Prioritizing Black Mental Health: A guide to resources and support

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In recognition of Black History Month and beyond, we are sharing resources that support mental health and well-being in Black communities. Breaking down stigma is essential, and Providence’s Well Being Trust is committed to providing resources that support mental well-being.

Explore this curated collection of articles, guides, podcasts, and other resources. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by the Black community, these resources aim to empower individuals and promote a culture of understanding and support. 

Let’s celebrate Black History Month by elevating mental health awareness and sustaining the conversation beyond February.

Organizations & Associations
  • 988 Lifeline: Black Mental Health – Tips and resources to support yourself, a loved one, and other members of the Black community. 
  • African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence – This center develops and disseminates training, technical assistance, and resources to help healthcare practitioners eliminate behavioral health disparities within this large and diverse population.
  • BEAM (Black Emotional & Mental Health Collective) – an organization dedicated to removing the barriers that Black people experience getting access to or staying connected with emotional health care and healing through education, training, advocacy, and the creative arts.
  • Black Mental Health Alliance – An organization that is working to develop, promote and sponsor trusted culturally-relevant educational forums, trainings and referral services that support the health and well-being of Black people and their communities.
  • Black Mental Wellness – An organization that provides access to evidence-based information and resources about mental health and behavioral health topics from a Black perspective, to highlight and increase the diversity of mental health professionals, and to decrease the mental health stigma in the Black community.
  • Black Therapists Rock – A nonprofit organization that mobilizes more than 30,000 mental health professionals committed to reducing the psychological impact of systemic oppression and intergenerational trauma.
  • The Association of Black Psychologists – an organization that promotes social justice, cultural psychology, racial/ethnic identity and multicultural competencies, and addresses challenges facing the black community.
  • Therapy in Color – an organization created to help ensure all individuals have access to mental health therapy by someone who promotes authenticity and cultural diversity.

  • The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation – an organization with a vision to eradicate the stigma around mental health issues in the African-American community.

Youth and Young Adults
Black Women
  • AAKOMA Project – a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping diverse teenagers, young adults, and their families achieve optimal mental health.
  • The Steve Fund –  An organization offering an array of virtual and in-person programs and services designed to address the mental health and well-being of young people of color.
  • Sista Afya – A social enterprise that provides low-cost mental wellness services that center the experiences of Black women.
  • Therapy for Black Girls – An online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.
  • Black Girls Smile – an organization with  a mission to provide young Black women with education, resources, and support to lead mentally healthy lives.
Black Men
Podcasts & Videos
  • Brother, You’re on My Mind: – Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities launched this initiative that uses a variety of activities to raise awareness of the mental health challenges associated with depression and stress that affect African American men and their families.
  • The Confess Project of America – An organization committed to building a culture of mental health for Black boys, men, and their families.
  • Therapy for Black Men – A directory of therapists and coaches throughout the 50 state providing judgement-free, multiculturally-competent care to Black men. 
Articles and Additional Resources
Facts and Statistics
  • 21% of Black and African Americans reported having a mental illness, compared to 23.9% of non-Hispanic Whites. However, just 39% of Black and African Americans received mental health services compared to non-Hispanic Whites (52%)
  • Black Americans have similar rates of substance use disorder (17%) as non-Hispanic Whites, but higher rates of illicit drug use (24.3 vs 22.5 respectively) and unmet treatment needs (16.4% vs 15.7%, respectively)
  • A report published in November 2021 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed suicide rates decreased in the United States by 3% in 2020, but increased among many men of color, including Black men, during that period.
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