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July is a mix of things to celebrate and be informed about.
Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health matters! Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is just as important as physical health throughout our lives.
Mental health issues are common – more than 1 in 5 US adults live with a mental illness.1 Mental health issues are treatable and often preventable, but not everyone has access to the resources they need. People in some racial and ethnic minority groups face more challenges than others getting mental health care.
Many people from racial and ethnic minority groups have difficulty getting mental health care. This can be due to many different reasons, such as cost or not having adequate health insurance coverage. It may also be challenging to find providers from one’s racial or ethnic group.. Stigma or negative ideas about mental health care may also prevent people from seeking services.
Other things in our environment can impact mental health and emotional well-being. For example, experiencing or witnessing racial discrimination or racial violence can cause stress and racial trauma. Poverty (or having low income) may limit access to mental health care. Poverty can also cause stress and may lead to mental health issues.
Working Together for Mental Health Equity
Everyone benefits when people from racial and ethnic minority groups can thrive. We all have a role to play in promoting health equity.
Individuals can
Learn about mental health.
Learn about healthy ways to cope with stress and respond to loss. Engage in these practices, when possible.
Share information on mental health, healthy coping skills, and resources with family, friends, neighbors, and others in your community.
Talk about mental health and use non-stigmatizing language.
Learn about implicit bias. Implicit biases are unintentional attitudes, behaviors, and actions that are in favor of or against one person or group.
Learn about microaggressions. Microaggressions are everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults. They communicate negative messages to people because of their membership in a marginalized group. Microaggressions can be intentional or unintentional.
Make ongoing efforts to avoid implicit bias, microaggressions, and other forms of discrimination.
Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the work of disability rights organizers, elevate disabled voices, and reflect on how much ableism is still left to combat in our governments, medical system, and interpersonal relationships more broadly. Above all else, it’s a time for non-disabled people to listen.
Unfortunately, Disability Pride Month often passes with little to no acknowledgment outside of the disabled community each year. And beyond Disability Pride Month, disabled voices and issues are rarely acknowledged in the media or by lawmakers, even as we collectively live through the COVID-19 pandemic, which some experts have called a mass disabling event. Queer and transgender disabled people receive even less recognition, even within LGBTQ+ spaces.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, making it even more difficult for many disabled people to simply exist safely outside, understanding the gravity of ableism and Disability Pride is more critical than ever. Whether this is your first time hearing the term Disability Pride Month or it’s something you celebrate every year, this guide will give you a basic overview of what Disability Pride Month is all about, what ableism is, and how to be a better ally to disabled folks during the month of July and beyond.
What is Disability Pride Month?
Disability Pride Month began in 1990, the year that the Americans With Disabilities (ADA) act was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. That same year, the first-ever Disability Pride parade was held in Boston to celebrate the law’s passage. The ADA’s civil rights protections require employers and public spaces to meet basic accommodations for disabled people, like installing wheelchair ramps and allowing service animals in spaces. The ADA also prevents employers from discriminating against disabled job candidates.
Birth Trauma Awareness Week
What is Birth Trauma Awareness Week?
Birth Trauma Awareness Week, which runs from July 19- 24th, is a week dedicated to raising awareness of the potential risks of childbirth, to share honest accounts from parents who have experienced trauma and to guide others who are going through it now.
Many people can feel isolated or afraid to talk about such an event, so this week has been introduced to put people at ease and offer the right support and advice.
The Awareness Week has been set up by the Birth Trauma Association, a well-established charity who offer support to women who have experienced difficult births and advise parents on how to cope and overcome it.
Last year, they held fundraising events, Twitter chats and a Mumsnet campaign to raise awareness, gaining mainstream coverage in the BBC and the Guardian. Similar events will be held this year, but to increase the reach and fundraising capabilities, the charity is asking for companies to run coffee mornings, craft events or sponsored walks and talks to be held to help raise funds.
This will have done wonders to raise awareness so far, but there is still a lot that people don’t know about birth trauma.
What is birth trauma?
Birth trauma is a shorthand phrase for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth. In the majority of cases, birth trauma occurs due to a fear that you or the baby is going to die, and is common amongst women who lost a lot of blood during the birth or where the baby’s heart rate suddenly dipped.
Symptoms
The main symptoms are re-experiencing the trauma through flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive memories, avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma (including new mums and babies), constantly worrying something awful will happen to your baby or feeling guilty or unhappy that you had a traumatic birth.
Who tends to suffer from birth trauma?
First of all, we’d like to highlight that PTSD is completely normal and not a sign of weakness, which can be one of the symptoms for many women. Any traumatic experience can bring on a lot of these symptoms as was first recognised in soldiers after the war in Vietnam.
Birth trauma isn’t isolated to the birth stage of pregnancy it can occur during or after pregnancy, brought on by a loss of control, dignity, hostile attitudes of people around them or the absence of informed consent to medical procedures.
It is not entirely clear what causes birth trauma, but some factors include:
● a lengthy and painful labour
● induction
● poor pain relief
● medical intervention
● forceps birth
● emergency c-section
● maternal injuries
● problems with staff
● fear for the baby’s safety
● Stillbirth
● complications for your baby
● a previous trauma.
The fact is there are so many different reasons for PTSD to be triggered, there’s no clear way of preventing it. The great news is there are treatments and methods of coping with it! This is why awareness needs to be raised and support offered to those who are suffering.
Birth traumas affect not only the mother, but quite often the birthing partner too. This is on multiple levels as they can suffer from PTSD or struggle to cope with their partner suffering from PTSD.
It’s worth noting that birth trauma and postnatal depression (PND) are two separate issues. The symptoms are similar, however, when treated for PND, women often receive medication that won’t help or are told to move on and appreciate having a healthy baby - this can exacerbate the problem.
Treatment and coping mechanisms
There are a few different treatments out there as well as self-coping mechanisms you can try, so if you or your partner has suffered from birth trauma, we’d recommend visiting the Birth Trauma Association website for further support and advice.
International Self- Care Day
International Self-Care Day is celebrated on July 24. It stresses the importance of self-care as the cornerstone of wellness. On this day, individuals throughout the world are encouraged to make self-care a part of their everyday routines and turn it into a priority. It is a milestone, and an opportunity to raise further awareness of the benefits of effective self-management of health.
Self-care has become incredibly important as people realize the need to take care of themselves and put themselves first. This has made people talk about it and increased the interest of others to take control of their health and wellness by prioritizing themselves. Today, we urge you to practice self-care, even if all you do is take a walk.
Community Resources:
Utilize this website for the following resources
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/
Visit FoundinFaithMD.org/get-help/apply/
to apply to the Fresh Start Furniture Program TODAY!
If you do not have computer access, please call 443-519-2464 ext. 2
ALL FURNITURE REQUESTS ARE SCHEDULED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
If you need immediate help finding shelter or a place to eat, call 211.
Meals
Baltimore- Our Daily Bread Employment Center
725 Fallsway, Baltimore City
443-986-9000
PG CO- Bethel House 301-372-1700 & Salvation Army of Prince George’s County Food Pantry 301-277-6103
AA CO- Anne Arundel County Food Access WARM Line 410- 222- 3663 &
Anne Arundel County Food Bank
120 Marbury Drive Crownsville, MD 21032
Harford CO- Breathe 379, 2124 Nuttal Ave. Edgewood. Groceries, prepared food, clothes.
& EPICENTER, EPICENTER at Edgewood, 1918 Pulaski Hwy, Edgewood. 443.981.3742.
Mental Health Assistance
National Alliance for Mental Illness
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call 24/7: 1-800-273-8255
Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc.
Call 24/7: 410-433-5175 if you or someone you know needs help with a mental health crisis
Legal Services
Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP)
201 N. Charles St., Suite 1104, Baltimore City
410-685-6589 / 800-773-4340
Provides free legal aid to those experiencing or at risk of homelessness
Maryland Legal Aid
500 E. Lexington St., Baltimore City
410-951-7777
Provides a full range of free civil legal services to financially eligible individuals, with a focus on legal issues concerning elder rights, employment, family, public benefits, health care and housing
Reentry Services
Assists prisoners, ex-prisoners and others in need become independent, responsible citizens through civil legal assistance and re-entry services
Baltimore- Alternative Directions
2505 N. Charles St., Baltimore City
410-889-5072
PG CO- People Ready 5814 Baltimore Ave.
Hyattsville, Maryland 20781 (301)277-2172
AA CO- AmeriCorps (800) 942-2677
Identification
Beans and Bread
402 South Bond St., Baltimore City
410-732-1892
ID cards and birth certificates available on the first business day of the month to the first 5 to 10 people who arrive
Manna House
435 East 25th St., Baltimore
410-889-3001
Provides assistance with birth certificate and ID cards applications
Employment Assistance
ONE STOP CAREER CENTERS
Downtown One Stop Career Center
1100 North Eutaw St., Room 101, Baltimore City
410-767-2148
Eastside One-Stop Career Center
3001 East Madison St., Baltimore City
410-396-9030
Provides assistance with job search strategies, employment referrals and placement and other workforce services; offers access to copiers, faxes and phones
Northwest American Job Center (Re-entry Center)
Mondawmin Mall, Suite 302
2401 Liberty Heights Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21215
Telephone: 410-396-7873
DROP-IN CENTERS
Manna House
435 E. 25th St., Baltimore City
410-889-3001
Franciscan Center
101 W. 23rd St., Baltimore City
410-467-5340
H.O.P.E.
2828 Loch Raven Rd., Baltimore City
410-327-5830
Provides clothing, communication, laundry, food, recreation and showers
** For any other region specific info email socialmedia@emrcgroup.org **
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