Partisan

Partisan is a small, Black-led Community Interest Company, born out of a pull from the community for accessible and culturally sensitive mental health and wellbeing support, and a push from traditional mental health systems which were not meeting the needs of our most marginalised and racialised communities.

Traditional mental health services meet the needs of some people but are often not flexible enough to meet the specific and complex needs of those who are marginalised, stigmatised and excluded.

For good reason these communities often have difficult relationships with help, and negative experiences with our current systems; where whiteness prevails, the evidence base for interventions is Eurocentric, mental health trainings are underpinned by theories that are rooted in slavery and colonialism, and racial trauma is pathologized

These services may have long waiting lists, be in areas where people feel unsafe, staffed by professionals with limited understanding of their cultural contexts and worlds, have rigid appointment times, and are bureaucratic

Marginalised, stigmatised and excluded communities are often left feeling judged, uncomfortable, unsure who they can trust, and further harm is caused as a result of our existing systems and services that are often trauma-inducting, rather than trauma-informed

As a result people often don’t engage and services lose resources.

Communities have long felt the effects of these discriminations.

Our vision is a future world where help systems centre marginalised and racialised communities, and where power, knowledge and resources are shared as part of a more connected, just and equitable world.