuals who have a mental illness themselves on Cape Cod and The Islands. Programs and Services are provided through Support, Education, and Advocacy.
Phone: (508) 778-4277
5 Mark Ln
Hyannis, MA 02601
National Suicide Prevention Helpline: At the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, we understand that life’s challenges can sometimes be difficult. Whether you’re facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, our caring counselors are here for you. You are not alone.
988 call or text
24-hour Hotline to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area.
Plymouth Outpatient and Behavioral Health Clinic: Mentor South Bay offers a wide range of services for children and adults, including substance abuse counseling, autism services, early intervention services, and more. We have more than 30 years of experience helping children, adults, and their families build the skills and positive relationships they need to live well.
Phone: (508) 521-2200
50 Aldrin Rd
Plymouth, MA 02360
Admissions and Referral Department Phone: (800) 244-4691
The Samaritans on Cape Cod & the Islands: The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands is a nonprofit organization that provides support to people experiencing crises. Our mission is suicide prevention: we are dedicated to helping people contemplating suicide or personally affected by suicide. Our goal is to be a caring and compassionate listener who, through interaction in a safe and anonymous environment, can rekindle people’s lost sense of hope, de-escalate a situation from a crisis level, and provide the pathway that makes day-to-day living manageable.
Local Crisis Line: (508) 548-8900
Phone: (508) 548-7999
13 Steeple St
Mashpee, MA 02649
Websites:
- Crisis Lines, Community Education, Outreach, Grief Services https://capesamaritans.org/find-support/
- Support materials https://capesamaritans.org/support-materials/
Cape Cod HealthCare
Behavioral Health Counselors: (800) 513-4728
Additional Resources
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month | FDA: Mental illness can affect women of all races and ethnicities. Show your support this month and beyond by learning more about mental health. You can also use and share the linked resources to help spread awareness about mental health in your communities and families.
BIPOC Mental Health Month | Mental Health America: MHA’s 2025 BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit was designed to help individuals and organizations in communities of color turn awareness into action. Whether you’re looking for ways to feel better or do better, you’ll find resources that support action in three key areas: ‘Take care of yourself’, ‘find and take care of your community’, and ‘advocate’.
NAMI_BBMC_Toolkit-2025.pdf: This guide was created by National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) National to support NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates, partners, ambassadors, and mental health champions in honoring Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. These resources are designed to help you uplift voices, spark meaningful dialogue, and build culturally responsive awareness in your community.
BIPOC Mental Health Fact Sheet | Resources to Recover: The statistics in this Fact Sheet point to significant health inequities in the United States. These inequities are reflected in differences in the average length of life, quality of life, rates of disability, severity of illness, and access to treatment. Mental health equity will be achieved when all people have the opportunity to attain their full health potential, and no one is impeded from doing so because of socially determined circumstances.
