Mental Health Partners Honors Black History Month: Through Commitment to Local Community, and Organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Journey
Mental Health Partners (MHP) joins the nation in celebrating Black History Month by recognizing the achievements of Black heroes, leaders, and trailblazers who played a central role in U.S. history. Another way MHP is honoring this month is through their continued commitment to Boulder and Broomfield’s Black community. For over fifty years, MHP has proudly provided compassionate mental health and addiction recovery care to the Black community and continue to do so to this day. Additionally, MHP supports programs that work to address inequities resulting from race, ethnicity, and color, and partner with community agencies to take a stand against civil injustice.
This year’s Black History Month is especially celebratory as MHP recently finished the next phase of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) journey, which began in early 2020. The goal set by leadership for this step of the journey – to be more responsive to the needs of MHP’s Black communities, clients, and employees – led to a series of actions, activities, and introspective moments that the leadership team, and staff, found valuable and meaningful, including:
- Working with the nationally renowned Equity Project to create a tangible action plan to create a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable organization.
- Engaging in powerful conversations related to equity, inclusion, and systemic racism
- Joining the Boulder County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as a corporate-level member
- Implementing an Anti-Racism Policy
MHP recognizes there are still many steps ahead in their DEI journey, and the commitment to anti-racism is a lifelong pursuit as we all work to break the tragic cycle of violence and injustice that has been directed towards members of the Black community. However, MHP is hopeful their actions, and the actions of other individuals and organizations also committed to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community, will contribute to the national dialogue and long-lasting change.
Updates on these important topics will be posted on MHP’s website (www.mhpcolorado.org) and social media channels (Facebook @MentalHealthPartnersCO, Twitter: @MentalHealthCO; and Instagram @mentalhealthpartnersco). Community members are also encouraged to check out MHP’s BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit at www.mhpcolorado.org/bipoc-stress-and-trauma-toolkit.
About Mental Health Partners:
In alignment with our mission – Healing is our purpose. Help is our promise. Health is our passion. – Mental Health Partners (MHP) provides immediate access to expert mental health and substance use care so people can enjoy healthy and fulfilling lives. For emergency assistance with a mental health crisis, please call 1 (844) 493-TALK (8255), text TALK to 38255 or go directly to our 24/7 Walk-In Center at 3180 Airport Rd., Boulder, CO. To access other MHP clinical and supportive services, call (303) 443-8500.