Mental Health First Aid USA, February 9, 2024
“Black History Month is typically a time of reflection. A time to recognize challenges and celebrate victories. But our current situation is by no means typical. We should not celebrate the resilience and strength of people who have overcome adversity, especially in the workplace, without recognizing the psychological impact that struggle has on their lives, families, and communities.”
Tramaine EL-Amin, Vice-President for Mental Health First Aid, National Mental Welfare Council
These important words, published in the 2021 Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) blog post by Tramaine El-Amin, Vice President of Mental Health First Aid, demonstrate how mental health challenges disproportionately affect Black communities. As influential as it continues to be, it still rings true.
Black mental health matters. As we celebrate Black History Month, we're sharing resources to help you celebrate personal diversity, support your colleagues, friends, and community, and be effective mental health first responders. Let's take a closer look at some of the resources available to the Black community.
social media resources
For many people, social media is more than just a source of entertainment and distraction. A space where you can find inspiration, stay up to date on social issues, and support artists and small businesses. Please consider hitting the Follow Her button on the following Black mental health accounts:
- Black men's mental health on Instagram
- Bio breakdown: “Our perspective, our story, our brilliance, our healing.”
- Instagram and Black Mental Health Alliance X
- Bio breakdown: “A trusted forum for culturally competent mental health programs and services for marginalized communities.”
- Alkeme Health on Instagram
- Bio breakdown: “Mental health support for the black community”
- Loveland Foundation on Instagram
- Bio breakdown: “The Loveland Foundation is committed to working for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.”
- Instagram, melanin and mental health X
- Bio breakdown: “Two brown chicks are helping Black/Latinx people find Black/Latinx therapists and changing the face of therapy on both sides of the couch.”
- Boris L. Henson Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn
- Bio breakdown: The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, founded by @tarajiphenson, is a nonprofit organization that advocates for improved access, combats prejudice, and provides essential resources to Black communities.
- Therapy for Black Girls on Instagram and Facebook
- Bio breakdown: Mental Health Resources for 💁🏾♀️👸🏿👩🏽🦱
- Silence shame on Instagram and website.
- Bio breakdown: Educate your community about mental health and wellness through engaging content and wellness training.
- Black Mental Wellness on Instagram
- Bio breakdown: Provide access to evidence-based information from a Black perspective, highlight and increase the diversity of mental health professionals, and reduce mental health stigma in Black communities.
website
These websites provide information, activities, and perspectives that can make a difference in how you and your friends approach mental health.
- Black Mental Wellness provides access to evidence-based information and resources on mental and behavioral health topics from a Black perspective. Check out the Coping & Wellness tab on the site for actionable strategies for dealing with difficult situations, including how to talk to youth about race, discrimination, and racial trauma.
- Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to promoting the mental health of Black women and girls.
- Therapy for Black Men works to eliminate the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness. The organization provides free therapy to men in a non-judgmental, multiculturally appropriate environment.
- “Racism and Anti-Racism in America” is a free online training series on dismantling systemic racism from the University of Michigan.
- The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) removes the barriers Black people experience in accessing emotional care, healing, and staying connected. We offer a national directory of Black therapists available virtually.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's African American Behavioral Health Center (AABH CoE) is dedicated to making mental health and substance use care for African Americans safer, more effective, more accessible, and more comprehensive. We are determined to support the transformation that takes place. It will be more welcoming, more engaging, more culturally appropriate and responsive.
- The Team: Changing Minds is a national network of mental health responders dedicated to helping young people, especially young men, connect with support. They activate trusted peers and adults in young people's lives, keep them active in their favorite pastimes, and make sure help is just a click, call, or connection away.
- The Mental Health Coalition's Roadmap to Black Mental Health is a comprehensive guide that provides an understanding of the mental health strengths, challenges, healing methods, and resources unique to people in the Black community.
#BeTheDifference
For a more direct way to get involved, consider taking mental health first aid training and learn how to support those around you and manage your own mental health.
- Find a virtual or in-person mental health first aid course near you using the course search tool on the MHFA website.
- Visit MHFA.org/workplace and fill out the contact form to bring mental health first aid to your workplace.
- Use the National Council's Social Justice Leadership Academy (SJLA) Workbook to help you, your organization, and your services assess how you, your organization, and your services are integrating principles of social justice and equity into mental health and substance use treatment. Please make sure it is in position. This workbook is intended for individual community mental health and substance use treatment providers and leaders of all experience levels.
MHFA.org
For practical information on how to support Black mental health, check out these related MHFA blogs:
- Addressing rising suicide rates in Black communities: What you can do
- Understanding the workplace concerns of Black employees
- Supporting the Black Community as a Mental Health First Aider
We hope you find these resources useful and spread the word on your social networks. You never know when your actions will improve someone's daily life or save a life. Thank you for choosing #BeTheDifference!
