Acute Care

the Brien Center

AAPI Statement

Dear Friends,

On March 16, 2021, eight people, six of them Asian American, lost their lives during a shooting spree at Atlanta-area spas. These senseless shootings have had a devastating impact on the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the United States. The AAPI community has been rocked with increased incidents of bias and hateful rhetoric in the past year, with almost 3,800 reported hate incidents in 2020, according to Stop AAPI Hate. Many of those targeted have been the elderly or women, but children have also been the victims of violence. 

Racism leads to trauma. As we stated in the Brien Center’s Social Justice Statement (see below), racism can batter people until they lose all hope. It destroys the fabric of neighborhoods and communities until they can no longer thrive. It has robbed generations of children of their potential. Racism kills. As individuals, as members of this organization, and as residents of Berkshire County, we must collectively decide that enough is finally enough.

As community behavioral health providers, we can see the damage that prejudice and xenophobia inflict on the emotional and physical lives of the people we serve. We understand many Asian Americans may be afraid and upset. We urge those who are feeling traumatized in the wake of these crimes or other experiences to talk to family and friends, share their feelings and limit repeated exposure to related news media stories.

Our agency rejects the use of anti-Asian terms when discussing the pandemic.

Sincerely,
Christine Macbeth, ACSW, LICSW President and CEO of the Brien Center.

Our Social Justice Statement

Dear Friends,

There is a time in the life of every family, community and country when we should stop everything, put our arms around each other, and decide together that we must find a better way forward. This is one of those times. Racism can batter people until they lose all hope. It destroys the fabric of neighborhoods and communities until they can no longer thrive. It has robbed generations of children of their potential. Racism kills. As individuals, as members of this organization, and as residents of Berkshire County, we must collectively decide that enough is finally enough.

At the Brien Center, we see people living with anguish and despair every day. For our entire 100 year history, our agency has fought relentlessly to end the stigma associated with mental illness and addiction. While we don’t pretend that discrimination against those living with behavioral health issues is the same as racial discrimination, we know from long experience that all forms of discrimination exact a terrible toll from their victims. George Floyd and so many others paid that toll with their lives.

This is wrong, unfair, cruel, lawless, and ultimately, so unproductive. How much better would we all be if everyone was allowed the freedom to live their best possible life?

The Brien Center is focused on what we can do to help. The impact of systemic racism on mental health is well established, with Black people more likely (understandably) to live with anxiety and depression than White people. Yet, they are far less likely to seek mental health services. Raising awareness of these facts and ensuring access to Brien Center services for those impacted by racism is an important goal for us. In addition, we are determined to always live up to the values that the Brien Center has stood for over the last century. They include treating all people with respect and dignity, and doing our very best to help our clients overcome unfair challenges that threaten their ability to succeed.

No one should have to face the anguish of racism alone. Everyone is worthy of happiness. With ‘your courage and our care,’ we pledge to be part of a new and better way forward.

Sincerely,
Christine Macbeth, ACSW, LICSW President and CEO of the Brien Center.

April is National Minority Health Month

The history of our country is tainted by centuries of discrimination against minority citizens in every aspect of our society. Individuals, families and entire communities have been crushed by cruel and unfair practices that place nearly insurmountable barriers against those who deserve the exact same opportunities as everyone else. Among these barriers is unequal access to quality healthcare – a reality brought into sharp focus by the pandemic.

Data proves that Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native people are more likely to get sick and die from COVID-19 than White people. Experts say that longstanding discrimination plays a role. Not only do minority populations have a greater percentage of health conditions that are risks for severe COVID-19 (such as diabetes and asthma,) they have also historically suffered from a lower quality of care, unconscious bias, and a lack of health insurance.

An article in Harvard Health Publishing puts it this way: “It is well-established that Blacks and other minority groups in the US experience more illness, worse outcomes, and premature death compared with Whites.” The results of this widespread discrimination include a lower life expectancy for some minority groups, higher incidence of chronic health conditions, and higher rates of mental illness as a result of stress, anxiety and depression.

April is National Minority Health Month – a time designated to raise awareness about these life-threatening inequities and to encourage action through health education, early detection and better management of the diseases that are on the rise in minority populations. At the Brien Center, we must always be aware of the heavy burden carried by our minority clients and many in our community, and ensure that everyone receives the highest standards of care.