Black youth who are homeless are more at risk of experiencing mental illnesses

BY PAUL JUNOR

Restoration and Empowerment for Social Transition (REST) Centres is a non-profit that is Black-led, BIPOC-serving organization, whose mission is to end youth homelessness in Peel through the transitional housing and support services that they offer.

The month of May was designated Mental Health Awareness Month, and it takes place across Canada in May every year. During this month, Canadians can learn about mental illnesses and how they affect people’s lives in different ways. In addition, the public can learn more about how to reduce the stigma around mental illnesses. It is a chance for open and positive dialogue about how mental illness impacts people. This dialogue helps answer questions and lessen fears surrounding mental health. Dialogue also makes the public more aware that people with mental illnesses can live full lives. When people have the support they need, they can be fully involved in work, family life and their communities.

REST Centres recognizes that Black youth who are homeless are more at risk of experiencing mental illnesses. In an article in their May 2023 REST Insider update, they describe some of the challenges that they face. It notes,

“Black youth navigating housing insecurity often also navigate a myriad of other issues in the background, a leading one of which is their mental health. The mental health needs of the Black youth at REST Centres are vast, from: neglect in the family to peer issues at school, bullying, depression and generational trauma. One’s living environment echoes one’s mental state, and if one’s environment is toxic or abusive in childhood and early adolescence, those factors manifest into mental illnesses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTDS), or Adverse Events Disorder, which are hard to overcome without stability and support.”

Dr. Chrystal Harvey, a registered nurse states that it is vital to ensure that the needs Black youth facing housing insecurity be addressed. She states, “If we can find safe environments for the youth, then inherently we can provide client care that is: safe, equitable, culturally-sensitive, and they can have their road to recovery, which will have a positive outcome.”

She acknowledges that discussions about mental health in the Black community are problematic, often riddled with fears, stigma, ignorance and taboo. From the harsh treatment meted out to Black slaves with mental health challenges to present families protecting them FROM isolation and ostracization, these patterns are repeated regularly.

Charmaine Lane, a registered psychotherapist believes that it is important that a culturally-sensitive approach to mental health be the basis of how REST Centres ground its work. She facilitates training sessions with staff at REST Centres and brings attention to racial trauma at the core of these youths. She states, “Not all racialized youth are traumatized by racism, but a service provider should always acknowledge the intersectionality between race and everything else in a youth’s life and understand the differences experienced by a youth who is un-housed, and Black versus a youth who is un-housed and White.” It is vital to affirm the racial identity of each client to help holistically.

Tash Thompson, a registered social worker describes, “Culturally-sensitive care as understanding the racial and social contexts present in the lens through which the youth experiences mental health.” Factors such as: bullying at school for their “nappy” hair, cultural dress, and dark skin, along with the racial and social contexts present in those comments and their impacts. It’s endlessly important for the youth in our care to see themselves reflected in their providers.

Anyone interested in learning about REST Centres can check social media platforms:

Facebook: www.restcentres.org

Website: restcentres.org

Instagram: @restcentres

Twitter: @Restcentre