As Minnesota’s population becomes increasingly diverse, local nonprofits are pursuing initiatives to provide culturally specific mental health services and ensure that the workforce is more representative of communities of color, reports the Star Tribune.
An estimated 80% of licensed family and marriage therapists are women and nearly 90% are white, according to data from the state Department of Health.
Yonis Gabow, one of the few Somali-speaking mental health professionals in Minnesota, is striving to increase representation in the field as few men and people of color are working in the state’s mental health field. Gabow began offering culturally specific therapy this school year at a St. Paul charter school, where approximately 90% of students are of Somali descent.
“This is really exciting … they see someone who was from here and navigated the dual cultures,” Gabow said in an interview with the Star Tribune. “My community is severely underserved.”
While mental health issues are not isolated to one group or community, Gabow expressed that immigrants, refugees and first-generation Americans often face significant trauma, discrimination, and other challenges such as affording services. He explained that it can be a great help and comfort to speak to someone who relates to their experiences.
Gabbow is spearheading the Wilder Foundation’s partnership with the Minnesota Math and Science Academy. Currently, the non-profit has 21 mental health therapists working in St. Paul schools–the majority of these therapists are people of color.
The Wilder foundation also has long-standing mental health programs for Southeast Asian adults.
According to the Star Tribune report, the Center for Victims of Torture began offering free psychotherapy last year in St. Cloud, where a large number of East African refugees, predominantly Somali, have resettled.
Both the Wilder Foundation and the Center for Victims of Torture received grants from the Department of Human Services to help with expanding mental health and substance abuse prevention services for underserved groups.
Pahoua Yang, the vice president of community mental health and wellness, observed that Gabow is providing a critical link to a community in need.
“We have a growing Somali community right in our backyard,” she said. “We’ve known we’ve needed to support the Somali community in a new way.”
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