The funding, to last two years, will go towards child and adolescent mental health services in 18 local authorities in England. Five local authorities will each receive a share of 1.5m for work with Black and minority ethnic young people. The remaining 3.5m will go to projects dealing with eating disorders and depression, early intervention, learning disabilities and work aimed at 16- to 17-year-olds.
Among the recipients is Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, which was given 238,000 for work with children and young people of south Asian descent in Bury, Old- ham, Rochdale, Stockport and Thameside.
Barbara Herts, director of YoungMinds, welcomed the 1.5m for Black and minority ethnic young people.
"Our Minority Voices report confirmed that people from minority ethnic groups access mental health services even less readily than their ethnic majority counterparts," she said.
