Build support and solidarity

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HealthWiki > Promoting Community Mental Health > Chapter 1: Building community builds mental health > Build support and solidarity

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

• Chapter 1: Building community builds mental health
• Community organizing is mental health work
• Community connections build power— and mental health
• Build support and solidarity

When a group of people facing similar problems comes together to identify the stresses and harms affecting their community, doing something about it is their logical next step.

• Making the harm go away or become less harmful can improve the well-being of group participants and neighbors right away.
• Achieving one change can open the door to other changes and inspire people to think about what might be possible.

Another benefit of taking on a community project is how people themselves change as they get involved in organizing. Even if they lose in the short-term, they win something in the long-term. They develop new relationships, new insights into their own power, and new ideas about what is possible and what is blocking their desired changes. Group action and community organizing build support and solidarity. People grow their strengths as individuals and power as a group by working together.

I’d like to think that I will be around to one day see the better world our struggles are trying to create, even though I know change doesn’t happen overnight and we are up against deep and historical injustices. But I have a different thought as well: these are struggles that have to be fought. Not because we know we will win them, but because it is the right thing to do.

There is no question that these projects can take a great deal of effort and hard work. Working with others to make change is fulfilling, but long hours, setbacks, and a sense of too-slow progress is usually part of it as well. Often there are no shortcuts to things that take time. Staying in it for the long haul means reminding yourself that lifting up collective mental health ultimately will prevent—as well as repair—many problems people experience as individuals. And an affirming and positive process to get there is part of the cure.

Preventing violence: Start with a street corner

Sometimes a group has to challenge power structures and create alternatives to the way things are. Taking action by being present and strong together can challenge harmful policies and practices and at the same time model how problems affecting a community could be handled differently.

Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killings (MASK) started as a small group of volunteers in a Chicago neighborhood known for high levels of gang violence, police violence, and other problems. The group set out to break the cycle of violence by occupying a central street corner. They wanted a neighborhood where everyone, especially children, could be safe and could flourish.

They started with volunteers bringing chairs and sitting outdoors on the block every evening. The group also began to cook and hand out food to support neighbors, which also got more people to spend more time outside on the street and helped the adults to get to better know each other and connect with young people.

Building relationships with youth and a more constant presence on the street helped to calm problems that arose among young people. Neighbors could also watch out for police, protecting anyone the police might stop and harass.

Looking back after years of work, we could pinpoint how change occurred. People began to notice neighbors were watching out for each other, and that was contagious. Now this method of injecting good vibes into troubled areas is catching on in more communities.

MASK has had setbacks along the way—some of their members were lost to the gun violence they work to eradicate. Rather than giving up, they expanded to meet more needs, setting up counseling and guidance for community members. They provide a listening ear for people who need it. And to try to address some of the deeper causes of violence, MASK connects neighbors, especially youth, to city services, educational opportunities, economic support, and professional skills training.

Getting to the roots of problems to improve community mental health

When people right in front of us are showing distress or having a mental health problem, of course we want to help them right away. We focus on them, what they are going through, and what might help them feel better. Some mental health professionals (including social workers, nurses, counselors, religious leaders, and others) skillfully do that time and time again. They help a succession of people heal.

To improve community mental health, we need to make sure people get the person-to-person help they need, and we need to identify and change the conditions that create and worsen mental health challenges for entire groups of people. These conditions may be social, economic, or political, and many started long ago. These deep and ongoing sources of stress and hardship also make it more difficult to recover from hard times, such as a death in the family, a relationship ending, or losing a job or a home.

In our work supporting the health of Native Americans, we ask if the person or their parent went through the trauma of being sent to boarding school, a US policy for decades. The resulting loss of cultural ties, forced family separation, and unresolved grief may still impact the mental health of a Native survivor or their child today.

By helping people identify and work to change these underlying conditions, as well as build skills to cope with stresses, community mental health work can strengthen an individual’s ability to withstand the impact of the disappointments and even tragedies that happen in life. Community mental health efforts can also strengthen, support, and sustain groups of people when such events disrupt a neighborhood or community.

Activity

But why?

Finding the root causes of mental and physical health problems means looking at the different parts of our lives and the systems that contribute to those problems. The “But why?” discussion technique helps us look deeper and shows how problems, and their eventual solutions, are usually not caused by individual decisions but by larger social issues. Raising awareness of how these affect us can help us organize effective action for change and build resilience in individuals and communities. “But why?” also helps us sift through complex situations to identify smaller parts that are more easily changed. You can use “But why?” to discuss a specific problem or situation, or you can make up a story that reflects the conditions in your community.

1. Start by describing the situation and asking the group to share their ideas about why it happened. After each answer, ask “But why?” to explore more underlying causes for as long as people keep thinking of reasons.

Our fifth graders are acting out after school. Neighbors say they are “bad kids” and have called the police on them. But why are they getting into trouble?

They don’t have a safe place to go after school.

Why don’t they have a safe place?

The school playground is locked at 3pm. There are no parks nearby.

But why is it locked?

Budget cuts. Positions haven’t been filled.

But why can’t the kids go home?

At home they would need supervision too, and we work.

But why aren’t they in the after school program?

They think it’s boring, only for younger kids. Also, not everyone can pay.

2. Ask the group to reflect on the many underlying causes they found. Talking about all the causes of a problem can help the group decide which causes are the most important, which causes can change, what are possible solutions and who—both inside and outside the group—can work for those changes.
3. Then ask: What actions can address the causes of the problems?

Hiring high school kids to work at the after school program would be a draw for our kids.

The school could hire an afternoon yard monitor.

Fees should be on a sliding scale so everyone can afford it.

4. To conclude, help the group come to agreements on which action or actions they will start with, and develop a clear plan for next steps

This “But why?” technique is also good for looking at successes. It can help you think more deeply about what went well and why, and what that might tell you about planning next steps for the group or working on other problems.

We looked at the neighboring town’s popular teen center. Asking “But why?” uncovered what was behind their success: dynamic staff, a variety of sports equipment, and teen leaders promoting it on social media. All strategies we can apply here.

Activism, policies, and programs responding to community issues can prevent as well as cure some of the causes of mental health problems. This is the big picture that is sometimes forgotten or overwhelmed in the face of individual mental health needs. Skill-building to prepare us to support people (including ourselves) going through a hard time will improve our effectiveness in meeting our community’s needs and working for change. Recognizing the signs of mental health challenges, paying attention to how we interact with others, and developing listening and de-escalation skills are among the topics examined more deeply in the following 3 chapters.

This page was updated:18 Apr 2025