Mental Health Services for Minority Ethnic Children and Adolescents

Bringing together current research on mental health services for children from minority ethnic backgrounds, this much-needed resource provides guidance for both practice and policy. In the light of their interviews with child and adolescent mental health managers about their approaches to service development, the authors argue that the delivery of effective services can be achieved only by recognizing the diversity of cultures and individual needs of minority groups and encouraging more communication between service providers. They consider how ethnicity is defined, and how the field of mental health has developed in the West according to Western concepts of health and well-being, and show how an understanding of the key practice issues and policy and academic debates can enable professionals to develop and fine-tune their cultural competence. With details of a number of projects and services, as well as a list of resources and organizations, policy makers, service managers and commissioners, as well as professionals at the front-line, will find this an essential guide to recognizing and engaging with the diversity of children's backgrounds and needs.