Black History Month 2023 has arrived! At the New York City Psychotherapy Collective, we believe in the fundamental importance of engaging in anti-racist work and acknowledging and addressing the obstacles that members of the Black Community face daily and in their search for mental health care and support. We believe that therapy and medical care should be accessible to everyone and something that all people can feel comfortable and confident using to feel and live their best. It is our responsibility as socially just and anti-racist therapists to engage in work everyday to enhance our anti-racist practice, educate ourselves, and work to provide supportive therapeutic spaces and opportunities for everyone.
STIGMA AND BARRIERS TO BLACK MENTAL HEALTHCARE
As Dana Givens outlined in this article, “The Extra Stigma of Mental Illness for African-Americans” for The New York Times, stigma against mental healthcare in the Black Community is a huge impediment to access to and utilization of services. Additionally, access to mental health services is limited in the Black Community for a number of reasons. As outlined in our blog post from last year (Understanding the Stigma of Mental Healthcare in Black Communities), a historical mistrust of the healthcare system, family/cultural boundaries on privacy and requesting support, and generational and personal experiences of mistreatment, abuse, and racism in the healthcare system are significant barriers to accessing care for the Black Community.
RESOURCES TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON STATISTICS AND DATA ON STIGMA, RACISM, AND BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE ACCESS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Fact Sheet
American Psychiatric Association Mental Health Disparities: African Americans
RESOURCES FOR BLACK INDIVIDUALS SEARCHING FOR ANTI-RACIST AND COMPETENT THERAPISTS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTS
If you are a Black person looking to find support in reducing barriers to access to mental healthcare and to build community to reduce stigma for yourself and others, here is a list of resources for you to explore:
Their mission is: “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.”
Resources available for clinicians and the Black community
“Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.”
Resources include:
Therapist referral service
Sister Circle: “A cozy corner of the internet for Black women to BE. Be in community. Be supported. Be yourself!”
Podcast
Blog
“...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.”
Resource highlight:
The therapy fund provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy nationally.
“In partnership with licensed mental health professionals and coaches in private practice throughout the fifty states, TherapyForBlackMen.org provides proactive, multiculturally competent care to men of color. TherapyForBlackMen.org makes it easy for clients and therapists and coaches to connect with each other.”
Resources include:
Financial assistance for therapy
Therapist directory
Coach directory
Articles, blogs, and access to additional resources
For our part, here at the New York City Psychotherapy Collective, we partner with The Loveland Foundation to accept vouchers for out of network therapy to make access to mental healthcare more affordable. We also regularly engage in anti-racist trainings, including but not limited to courses like “Reflections On Anti-Blackness: Implications For Social Work And Mental Health Practice,” “Fostering Counselor Development Utilizing a Social Justice Lens in Supervision,” and “Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Healing CBT for Racism-Related Stress.”
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