Combatting the stigma of mental illness in the African American community

May is Mental Health Awareness Month but unfortunately mental health isn’t talked about much in the African American community. It’s almost considered to be taboo, and that really needs to change. Many in the African community have always been told to “just pray about it.” but sometimes there is a need for clinical help--- along with prayer. Research shows 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, and African Americans are no exception. In fact, according to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. Joining us today is Michael Pirtle the Interim Director at Edgewater Health The Turning Point Center in Gary. As an addiction and substance abuse counselor as well as a clergy member his decades of experience has influenced how he sees the reality of mental health in northwest Indiana.