AFBill for Minority Mental Health Hugh F. Butts, MD Bronx, New York
In the field of mental health, as in much of our national life, needs are often inverse to the services provided to meet them. This truth is constantly brought home to this author as director of Bronx Psychiatric Center, the major mental health facility in that New York borough. As one of the nation's areas most deeply infested with poverty, the Bronx has a need for mental health services that is far above average; yet less is allocated per capita for mental health in the Bronx than in far less impoverished neighboring areas. Much has been written lately about declining patient rolls in state mental institutions. At Bronx Psychiatric Center, however, patient rolls have been growing, while the number of personnel assigned to care for this growing patient load has actually declined. This appalling situation is true not only for the Bronx, which has the largest proportion of minorities of any county in New York State, but of many areas across the nation that have large minority
populations. Given this dismal state of affairs, it is heartening to learn of a piece of legislation recently introduced in Congress that promises to improve, as well as expand, mental health services for blacks and other minorities. The bill will not only provide more services, but will spur the training of mental health professionals among minorities and exRequests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Hugh F. Butts, Director, Bronx Psychiatric Center, 1500 Waters Place, Bronx, NY 10461.
pand research into psychological problems, specifically affecting minorities. Amazingly, only four percent of our nation's psychiatrists today belong to minority groups, even though the admission rate of nonwhites to public mental hospitals is double that for whites. Equally amazing, only'seven percent of the research awards made by the National Institute of Mental Health are of major relevance to minorities, who suffer the stresses of prejudice and racism. The bill presently before Congress seeks to redress these inequities through the establishment of a federal division for minority'mental health programs. Under the terms of the bill, the proposed division would do the following: 1. Support programs and demonstrate projects to provide mental health services to minority populations. 2. Develop a plan to increase the minority population's mental health manpower-that is, increase the number of psychiatrists and other professionals. 3. Study the effects of racism upon minority and majority institutions and individuals. 4. Develop systems to assist minority populations in coping with the effects of racism. 5. Develop special training programs aimed at the elimination of institutional racism. Slightly different versions of this bill have been introduced in the Senate, by Senators Inouye and Matsunaga of
JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, VOL. 71, NO. 3, 1979
Hawaii (S 2373), and, in the House, by Congressman Louis Stokes of Cleveland (HR 12102). Unfortunately, it very often happens that the most laudable of bills remains buried, and this one has yet to emerge from under the pile of legislation that invariably jams the congressional hopper. Support has quietly been building for the legislation, however. Senator Kennedy has become a cosponsor, and a number of organizations have expressed their support, among them the American Nurses Association, the Urban League, the NAACP, and the American Psychiatric Association. Congressman Stokes informs me that he will be sending letters to his colleagues in the House, calling their attention to the legislation and soliciting their cosponsorship and support. He makes it clear that the active support of New York area congressmen will be most welcome; indeed, without it, this excellent legislation will almost certainly languish and die. The bill deserves the support not only of mental health professionals, but of all those concerned about the effects of mental illness and racism in our nation. For those willing to write their senators and representatives in support of the bill, no time could be more auspicious for doing so than the present.
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In the field of mental health, as in much of our national life, needs are often inverse to the services provided to meet them. This truth is constantly brought home to this author as director of Bronx Psychiatric Center, the major mental health facility in that New York borough. As one of the nation's areas most deeply infested with poverty, the Bronx has a need for mental health services that is far above average; yet less is allocated per capita for mental health in the Bronx than in far less impoverished neighboring areas. Much has been written lately about declining patient rolls in state mental institutions. At Bronx Psychiatric Center, however, patient rolls have been growing, while the number of personnel assigned to care for this growing patient load has actually declined. This appalling situation is true not only for the Bronx, which has the largest proportion of minorities of any county in New York State, but of many areas across the nation that have large minority
populations. Given this dismal state of affairs, it is heartening to learn of a piece of legislation recently introduced in Congress that promises to improve, as well as expand, mental health services for blacks and other minorities. The bill will not only provide more services, but will spur the training of mental health professionals among minorities and exRequests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Hugh F. Butts, Director, Bronx Psychiatric Center, 1500 Waters Place, Bronx, NY 10461.
pand research into psychological problems, specifically affecting minorities. Amazingly, only four percent of our nation's psychiatrists today belong to minority groups, even though the admission rate of nonwhites to public mental hospitals is double that for whites. Equally amazing, only'seven percent of the research awards made by the National Institute of Mental Health are of major relevance to minorities, who suffer the stresses of prejudice and racism. The bill presently before Congress seeks to redress these inequities through the establishment of a federal division for minority'mental health programs. Under the terms of the bill, the proposed division would do the following: 1. Support programs and demonstrate projects to provide mental health services to minority populations. 2. Develop a plan to increase the minority population's mental health manpower-that is, increase the number of psychiatrists and other professionals. 3. Study the effects of racism upon minority and majority institutions and individuals. 4. Develop systems to assist minority populations in coping with the effects of racism. 5. Develop special training programs aimed at the elimination of institutional racism. Slightly different versions of this bill have been introduced in the Senate, by Senators Inouye and Matsunaga of
JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, VOL. 71, NO. 3, 1979
Hawaii (S 2373), and, in the House, by Congressman Louis Stokes of Cleveland (HR 12102). Unfortunately, it very often happens that the most laudable of bills remains buried, and this one has yet to emerge from under the pile of legislation that invariably jams the congressional hopper. Support has quietly been building for the legislation, however. Senator Kennedy has become a cosponsor, and a number of organizations have expressed their support, among them the American Nurses Association, the Urban League, the NAACP, and the American Psychiatric Association. Congressman Stokes informs me that he will be sending letters to his colleagues in the House, calling their attention to the legislation and soliciting their cosponsorship and support. He makes it clear that the active support of New York area congressmen will be most welcome; indeed, without it, this excellent legislation will almost certainly languish and die. The bill deserves the support not only of mental health professionals, but of all those concerned about the effects of mental illness and racism in our nation. For those willing to write their senators and representatives in support of the bill, no time could be more auspicious for doing so than the present.
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