The Critical Role of Race-Conscious Framework in Advancing Mental Health Workforce Diversity: A Case Study.

backgroundA racially diverse mental health workforce has been suggested to address persistent racial disparities in mental health among racially minoritized service recipients. However, in a racialized society such as the United States, structural racism is shown to constrain mental health organizations' efforts to address disparities through workforce diversity. Theoretical Framework and Method: We recruited Black mental health workers (

resultsFindings were organized around five themes: (1) workforce diversity matters, (2) whiteness of the leadership as the perceptions of organizational diversity, and (3) the impact of the whiteness of leadership. Two related subthemes were identified from the third theme: (3a) racial task burdens and (3b) racial outsourcing. Discussion/Implications: Workforce diversity among racialized workers without focusing on how structural racism shape organizational processes are more likely to burden and exploit racial minority workers instead of promoting equity. Anti-racist work must move beyond a focus on individuals, as racist or bad actors, to target organizational procedures, operations, and resource allocation, which may have far greater consequences.