Mental Health Blog

Culturally Responsive Parent Empowerment and Children’s Mental Health

• July 23, 2025
• The REACH Institute
• Child mental health, Culturally responsive, High-risk children & youth, Parents, Pediatric primary care

“Parents want to feel like they’re part of the solution for their child’s mental health needs. As pediatric primary care providers, we can help make that possible by being thoughtful in how we navigate cultural differences,” explains Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq, MD, a REACH faculty member and pediatrician with her own practice in Oklahoma City, OK.

Research shows that culturally responsive care improves outcomes for children and adolescents with mental health disorders. Many families face complex barriers to mental health care that go beyond getting a diagnosis or prescription. This can include lack of time, tight finances, geographic barriers, distrust of the medical system, and differing cultural and religious beliefs. 

We asked Dr. Abdul-Haqq, who has grounded her practice in cultural responsiveness, to share her top strategies and recommendations for REACH-trained clinicians to ensure parents from all backgrounds feel empowered and engaged in their child’s mental health care. 

Ask Parents Directly About Mental Health Care Beliefs

“Every cultural background deals with mental health differently,” shares Dr. Abdul-Haqq. “Start by asking families about their own belief systems around mental health and the resources in their communities. This way, you can create a treatment plan that makes sense for the family and child.” 

For example, one family may feel certain medications go against their belief system, while another may be fearful of the stigma and potential discrimination that may come with a formal diagnosis.

After listening to families’ unique perspectives and concerns, clinicians can invite parents to be a part of determining the right course for their child’s treatment. Simple questions can make a big impact, such as asking parents: How would you like to approach this situation? What are things you think might help? What are some actions you can take to support your child? 

Help Parents Build Confidence 

Many parents Dr. Abdul-Haqq sees don’t fully understand their child’s diagnosis or the medications their child has been previously prescribed. This knowledge gap makes it difficult for parents to be active partners in their child’s mental health. 

To better empower parents, clinicians should take the time to explain mental health disorders in plain language. Parents need to understand what is happening with their child, how relevant medications work, and why early intervention is important. If a patient is seeing or referred to a specialist, clinicians can guide parents in preparing questions to ask—helping them become more active in their child’s treatment. 

Clinicians can also share research studies and books for parents to read and process on their own time, an approach that can help parents see their own behaviors in a new way. For example, after reading a book about childhood anxiety and OCD, a parent whose child was dealing with anxiety reflected to Dr. Abdul-Haqq that “maybe sometimes I’m too hard on them.” 

Understand When Care Matters More Than Diagnosis

Some parents are more wary of a mental health diagnosis than they are of treatment. Instead of fighting parents on their beliefs, Dr. Abdul-Haqq advises focusing on getting the child appropriate care without the label.

For example, Dr. Abdul-Haqq has had parents resist an early autism diagnosis, insisting their child simply had a speech delay. When asked why, they revealed concerns about their child being labeled or tracked for the rest of their lives. But when reviewing the child’s needs, the parents agreed their child would benefit from speech therapy, which could be provided through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) at school for speech delays without needing an autism diagnosis. 

Contact Other Providers Directly When Standard of Care Is in Doubt

Unfortunately, not all clinicians are following the standard of care when it comes to pediatric mental health, which can leave families feeling discouraged before they even enter your office. When past providers have rushed through appointments, deferred patient care to practitioners with limited mental health training, or simply not taken the time to work thoughtfully with families that hold different beliefs about mental health, this can leave parents confused and further erode trust in the medical system. 

When in doubt about a patient’s care plan, REACH-trained clinicians should not be afraid to contact providers directly to get more information. 

Explains Dr. Abdul-Haqq, “Once you’ve taken a REACH course, you’re now an advocate. If you see a child who is not receiving the right treatment, you have to intervene and be sure they are getting the standard of care.”

Look Beyond the Obvious for Community Resources

For parents who don’t have extra time or money, clinicians may need to get creative about using community resources. “Many nonprofits are offering services and hoping to support more families,” explains Dr. Abdul-Haqq. In her community, the local police department runs a mentorship program for troubled youth that patients and parents highly recommend. 

Some of the most powerful community resources to support children’s mental health are also designed specifically for parents. Dr. Abdul-Haqq often refers parents to a local parenting course, where classes are not only provided after standard work hours but parents are paid for attendance. 

Be Visible in Your Community

By getting to know the communities they serve, clinicians can better understand where patients and their families are coming from. This includes attending local community and cultural events, whether that’s a rodeo, a pow-wow, or a high school football game.

“We have the opportunity to go further and be present in our communities,” explains Dr. Abdul-Haqq. “We’re not just trying to see 40 patients a day. We’re trying to change trajectories and change lives.”

RESOURCES

• Dr. Abdul-Haqq keeps a library of books in her office that she recommends and sometimes lends to parents to help them better understand mental health, their child’s diagnosis, and how they can best support their child. Books she commonly recommends include:
  • The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D.
  • Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents by Eli Lebowitz, PhD
  • Authentic Healing: A Practical Guide for Caregivers by Kathi J. Kemper, MD, MPH
  • The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids by Madeline Levine, PhD
  • Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen by David Walsh, PhD

• Parent training programs, like those in Oklahoma mentioned by Dr. Abdul-Haqq, are evidence-based tools to reduce family conflict, reduce disruptive child behavior, and improve parent mental health. For those in Oklahoma, Dr. Abdul-Haqq has successfully referred parents to Family Expectations and TRUE Dads. For those outside Oklahoma, Behavior management training programs for parents include the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, The Incredible Years, and the Kazdin Method of Parenting.
• For clinicians interested in further exploring culturally responsive mental health care, Dr. Abdul-Haqq recommends the book Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice by Jennifer Mullan, PsyD.