Website of the Department of Health

Positive Steps

Supporting race equality in mental healthcare

The Positive Steps guide was produced with the help of mental health care staff and community workers and offers advice and support for better responding to the needs of BME patients. The guide – which highlights good practice that already exists in the mental healthcare system - is part of the Government’s five-year action plan (Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care) to further improve services for these patients. The guide also incorporates key mental health issues and religious and cultural needs for different ethnic groups, using needs for South Asian, African and Caribbean groups as examples. It also includes an extensive list of useful contacts, organisations and resources.

• Ongoing guidance on the ActionDRE website (opens new window)
• Download Positive Steps: Supporting race equality in mental healthcare - February 2007 (PDF, 398K)