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.

Locally, we have a range of services. We try not to overlap as different funding streams mean each one has to prioritise. Just because one service is providing targeted care for one part of the population does not mean that the people not served by them don't have equal access by another service. What's awkward is the way this service is managing the shift away from any part of the local population to a specific part of the population.

It has been said over and over again, because their funding which has several private and NHS streams has run out and they are not accepting general referrals.

There is a very specific initiative which is aimed at culturally diverse children specifically (we don’t have the link to this scheme so we don’t even know if this is restricted to skin colour at all), because this funding has been given to help a specific cause the charity do not has the right or the ability to redirect it for other purposes.

The charity IS based in a multicultural city, it’s based in Leeds!

I’ve just looked at the charity’s sponsors. One of the sponsor’s has clear guidelines for how their grant should be used, including that it needs to be spent with people on the fringes of society and those from disadvantaged communities.

A sponsor is allowed to say where they want their money spent.

OP is also completely free to share this info widely so many people who disagree with such discrimination will stop supporting this charity.

So traveller children, who are white, would be supported.

And also to people like me, who will actively support this charity now that they are facing racist retaliation.

If I were a Reform campaigner I'd be rubbing my hands with glee at this revelation

And rightly so.

It is based on need, MH struggles are significantly more likely in culturally diverse individuals..because of discrimination, deprivation, bias in main stream services, higher likelihood to diagnose inaccurately due to prejudice, higher likelihood to criminalise, higher likelihood for other services to adultify the children and young people.

In this instance, it appears to be a charity funded project ..whose remaining funding stream (again from other charitable grants) is for work with culturally diverse communities.

Can you imagine the pressures things like the rise in racism and talk of re migration are doing to these communities?

A very quick search listed several, all specifically tailored to various areas within the spectrum of neurodiversity, to the exclusion of NT.

Here are key UK charities for neurodiverse mental health support:

• ADHD Foundation The Neurodiversity Charity: Focuses on a strengths-based approach for ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and related conditions, providing support across the lifespan.
• National Autistic Society (NAS): Offers advice, information, and mental health resources for autistic children, adults, and their families.
• Ambitious about Autism: Provides support for children and young people, including a Parent Toolkit for navigating mental health and education.
• The Mix: Offers mental health support, including counselling and helplines, specifically for young people under 25, including neurodivergent individuals.
• Dyspraxia Foundation: Provides support and advice for individuals with dyspraxia (DCD).
• Tourettes Action: Supports those living with Tourette Syndrome.
• PDA Society: Offers information and support for Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).
• Grassroots Suicide Prevention: Features a dedicated Neurodiversity Suicide Prevention Hub, offering tools and guidance tailored to neurodivergent individuals.
• NeuroTribe UK: Provides affordable and accessible services for the neurodiverse community.

A pp listed some upthread for you.

So say your child is identifying as an ethnic minority. Surely they can't turn that down since they are open to people defining as another sex. Or say that her dad is half Asian. It's ridiculous.

Maybe they have assessed based on need and those are the communities that need the most support/are least likely to get it via nhs or school?

You realise that ignoring the answers you’ve been given upthread is sea lioning, right?

But that's whataboutery. Those groups are set up to help people with a specific issue, and are open to any woman who needs them with no discrimination on culture or race. That's the opposite of what's happening here.

Loving the way people are identifying culturally diverse as skin colour ..your racism is showing 😔🤦‍♀️

None of those offer face to face useful things such as counselling, groups etc as provided by this charity. They’re just info sites. I’ve accessed several and they offer little.

I think you are jumping to a lot of conclusions here. Grant and governance rules mean that it does not really work like that. Finding enough funding to keep charities running is a nightmare. A lot of charities have to pivot from what they originally do depending on what funding they can secure. They may have had to exclude certain people from a specific type of work because of the requirements of that funding stream. But have other contracts for other type of work which are funded differently.

Mental health services in this country are beyond being in crisis. Childrens mental health provision has been a scandal for 15+ years. Asking why this is happening and ascertaining exactly what is behind this would be more helpful than a knee jerk reaction that they are doing something wrong.

So let’s game the system and take away the meagre support that BAME kids have, right?

Yes, this. Everything founded by the NHS should be based on needs, not skin colour. I hate discrimination, whoever is discriminated.

None of those offer the wealth of face to face support the charity in the op provides.

While simultaneously proposing policies that will make things even worse.

The news this week far higher mortality of black mothers in maternity services…I set up a charity for the orphans of these women…you want it to be open to all children? Surely you can make the leap to charitable purposes and greatest need?

Thats not the fault of this charity, which has secured funding from a private grant that has specific guidelines on how the money should
be spent.

Or are you saying that if only under-served BAME kids can benefit than no one should benefit?

It's interesting how your response is to try and shut off funding for a charity rather than trying to ensure it can actually support everyone by fundraising or campaigning or doing anything other than complaining.

"How can I make things better?" is always to be preferred to "How can I make things worse?".

I suppose that's the Reform mentality for you though.