Limiting MH support to certain cultural areas?

[Mindcultural]

I have today received this message below from a mental health support service for young people.

AIBU to think it’s completely wrong to offer support based on cultural diversity and would like to know how they decide who fits this criteria?

Hi,

I’m getting touch as you have recently made a referral to our Youth In Mind services on behalf of a child or young person.

Unfortunately, we are having to reduce the size of the team for funding reasons, so we now only have funding to support young people from culturally diverse communities, if this is relevant for the individual you referred to us, please can I ask that you complete this form forms.office.com and we will be back in touch accordingly.

If we are now no longer able to offer support to the individual you have made a referral for, please accept our apologies for this. Please feel free to keep an eye on our website for updated information regarding available services as we are always looking for new funding opportunities to allow us to reach more children and young people.

It is needs based. That’s the point which you are wilfully blind to.

This is a charity. Charities can set their own agendas. If I set up a charity supporting 3 legged donkeys with wonky ears that is my prerogative, if I can meet the demands of the charity commission.

Service should be available for all. It is the job of the government to ensure that happens. Successive governments have saved money on this by saying charities will fill the gaps that the government dont directly fund services for. This is the result.

The problem is not the charity doing what charities do - looking for pockets of need and setting up services for them. The problem is that they used to do that against a background of robust public services. And now there arent only massive gaps between services - the picture is mostly gap and very few provisions anywhere.

They are …these are statistically the people most in need 🤦‍♀️

The ‘pocket of need’ is kids with mental health issues.

What does the charity commission think about this shite?

It’s not though is it, you could have a white child on the brink of suicide and they haven’t even made it onto the waiting list. Yet other children with lesser needs are on that list.

Exactly this!

They didn’t accept it. They bloody bid for it! 😂 do you think they has the luxury of picking and chooosing funding sources?

also maybe they’re interested in widening participation so it fits with their values

Why bid for it? It’s totally unethical. Can’t they see that? Have they no idea?

to be fair though, I have had excellent and prompt service from Camhs for my white child. I wouldn’t dream of suggesting this is usual, but it does happen. I just think people don’t talk about it because there is no need to complain when it’s good.

Someone needs to tell all charities that they need to centre white kids.

Hell, let’s tell Age Concern that they need to centre kids. How dare they help one cohort, right?

I suspect (hope) that when this stuff gets into the press and donations plummet, they will get the idea pretty quickly.

And other groups!!! Discrimination happens towards the ND, LGBT, BPD …. It’s not just black men who are left to get worse.

Because there are other charitirs for that white child that are less accessible to the brown child with similar needs.

I mean think of the money bloody donkey sanctuaries get. Who cares about donkeys compared to suicidal children? But people (white people obv 😉) still prefer to donate to donkey sanctuaries

Didn’t she say she’s part of having them supported through her company?

From their website they are not a crisis service so children on the brink of suicide would likely not be accepted but referred to an appropriate acute nhs service.

Mental health services will have a very specific remit of what level of risk they can work with, so someone with many complexities and risk factors would likely not be accepted as they cannot be held in that team. They would need to be held in a team with access to an mdt / med team and potentially inpatient or high intensity services.

Someone needs to tell charities to prioritise on need and nothing else. But I would have thought that was so obvious it wouldn’t need saying.

I find this really shocking.

Nope somebody needs to tell all charities that no kid should get centred by skin colour just need.

WHAT ABOUT ME!! STOP TALKING ABOUT BLACK MEN AND FORGETTING ABOUT MEEEEEEEE

Excellent service because you are a white British family, or because you applied to the service (that’s open to all) and received the service based on need?

Such as?

Prioritising on need is wrong, they are not equipped to provide support to everyone. This is why we have a tiered system, early intervention is just as crucial as inpatient support, but they are not interchangeable.

It is based on need. BAME kids have less access to support.

You will persist in sea lioning, eh?

Oh come on. Companies choose charities to support. Happening to work for that company and join in is hardly a supporter 🤣

anyway, these grants are again, not from public donations

This is absolutely disgusting. Just imagine this happening in any other country, it certainly would not.

Before anyone jumps on me for being uneducated or a fascist, I’ve lived in multiple different countries. Both of my dc are mixed race.

I would just tick whichever box needed to be seen OP. My dc would both be classed as ‘culturally diverse’ but they’re fairer than me with blonde hair and blue/green eyes. People are shocked when they discover they are mixed. If they had my last name, no one would be none the wiser.