A national effort has brought new momentum to Rockford. The kickoff event was held on Monday at Comprehensive Community Solutions.
The City of Rockford is partnering with local barbers and cosmetologists on the Barber Shop Project. The initiative will provide stylists with training to support their clients' mental health.
Andrea Carlson is Deputy Director of the Mayor's Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention. She said the project was inspired by national projects. The Confess Project of America aims to develop mental health advocates from Black barbers and cosmetologists. According to its website, the organization has trained her 4,000 beauty professionals across the country.
Carlson said on-site training for the “barbershop project” is already underway.
“This training provides an interdisciplinary approach to truly understand issues such as how trauma affects people, including domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, self-care, and secondary trauma. It was carried out by a team of people,” she said.
The National Alliance on Mental Health is one of the organizations partnering with the mayor's office on this effort.
Jeanette Towns is a Recovery Support Specialist at NAMI. She said this type of project is outdated and her organization will play an important role.
“NAMI is behind this training because we are going to teach barbers about mental health,” she said. “And when we teach barbers about mental health, they not only help educate the community, but they can also hold workshops and public forums that the public can participate in, and as a group they can talk about the issue. We will be able to talk.”
Tamika Brown is a mental health advocate affiliated with NAMI. Brown holds mental health workshops in the community to help individuals overcome trauma. She said these workshops teach people to look within themselves.
“Before you pull the wrong trigger, whether it's a gun, your temper, whether it's suicide, you can prevent yourself from pulling the wrong trigger by first going within yourself and being self-aware,” she explained. .
Stylist chairs are used as counseling seats, and some people go to these beauty salons to see how they want to look.
Carlson said most barbers and cosmetologists already practice as therapists.
“You once heard a barber say that when you put his hands in your hair, your mouth opens, right? It's a calming place,” she said. “Anyway, it's a place you go to take care of yourself in the first place. Yes, people go to the same barber or cosmetologist over and over again and develop a relationship of trust.”
German Robinson is the owner of Precision Cuts, located at 305 Mulford Street. His store has been open for 11 years. He says his profession helps change people's lives and calls the project a “divine movement.”
“I was able to prevent a suicide, I just lifted people's spirits,” he said. We help you with your career. ”
Robinson said that because she was a young parent, she also helped adults raise their children.
Calvin Wesley is affiliated with the Mayor's Office. Wesley recently started an organization called Power of Hope, which provides mentorship to men ages 7 to 24. He said most black people don't know they are dealing with trauma.
“What I'm saying is that we've been taught that counseling and mental health is for the weak,” he said.[when] Actually, no, it's to relieve the pressure and my own life so that I can better understand what's going on and how I can solve the problem if I keep sweeping everything under the rug. is. ”
Mayor Tom McNamara also attended the event. He said that as soon as you sit in his barber chair, you feel comfortable and ready to share your story.
“We know that so many of our citizens are going through so much, but we may not see it every day,” he said. And I think we also need to make sure that barbers have basic resources. ”
Mr McNamara said stylists have been doing this themselves, but the additional resources will help them fulfill this role more easily, which will help the community.
