Tarrant County clinic offers ‘culturally sensitive’ health care to Muslim community

Ayub Shah, 25, remembers spending much of his late teens wrapped up in blankets in his bedroom, struggling with his mental health.

His family never asked what was wrong and Shah felt uncomfortable telling his parents what he was experiencing – certain topics such as anxiety and depression were not discussed openly in Pakistani culture or his Islamic faith, he said.

“In Pakistani society, when they think about mental health, they think, ‘He’s crazy or just plain stupid,'” he says. “[The family]doesn’t believe it’s real. They think it’s all in their head and that if they pray everything will be fine. I don’t argue with them.”

Shah said he began having suicidal thoughts in 2019 but was afraid to ask his parents for money to see a counsellor. Islamic Community Humanitarian CenterThe Richland Hills nonprofit organization. Shah said that first visit changed her life.

“I had a really sweet doctor who listened and didn’t judge,” he said. “She’s Muslim, so I thought, ‘I guess she’s going to be conservative,’ but she was so kind… I definitely cried.”

Tarrant County residents like Shah have received medical care at the Islamic Community Center for nearly 30 years. Founded in 1995, the nonprofit medical center has strived to provide “culturally sensitive” services to the Muslim community.

“The essence of Islam is to help people,” said Dr. Bashir Ahmed, founder and executive director of the nonprofit. “It’s time for Muslims to do something.”

Addressing the mental and health needs of Tarrant County

The Muslim Community Humanitarian Center operates three service divisions: Al Shifa Medical Clinic, Mental Health and Counselling Clinic, and Tahira Begum Dental Clinic. Al Shifa Clinic: National Association of Free and Charity Clinics.

The service is free, except for a $25-30 administration fee.

Doctor Volunteers work Saturdays and part-time doctors see patients at the clinic twice a week, and medical equipment is donated by doctors and hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The nonprofit was originally founded to serve the Muslim community, but its services are open to anyone. According to 2020 data, there are more than 31,000 Muslims in Tarrant County. data From the Association of Religious Data Archives: Al-Shifa Clinic sees about 1,500 patients a year, excluding counselling, Ahmed said.

Across Tarrant County, 19.9% ​​of residents under age 65 lack health insurance. U.S. Census BureauOver the past five years, the percentage of residents who are uninsured has consistently fluctuated between 16% and 18.5%.

frequent, Limited access to medical care Dr. Christina Robinson, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, previously told the report that factors include transportation and distance issues, access to primary care providers, lack of insurance and low income.

Rebecca Padilla, who manages counseling, refugee services, domestic violence and crisis support at the Muslim Community Human Services Center, said the clinic is a perfect place to help disadvantaged communities from a culturally appropriate perspective.

“I’m an immigrant, I know the immigrant culture so it feels good to help immigrant people,” she said.

Financial difficulties and the road to recovery

As a nonprofit, the Islamic community center relies on volunteers, donations and grant support to maintain its services. Over the past year, the nonprofit has been recovering from a financial blow after learning it could not renew an $80,000 grant from the Crime Victims Assistance Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to organizations that provide services to crime victims, Ahmed said.

“We didn’t know why, but the losses suddenly put us in a huge financial crisis,” Ahmed said.

The nonprofit received the grant for three years, until August 2023, Ahmed said.

Lacking sufficient funds, the organization has temporarily closed its dental clinic, but Ahmed said they have been able to refer patients to dentists who volunteer their time to provide similar care.

Samir Ahmed, president of the Muslim Community Human Services Center, said he hopes the nonprofit will be able to reopen its dental clinic soon and set up satellite and mobile clinics to bring care to people’s homes.

“We can go to churches, mosques and synagogues and treat people. At least we can do something rather than nothing,” Samir Ahmed said.

He said the nonprofit’s board of directors has discussed changing the name of the community center in hopes of attracting more funding, but he is opposed to the idea.

“With everything that’s going on right now, some people are hesitant to donate because we’re Muslim,” Samir Ahmed said. “It’s important to show that even in our religion, our goal is to help people, so that’s why we want the name.”

Shah has been receiving mental health services from the center for the past five years, and he said the clinic has helped him with depression and anxiety.

Shah said she has found joy in taking care of her body, running a new business with her brother and talking to people she meets.

“It makes me smile knowing that I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “It’s hard, but I think I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

David Moreno is a health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. He can be reached at [email protected] or David Report About X.

Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. She can be reached at [email protected] or Malissy Green.

At Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independent of our board of directors and financial backers. Read more about our editorial independence policy here. here.

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