Delivering Race Equality PDF Print E-mail
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Saturday, 26 July 2008 17:55
The Delivering Racial Equality (DRE) programme is a five year action plan set up in 2005 by the Department of Health, designed to tackle discrimination in the Mental Health Services. It is hoped that this service will help to reduce/eliminate ethnic inequalities in how people from (BME) black and minority ethnic communities access, experience and achieve outcomes from mental health services. The Community Development workers are dedicated to working with communities, with the aim of improving mental health service provision and well-being. The team also encourages open debate about what mental health actually means to different communities. The target is to create and implement ethnically sensitive service which is more responsive, that will better meet the needs of the Communities they serve. 

 

Why BME Communities? 

 

  • Widespread Concerns about the Mental Health Services received by BME communities, that these groups of people do not get the kind of help they want. 
 
  • That Mental Health Services have little understanding of their Communities, Cultures and needs. 
 
  • Many minority ethnic groups are afraid of Mental Health Services. 
 
  • Services are not being developed and delivered to BME communities experiencing mental illness.

 

By BME communities, we mean anyone who does not think of themselves as White British. For example:  

  • Black Afro-Caribbean   
  • Refugees & Asylum seekers
  • Indian   
  • Bangladeshi   
  • Chinese   
  • Pakistani   
  • Irish 
  • Mediterranean origin 
  • Eastern Europeans 
  • Gypsies / Travellers

 

Our Aims 

  • To build active and inclusive communities
  • To raise awareness and reduce stigma around issues of mental health
  • To help mental health services get better at helping people from BME communities
  • To improve access to mental health services
  • To reduce inequalities and build bridges between all BME communities
  • To help all our partners make positive changes to promote their own health and those around them

 

The Community Development Workers will act as:   

 

  • Change Agents – identifying gaps in services available and developing innovative practice in delivering mental health care.
 
  • Service Developers – promoting joint working, cultural awareness, jointly delivering education and training.
 
  • Capacity Builders – working with BME communities to enable them to meaningfully become involve in mental health care and promotion.
 
  • Access Facilitators – helping to overcome language and cultural barriers when accessing mental health services.

 

Who do we work with? 

 

We are working with anyone who is interested in improving the mental health service provision of BME communities in Hull, East Riding, York and North Yorkshire. We take a very positive approach. If you can see a problem, we believe you can help to find a solution. We work best with groups of people, but if you feel you are on your own, we will help to find other people who share your concerns, and who are also interested in doing something about those concerns.   

 
Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 September 2009 14:03 )