Pledging initiative – Submission form: Submission #2301

Section I
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Name of entity submitting the pledge: The Mayors Mechanism submitting in the name of the City of Boston
Pledging entity: Cities, Municipalities, and Local Authority
Is the country of the pledging entity a GCM Champion country?: {Empty}
Full name: Pablo Mariani
Position: KMO
Country of implementation: United States of America (USA) (248)
Other country of implementation: Global (23641)
Region of implementation: {Empty}
Email Address: pmariani@mayorsmechanism.org
Secondary contact person: {Empty}
Secondary email: {Empty}

Section II
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Name of the pledge: Mental Health Mini-Grants
Type of pledge (please select): Individual (by one state/actor)
Is this a mirror pledge (pledge is also relevant to the Global Compact on Refugees) ?: {Empty}

Section III
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Nature of the pledge: Financial (e.g. contribution to the MPTF); Process oriented (e.g. convening fully consultative processes in preparing national reports for  the IMRF); structured

Section IV
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Please select the main three GCM objectives the pledge is/are meant to support: 7. Address and reduce vulnerabilities in  migration; 15. Provide access to basic services for migrants; 16. Empower migrants and societies to realize full inclusion and social cohesion; 23. Strengthen international cooperation and global partnerships for safe, orderly and regular migration

Section V
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Please indicate which GCM Guiding Principle is/are particularly relevant for the pledge:
People-centred (738); International cooperation (739); National sovereignty (742); Rule of law and due process (741); Sustainable development (740); Human rights (259); Gender-responsive (258); Child-sensitive (257); Whole-of-government approach (737); Whole-of-society approach (736)


Section VI
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Please provide a description of the pledge:
To enhance the wellness of immigrants in Boston, destigmatize mental health challenges, and encourage non-clinical, culturally and linguistically sensitive practices as a form of therapy, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) awarded Mental Health Mini-Grants of $6,500 each to six immigrant-serving nonprofits who incorporate wellness activities in their programming. Non-clinical mental health practices are defined as peer-led and community-based interventions engaging with expressive arts, traditional medicine, spirituality, or body-centered activities. Examples include peace circles, storytelling, yoga, and meditation. These practices can promote well-being and reduce the potential escalation and severity of mental health conditions of immigrants, and act as alternatives to Western individual talk therapy. As part of the grant, MOIA will conduct an exploratory assessment to learn from each of these six programs in order to help guide the City’s future investments on mental health for immigrants.

The mental health struggles of immigrant communities are often ignored as they experience the stress of resettling in a different country and culture, face individual and institutional discrimination, endure traumatic events, and cope with isolation. As it has for many people, the COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated mental health issues for immigrant residents. While most immigrants do not need clinical services, many are likely to struggle to access effective non-clinical mental healthcare due to language barriers and cross-cultural differences surrounding beliefs, practices, and stigma around mental health.

Our mini-grants will support work already being done in the community to support immigrant mental health, at the same time as enhancing the City of Boston’s understanding of best practices for non-clinical mental health work for immigrants to hopefully inform our future practices and policies.

The Leah Zallman Center for Immigrant Health Research, a non-governmental community-engaged research and evaluation center, will conduct an exploratory assessment as part of our action evaluation. The exploratory assessment will be conducted by MOIA staff in collaboration with the awardees, and will include: 1) participatory observation, 2) standardized surveys distributed among participants to assess the mental health impacts of their projects, and 3) surveys to program facilitators on the initiatives’ best practices and challenges. Prior to the disbursement of funds there will be a required meeting with awardees to discuss this component and ensure it is a participatory process. 


Section VII
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Please indicate the tentative deadline within which this pledge is expected to be realised: 30 Nov 2022

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