Opening the conversation - Inviting feedback from BAME members

[Ashley]

A couple of weeks ago we posted the following post on our website about opening the conversation to support the black lives matter initiative. Since then I have reflected much more and I realise that for me dealing with OCD is hard enough, and the honest truth is that I have no idea how much more difficult it would be if my skin colour or ethnicity made it harder to reach out for help to deal with my OCD. 

So as a charity, and I as the manager of that charity need to ensure that nobody is left behind dealing with OCD. As a service-user led charity we know only too well some of the struggles that people face every single day because of their OCD, and we want to ensure that skin colour does not add to those struggles of surviving and overcoming OCD.

I am also aware that the vast majority of the charity's service users are white, and that's started to sit uncomfortable with me (as it should have done a long time ago).  But I am listening now, and not just for the period that Black Lives Matter is trending, we want this to be the start of permanent positive change and inclusion for people with OCD from BAME backgrounds within our charity. 

I have a series of questions I am keen to get feedback from any BAME forum users with OCD. I hope nobody will mind me asking the questions, whilst I think I know the answers to these, I don't want to assume, I want to get  first-hand feedback.  

• Is BAME the correct term to use? is it appropriate?    
• Do you think in some communities that talking about mental health/OCD is still stigmatic?  If so, would that put you off reaching out for help?
• Most of our service users and contributors are white, what can we do to encourage BAME members to get involved and share their experiences of OCD?
• Have you experienced racism talking about your mental health/OCD? 
• Have you experienced stigma when talking about your mental health/OCD? 
• Would you prefer a therapist of the same skin colour or from the same ethnicity?  

I am aware that by making this post I may not get this right, I may be asking the wrong questions, and I welcome your feedback to ensure I am asking the right questions in the right way and I will learn from anything I get wrong. 

I don't have the answers, but I promise I will do my best to find the solutions, alone if I have to, but hopefully with your support and the help of the rest of the charity.