50 years of the Minority Fellowship Program

This month, the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) at the American Nurses Association celebrates its 50th anniversary of supporting graduate-level nursing students from historically marginalized communities as they prepare for careers in clinical practice, education, and research involving mental health and psychiatric nursing (emfp.org). The staying power of this program—one of eight such funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—matters especially now given the serious mental health challenges our country faces and the persistent gap in healthcare services and outcomes among communities of color.

By any metric, the state of mental health in the United States is alarming. Many people have mental health and substance use issues, but only a fraction receive care. This disparity widens in marginalized communities.

To cite a (very) few negative indicators, 15% of adults had a substance use disorder in the past year, but more than 93% didn’t receive treatment. Nearly one-third of adults have both a mental health and substance use condition. An estimated 60% of youth with major depression don’t receive mental health treatment. Among adults with a mental health disorder (22.8%), just 47.2% receive treatment each year. White adults are more likely to receive mental health services than Black, Hispanic, or Asian adults (58% vs 39%, 36%, and 25%, respectively).

These metrics should give us all pause to understand the work ahead and reflect on how the nursing profession and we as individual nurses can make positive inroads in the provision of mental and behavioral health.

The MFP demonstrates tangibly the effect national visibility and targeted resources can have in addressing societal challenges. Over the decades, MFP has funded 1,000 fellows who’ve invested their careers in serving marginalized communities. Their research has revealed fresh insights into the complex relationship between social determinants of health and mental and physical well-being and has led to new interventions and care models, some with global impact.

MFP alumni also have played an outsized role in educating and mentoring succeeding classes and generations of MFP fellows, as well as nursing and allied health professional students. The roster of fellows reflects the depth and breadth of experience among these committed professionals (emfp.org/mfp-fellows).

These touchpoints underscore how cultural relatability translates into better treatment access and improved health outcomes for disadvantaged patients.

I’ll be honored later this month to join (virtually) the MFP Summer Intensive Training Institute, a staple of the program, which features 3 days of focused education involving subject matter experts and policymakers along with ample networking.

The MFP also offers stipends for fellows as well as vital professional development through lectures and resources involving statistical and research methods. The opportunity to join a community of and receive mentoring from professionals with similar backgrounds bolsters many fellows who may be the only nurse of color in their graduate programs.

Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up Podcast, an MFP resource available to all nurses, features insights of MFP alumni on a range of mental health issues (emfp.org/news/mental-health-trailblazers-podcast). You can earn free CNE credits for Season 3, which focuses on youth mental health through episodes that explore topics such as bullying, gun violence, substance use, suicide, and LGBTQ+ youth empowerment.

I, along with the entire ANA Enterprise, congratulate the MFP program for a half-century of excellence and contribution to our nation’s mental health and well-being.

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN,
President, American Nurses Association

American Nurse Journal. 2024; 19(7). Doi: 10.51256/ANJ072423