May is Mental Health Awareness month! On this episode I mention some alarming statistics of how black americans struggle with mental health issues. In 2018, 58% of Black American young adults 18-25 and 50% of adults 26-49 with serious mental illness did not recieve treatment. These statistics are closely associated with the common stigma among black culture that mental health is taboo. We wear a mask because we have to be strong even when we don't want to. It is important to find a healthy space to let it all out. It is ok to cry but it is bad to hold it in.

Resources for Helping Black Americans Struggling with Mental Health

Black Emotional and Mental Health-  
BEAM is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Our mission is to remove the barriers that Black people experience getting access to or staying connected with emotional health care and healing.

https://www.beam.community

The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation-
The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation’s vision is to eradicate the stigma around mental health issues in the African-American community.

https://borislhensonfoundation.org

Therapy for Black Girls-
 Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.

https://therapyforblackgirls.com/about

The Loveland Foundation-
 The Loveland Foundation is the official continuation of this effort to bring opportunity and healing to communities of color, and especially to Black women and girls. Through fellowships, residency programs, listening tours, and more, ultimately we hope to contribute to both the empowerment and the liberation of the communities we serve.

https://thelovelandfoundation.org

Therapy for Black Men-
 TherapyForBlackMen.org was born from the idea that Black men and boys face unique challenges and stigmatization, and therefore need a dedicated space for seeking and finding mental health support. We’ve made it our mission to strip away that stigmatization and ease the process of finding help. By providing targeted resources and a database filled with professionals equipped to support men of color, our users can now obtain the help they need and deserve.

https://therapyforblackmen.org

Dr. Ebony's My Therapy Cards-
 My Therapy Cards deck is not just another deck of self-care. This card deck has been carefully curated by a psychologist woman of color with the intention of helping other women of color grow and elevate in the areas of emotional and mental health!

https://www.mytherapycards.com

Innopsych-
Innopsych was birthed from Dr. Jackman’s own experiences and challenges during her search for a therapist. She knew she wanted a therapist who was a woman for color but the process proved itself to be a challenge. She knew that there needed to be a simpler and faster way for people of color to find therapists of color and she was going to create it! Not only did she want to create a directory of therapists of color, but she also wanted to facilitate the process for therapists of color to launch their own private practice in order to increase the pool of therapists of color in the field.

https://www.innopsych.com

Safe Black Space- Safe Black Space has mobilized a growing collective of local practitioners, community members and activists, faith leaders, educators and others of African ancestry.

https://www.safeblackspace.org