By any measure, the state of mental health in America is worsening for people of all races and ethnicities—and a two-year pandemic has only exacerbated the challenges. But one married couple is helping an underserved community seek treatment and smash society’s stigmas associated with mental health.
Edwin Swaray (B.A. ’06) and Vivian Ballah-Swaray (B.A. ’05) are co-owners of VEEMAH Integrated Wellness and Consulting Services in Crystal, Minnesota, putting them among only an estimated 3 percent of Black-owned counseling services in the U.S. today. Although their facility welcomes all clients, VEEMAH specializes in providing mental health care services and addiction treatment for immigrants and people of color.
Many of their clients are immigrants from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Liberia.
“That shows there’s still a lot of stigma associated with seeking help in the immigrant community,” says Edwin. “These people are going through racial trauma issues or depression and anxiety because they’ve lost a job or they’ve lost loved ones, and many still wouldn’t seek help.”