During Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Montgomery County has started a campaign called Journeys Within 2025 to highlight the experiences of immigrants with regard to their mental health. The stories gathered will guide initiatives to develop behavioral health services that are more culturally sensitive.
According to the press release, Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), Latino Health Initiative (LHI), and African American Health Program (AAHP) are collaborating to introduce Journeys Within 2025: Stories of Resilience and Mental Health in honor of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month this July. The goal of this project is to increase public awareness of the particular mental health issues that Montgomery County’s immigrant communities face.
By filling out the form on the Microsoft Forms platform, residents who identify as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), African American/Black, or Hispanic/Latino are urged to share their personal stories and migratory journeys. A drop-down menu at the top of the page allows users to access this platform in many languages. The deadline for gathering stories is Thursday, July 31, 2025.
A report that attempts to document the common and distinctive features of mental health issues encountered by immigrant populations will be informed by the accounts that have been submitted. The creation of equitable and responsive mental health services in the County will be guided in part by these narratives.
About 59% of Montgomery County’s population identifies as a racial or ethnic minority, making it one of the most diverse counties in the US. The Montgomery Planning Research and Strategic Projects Planning Department estimates that approximately 37% of the population is foreign-born. People from African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and AAPI origins make up around one-third of the population of foreign-born people.
We frequently discuss mental health in broad strokes, but we must acknowledge that people’s experiences are influenced by their backgrounds, cultures, and travels, including the difficulties they encounter as immigrants, said County Executive Marc Elrich. We can develop mental health services that represent the lived reality of the residents of Montgomery County by hearing these firsthand stories. Dignity, inclusivity, and creating systems that genuinely benefit everyone are the goals of the effort.
To raise awareness of mental health issues in immigrant communities, the minority health programs will hold a number of outreach and education events throughout July.
-
African American Health Program
. Hosting a series of virtual mental health education sessions every Wednesday in July at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Topics include Minority Mental Health (7/2), Nutrition and Mental Health (7/9), Mental Health Treatment (7/16), Social Support (7/23), and the Connection between Chronic Disease and Mental Health (7/30). -
Asian American Health Initiative
. Partnering withCaringMatters
to host a workshop on grief navigation in Asian communities. Saturday, July 26, 11:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m., 518 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg.
-
Latino Health Initiative
. Partnering withIdentity
to offer free and bilingual, non-clinical and culturally appropriate emotional support groups called Encuentros for adolescents and adults. To participate, contact Luisa Mari o at
[email protected]
or by calling 240-364-4099.
Visit the African American Health Program, Asian American Health Initiative, and Latino Health Initiative for additional details about the minority health initiatives run by the County’s Department of Health and Human Services.