Poster Board

What it means to be African American, belonging to a certain race, can no longer be taken for granted.. Still, the category "African American" provides a basis for social classification. African Americans men are recognized by their physical features and are treated accordingly. Many African Americans identify as African American; they share a social identity and outlook Frable, 1997; Cooper & Denner, 1998. Scholars have defined and measured aspects of this sense of racial identity: its salience, its centrality to the sense of self, the regard others hold for African Americans, what African Americans believe about the regard others hold for them, and beliefs about the role and status of African Americans (Sellers et al., 1998).

African Americans occupy a unique niche in the history of America and in contemporary national life. The legacy of slavery and discrimination continues to influence their social and economic standing. The mental health of African Americans can be appreciated only within this wider historical context. Resilience and forging of social ties have enabled many African Americans to overcome adversity and to maintain a high degree of mental health.

conclusion

The accurate diagnosis, prevention, or efficacious treatment of mental illness in any population especially the African American population requires in-depth and unbiased knowledge of the individual’s culture in conjunction with knowledge about the illness presented. Clinical intervention methods, models, or skills that are not based in cultural competency fail to reflect what is known about the relationship between culture, mental illness, help seeking, recovery, and social policy.

Culturally incompetent clinical services are unacceptable,
. Professional associations and licensing organizations must include culturally competent standards and guidelines in their expectations for accreditation, membership, and credentialing.
Historically, mental health policies, systems,