Black History Month is...
an especially important time to reflect and celebrate the strength, resilience and excellence of the Black community. Race and racism, along with social disparity and inequity have been at the forefront of the American conversation in recent months. As we enter into the month dedicated to honoring Black lives, we stand in our commitment to supporting mental health services that best meet the needs of Black communities.
Below are lists of resources for this work, along with upcoming events, and offerings for your learning (and unlearning) of Black History.
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The Pacific Southwest MHTTC is a SAMHSA-funded center serving American Samoa, Arizona, California, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau.
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Be the Bridge has compiled a collection of educational content and resources to help fill in the gaps in our history textbooks and provide a more accurate understanding of Black history.
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NBC Out honors Black LGBTQ trailblazers of the past and present. From Gladys Bentley to James Baldwin to Marsha P. Johnson, Black LGBTQ Americans have made history with countless contributions to politics, art, medicine and a host of other industries.
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For those who work in the behavioral health field, it is important to celebrate the numerous Black people who have made significant contributions to mental health professions in the United States.
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Part 1: Thursday, February 11
2:30-4:00 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PT / 9:30-11:00 a.m. HT / 8:30-10:00 a.m. American Samoa / 5:30-7:00 a.m. (Friday) Chamorro Time (view your time zone)
Part 2: Thursday, February 25
2:30-4:00 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PT / 9:30-11:00 a.m. HT / 8:30-10:00 a.m. American Samoa / 5:30-7:00 a.m. (Friday) Chamorro Time (view your time zone)
The webinar is an interactive presentation with a Q&A session designed to provide participants with an understanding of how racism impacts mental health; how the history of racism impacts the delivery and accessibility of mental health care in communities of color; and how systemic racism and the Black community's experience with police brutality (directly and indirectly) impact young people's mental health, in particular. While both Part I and Part II are open to all participants, Part I of the series will provide insights specific to healthcare providers and the staff that support them, and Part II is designed to be informative for those who face mental health challenges and the families and communities that support them.
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Thursday, February 18
6:30-7:30 p.m. ET / 3:30-4:30 p.m. PT / 1:30-2:30 p.m. HT / 12:30-1:30 p.m. American Samoa / 9:30-10:30 a.m. (Friday) Chamorro Time (view your time zone)
The COVID-19 virus has disrupted the world at an unprecedented scale. And over the past several months, Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 compared with their white counterparts. This has only been compounded by widespread civil uprising in protest of racial discrimination and police brutality. Join University of Chicago Crown Family School to discuss the impact that these events have on the mental health of affected individuals, and to explore ways of coping and recovery.
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Resources for -
COMMUNITY LEADERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ALLIES
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These are some of our favorite resources this month – we’d love to hear yours! Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram (@psmhttc) with resources and news about Black mental health and we’ll share with our followers!
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This excellent article from Threads of Solidarity: WOC Against Racism (@SolidarityWOC) includes resources for destigmatizing mental health, accessing culturally competent mental health services, practicing self-care, and endorsing multicultural and social justice counseling competencies.
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“In this moment, it is so necessary for us to take our time to commit to our healing, to our well-being, even as we are vigorously fighting against the oppression and against the forces that are trying to dehumanize us. But it has to happen simultaneously.”
– Yolo Akili Robinson, Founder & CEO (BEAM)
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Each Mind Matters, “California’s Mental Health Movement,” created a collection of resources to support African American community leaders and faith-based leaders outreach about mental health.
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NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) created this educational booklet for members of the Black community to recognize mental health conditions, understand types of treatment and supports available, and find help.
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The Safe Place is a mental health app specifically geared towards the Black community. It includes self-care tips, self-assessment questions, inspirational quotes, descriptions of mental illness, and more. Mental health providers are also encouraged to access the app to better understand their Black patients. Also available on the App Store for iPhone/iPad.
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This episode of “Black Folk Don’t…” from Black Public Media uses interviews to explore experiences and stigma around therapy within the African American community.
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Psychologist and African American mental health expert Rheeda Walker addresses how to combat stigma, spot potential mental illness, practice emotional wellness, and get the best care possible despite systemic racial bias.
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Resources for -
PROVIDERS, PRACTITIONERS, & POLICYMAKERS
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This post from Ourselves Black, a magazine promoting Black mental health, responds to the APA’s Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men, providing additional considerations for working with Black men and boys.
Ourselves Black has a number of great resources for Black mental health practitioners and community members, including an informational Mental Illness Library and a section For Parents.
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The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) created this report to focus on ways to build on the strength of Black children, families, and communities to improve outcomes for Black children. Topics include research on positive development, reimagining family support, early childhood education, and more.
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Researchers Jessica Graham-LoPresti, PhD, Tahirah Abdullah, PhD, Amber Calloway, MA, and Lindsey West, PhD, explore the ways that racism affects stress and anxiety, and suggest strategies for coping (valued-living, attending to our emotions, and self-compassion).
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Five reproductive therapists describe ways that clinicians can support pregnant and postpartum Black people, from the mental health system level to the provider level. This article is part of SELF magazine’s ongoing series on the public health crisis of Black Maternal Mortality.
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Directories of -
THERAPISTS
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This online directory from BEAM features licensed Black therapists who are certified to provide telemental health services.
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Melanin & Mental Health was born out of a desire to connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black and Latinx communities.
Melanin & Mental Health also hosts a podcast series featuring conversations with other therapists of color, Between Sessions. Check out all the episodes on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.
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Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. In addition to the directory, Therapy for Black Girls also hosts a popular weekly podcast of the same name.
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Therapy for Black Men is a directory to help men of color find a therapist. The website also features personal stories and other resources to support Black men’s mental health.
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BLACK YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT MENTAL HEALTH
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In December 2019, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health released their landmark report. This report provides detailed policy and practice recommendations based on review of the research as well as months of listening sessions.
“This report is dedicated to the families of Black youth, and to the children who have called our attention to this urgent matter. We know that suicide is a difficult topic to discuss; and while there are some very technical aspects to what is contained in this report, we have included the glossary in recognition that this report must be as accessible to everyone.” – CBC Taskforce
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The Black Youth Project highlights the voices and ideas of Black millennials and amplifies the voices and perspectives of young, urban, Black millennials. The Mental Health articles address a wide range of topics impacting the mental health of young Black Americans, such as trauma, self-harm, gender, and more.
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The new Research Brief from Transitions ACR explores why Black young adults with disabilities, including serious mental health conditions, experience disparities in vocational rehabilitation program services and outcomes.
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This Human Rights Campaign (HRC) report explores data and responses from more than 1,600 Black LGBTQ youth survey respondents. The report includes key takeaways for supporting Black LGBTQ youth, addressing the harmful impacts of both homophobia and white supremacy.
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Resources for -
BLACK STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH
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National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), 2014
NBCDI focuses on how policymakers, advocates, principals, teachers, parents, and others can use strengths-based approaches and understanding to improve outcomes for Black children. Although the report is somewhat older, there are several great essays here on making our schools, teacher education programs, and early childhood education system work for Black children and youth.
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EdWeek, January 2020
According to findings from a new report from ACT focusing on the results of a 2019 survey of ACT test-takers, students of color were less likely than white students to say that they could reach out to a teacher or counselor if they needed mental health support (48% of African American students compared to 57% of white students).
The report names three major findings:
- Most high school students reported having access to some type of health professional at school. However, nearly a quarter of students reported not knowing if their school offered basic mental health services;
- Rural students reported having less access to basic school-based mental health services compared to students in suburban or urban locations; and
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A little more than half of students reported that they could reach out to a teacher if they needed mental health support. However, students of color were less likely to report that they could reach out to a teacher or counselor if they needed mental health support.
Six recommendations for policymakers and practitioners who support students in rural communities and/or students of color emerged:
- Promote awareness of the availability of existing mental health services.
- Provide access to universal mental health screenings.
- Increase efforts to recruit and provide ongoing professional development for school counselors.
- Increase state and federal funding for school-based mental health supports.
- Provide mental health services through community partnerships.
- Establish competitive grant programs to evaluate program effectiveness.
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UNCF, 2018
While this study is from 2018, it is one of our go-to resources because it is strength-based, it lifts up the vision and needs of African American youth, and it is based on listening to young people from our region (California). A few quotes to highlight from the study:
- “…contrary to a pervasive narrative that racial disparities in education are the result of disengagement on the part of students, African American youth indicated that success in school was their most important priority among other competing factors” (p. 3)
- “Slightly more than one-third of African American youth felt race may limit their opportunities in life” and “Only 43 percent of respondents felt safe at their schools, and several youth experienced some form of discipline in school that removed them from the classroom setting” (p. 6)
- “nearly half of African American youth reported being placed in detention at some point in their education. Even more alarming, a large number of youth reported experiencing some type of exclusionary discipline that removed them from the classroom, such as in-school suspension (37 percent), out-of-school suspension (36 percent) or an expulsion (8 percent)” (p. 12)
- “Schools should include issues of race, diversity and social justice in their curricula and incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy and cultural competency training for school-based staff to foster an inclusive environment and increase overall achievement” (p. s12)
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Teaching Tolerance, Fall 2019
Acknowledging that Black youth aged 5-12 are twice as likely as their white peers to die by suicide, Coshindra Dillard brings into focus what school mental health systems can and should do differently to support their students.
School faculty and staff are likely to notice signs and symptoms that something is amiss and refer students to the help they need. But schools often fail in this effort when it comes to black students—and sometimes cause even more harm.
When black students exhibit negative behaviors or become withdrawn, educators often label them as problems and subject them to reactionary, zero-tolerance policies and other practices that disproportionately affect black students but don’t address the root causes of such behavior.
Dillard explores how schools can adopt critical humility and strengths-based approaches to make school work for Black youth, ending with five key takeaways for teaching Black students:
- Know your own story
- Decolonize your curriculum
- Be mindful
- Be a first responder
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See all of your students
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