Mental Health: Responding to the Needs of the African-American Senior Population

Mental Health: Responding to the Needs of the African-American Senior Population discusses a mental health agency responding to social issues in the United States. The social issues consist of the 1999 U.S. Surgeon Report identified that mental health agencies were not meeting the needs of people of diverse cultures. The author simply described how a particular mental health agency that had responded to the social issue.The agency developed a support group for the African-American seniors. They provided a safe haven where individuals could be integrated with other people of diverse cultures in a group setting.

In order for a support group to develop, the agency must be culturally competent in understanding the history of African-Americans. In understanding the history, it would allow the agency to provide high quality service. The beginning of the book describes the history of African Americans, the mental health agency, and the services they provide. The services offered consist of psychotherapy, group therapy, recreational therapy, and music therapy. The book also describes the different therapeutic approaches, methods, and models used in a support group, and the different stages in developing a support group.