Conceptualizing Community Mental Health Service Utilization for BIPOC Youth

Historically, children and adolescents who identify as Black, Indigenous, and other people of Color (BIPOC) have had inequitable access to mental healthcare, and research shows that they are significantly less likely than their white American counterparts to utilize available services. Research identifies barriers that disproportionately impact racially minoritized youth; however, a need remains to examine and change systems and processes that create and maintain racial inequities in mental health service utilization. The current manuscript critically reviews the literature and provides an ecologically based conceptual model synthesizing previous literature relating to BIPOC youth barriers for service utilization. The review emphasizes client (e.g. stigma, system mistrust, childcare needs, help seeking attitudes), provider (e.g. implicit bias, cultural humility, clinician efficacy), structural/organizational (clinic location/proximity to public transportation, hours of operation, wraparound services, accepting Medicaid and other insurance-related issues), and community (e.g. improving experiences in education, the juvenile criminal-legal system, medical, and social service systems) factors that serve as barriers and facilitators contributing to disparities in community mental health service utilization for BIPOC youth. Importantly, we conclude with suggestions for dismantling inequitable systems, increasing accessibility, availability, appropriateness, and acceptability of services, and ultimately reducing disparities in efficacious mental health service utilization for BIPOC youth.