Resources and Support for Black Communities

BARE Mental Health & Wellness provides services to promote mental health and wellness within Black communities as well as supporting systemic change to address disparities within healthcare and educational institutions, businesses, agencies, and firms.

Haitian Mental Health Network (HMH) is a Boston-based organization comprised of a group of mental health providers including psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, psychiatric nurses, and pastoral counselors. Their website includes events, resources, and a directory of private practice clinicians and mental health clinics/centers.

Deconstructing Stigma: Changing Attitudes About Mental Health is an initiative from McLean Hospital. The Boston chapter of the NAACP is partnering with the Deconstructing Stigma campaign to address the challenges around mental health awareness, stigma, and access to care for Black Americans. They have identified local and community resources in the Boston area.

DeeDee’s Cry provides resources and education on the importance of mental health and wellness within communities of color and creates a space where conversations begin to lift the stigma of mental health within communities of color.

The Black Mental Health Matters Show with Dr. Kerry-Ann Williams discusses mental health diagnoses, treatments, community services and initiatives, research, and personal experiences on the show. You can listen to past shows online or tune in live on Sundays at 1pm on 98.1FM The Urban Heat in Boston.

Race Recovery Project was founded for the Black community affected by internalized racism. The vision is to foster the health of Black lives in all dimensions of life with particular focus on renew consciousness of identity as a Black person. The Race Recovery Project will build on community forums where topics defining internalized negative effects from racism are discussed and dissected and redefined with the aim of transforming Black lives to positions of strength and wellness through community processes.

Estoy Aqui LLC provides suicide prevention training and social justice education to organizations and institutions serving the Latino/x and Black communities.

PureSpark uses social media and their web interface to provide resources and daily coping mechanisms that would otherwise be out of reach for someone who is unfamiliar with the mental wellness system. While open to providing information for everyone, the organization’s focus is on Black women. They are also working on building a wellness provider directory for a wide range of disciplines from individual psychotherapy to reiki, yoga, and meditation.

The Loveland Foundation therapy fund provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking high quality, culturally sensitive services. Loveland Fund recipients will receive a list of participating professionals across the country and 4-8 sessions fully funded by the Foundation.

NAMI’s page for Black/African American individuals has information on barriers to mental health care, guidance on how to seek culturally sensitive care, and resources to support mental health and self-care.

Brother, You’re on My Mind is a program from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities meant to change the national dialogue regarding mental health among African American men. They have a toolkit to help fraternity chapters and community partners educate members about depression and stress in Black men.

Black Mental Wellness provides access to evidence-based information and resources about mental health and behavioral health topics from a Black perspective, highlights the diversity of mental health professionals, and decreases the mental health stigma in the Black community.

The Safe Place is a minority mental health app for iPhone and iPad geared toward the Black community. The app is free, provides clinical definitions of mental health conditions, and allows users to take self-assessments. It also offers self-care tips on how to cope with police brutality, as well as Black mental health statistics and open forum discussions.

Black Emotional and Mental Health (BEAM) hosts virtual healing events and conversations on topics related to Black emotional and mental health, toolkits to support wellness, and has started a Black Virtual Wellness Directory.

Sober Black Girls Club is a community that provides resources & support to black girls, womxn, & non-binary folks considering sober lives.

Exhale is an emotional well-being app designed for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC). The app was curated by BIWOC so that in your emotional well-being journey, you can lean-in and trust that this space has been cultivated specifically for you.

Mindful + Melanated is a social wellness and peer support community for Black women. Mindful + Melanated’s mission is to create and cultivate a community that empowers Black women to achieve and sustain a healthy, balanced life. They provide peer support and access to culturally competent mental wellness resources, providers, and programs.

@therapyforblackgirls

@blackfemaletherapists

@browngirlsselfcare

@balancedblackgirlpodcast

@healingwhileblk

@blackmentalwellness

@bodyfulhealing

@blackgirlinom

List of Social Media Accounts Focused on Healing Content

12 Black Mental Health and Wellness Resources to Follow on Instagram

Zencare has a helpful blog post on how to find a Black therapist.

12 Books on Behavioral Health Written By Black People from the Black Mental Health Alliance.

Ourselves Black is a biannual, mental health resource magazine for the Black Community that includes resources, interviews, stories and photography meant to share imagery and tell stories infused with knowledge that promotes Black mental health.

Why You Shouldn’t Wait Until Your World is Falling Apart to Go to Therapy

This article from Self lists 44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country including people and organizations to follow online, directories that list Black or allied therapists, and tips to remember as you seek support.

TruCircle is an online BIPOC Therapist directory for people seeking licensed mental health professionals providing culturally sensitive care.

Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. The site includes a therapist directory, blog, podcast, and online community for Black women to gather, support and learn from one another. You also can find them on Instagram @therapyforblackgirls.

Therapy for Black Men is working to break the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness. They maintain a directory of mental health professionals providing judgment-free, culturally sensitive care to Black men. The site also has a list of articles about mental health for Black men.

Black Female Therapists was created to promote, inspire, and elevate Black female therapists and create a safe space for Black mental health. It is a safe place for black women to discuss their mental health and wellness journey. The site features a blog, therapist directory, and a podcast. You can also find them on Instagram (@blackfemaletherapists).

Zencare has a provider directory for the Boston area which is sortable by provider identity.

Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation is working to eradicate the stigma around mental health in the African-American community. They have a virtual directory of mental health providers, programs, and resources.

AfricanAmericanTherapists.com is a provider directory that lists Black/African American counselors and psychologists.

Melanin & Mental Health was born out of a desire to connect individuals with culturally sensitive clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black & Latinx/Hispanic communities. The site features a provider directory and podcast for Black and Latinx/Hispanic communities.

Black Yoga Teachers Alliance is a collective of yoga teachers who share a love of health, wellness, and peaceful living. BYTA fulfills an unmet need in the yoga world to increase the diversity of those who teach and practice yoga in the U.S. BYTA and its members have increased the accessibility of yoga in communities that have traditionally had limited or no access to the practice.

The Yoga Green Book Directory is a resource to find self-identified Black yoga teachers, Black-owned studios, Black-led teacher trainings, and events locally and worldwide.

Greater Boston Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW) is the local affiliate of the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW). Greater Boston ABSW is comprised of social work students, young professionals and seasoned practitioners of African ancestry who continue the struggle for justice and freedom. In addition to persistently pursuing the elevation of Black people, Greater Boston ABSW provides intensive training through a variety of workshops, seminars, and conferences.

American Psychiatric Association, Minority and Underrepresented Caucuses are groups for members of the American Psychiatric Association. There are caucuses for American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian, Asian-American, Black, Hispanic, International Medical Graduates, LGBTQ, and women. The APA also has a guide on best practices for treating diverse patient populations.

Black Therapists ROCK (BTR) is an organization committed to increasing awareness of social and psychological challenges impacting vulnerable communities by empowering and supporting professionals. Their Facebook group establishes unity among psychologists, MFTs, BSW/MSW/LCSWs, LPC/LMHCs, life coaches, pastors/ministers and other disciplines in the helping profession.