MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCES FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” -Audre Lorde
*** LAST UPDATED: 8/30/2020. New additions marked with NEW. **
Table of Contents
- Crisis Lines: Always keep a crisis line programmed into your phone for you or someone else who may need it.
- Free/Reduced Cost Services, Support Groups, Events, Etc.: Some providers are offering free and reduced cost services to those who need it. There are providers that do this all the time and providers that are offering them for a limited time in response to the pandemic and the BLM movement.
- Websites / Organizations: These websites and organizations provide various services and resources such as therapist directories, online forums, educational content, etc.
- Existing Lists of Resources: There are, of course, other resource lists so we have included those as well.
- Social Media Accounts: Social media is a core component of the movement. In addition to the activists you’re following, there are mental health-focused accounts that regularly post resources, educational content, etc.
- Psychoeducation / Articles / Educational Social Media Posts: Psychoeducation is simply a way to learn about what your body and mind might be going through right now. Awareness can bring normalization and validation. We’ve included articles and social media posts that serve that function.
- Tools: Here you’ll find apps, worksheets, exercises etc.
*This will be updated periodically. If you would like to contribute to this list, please email bethany.thomas23@gmail.com
CRISIS LINES
List of Crisis Lines for Various Populations (From AyanaTherapy)
Notokapp.com
- “An app created by two black entrepreneurs, the notOK App™ is a free app that takes the guesswork out of asking for help when you’re feeling vulnerable. We’ll notify your trusted contacts that they’ve been selected as your support group. When the time comes and you need to reach out, you’ll just have to open the app and press the large, red notOK™ button.”
- Credit to @dyme_009 on Instagram. Their post is linked here
Therapy for Black Girls Crisis Line (Text)
- Text “TRIBE” to 741-741. Available 24/7/365.
Trans Lifeline - 877-565-8860
- Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis - for the trans community, by the trans community.
- Trans Lifeline was founded in 2014 as a peer-support crisis hotline. The Hotline was, and still is, the only service in the country in which all operators are transgender. Because of the particularly vulnerable relationship transgender people have with police, it is also the only service in the country with a policy against non-consensual active rescue.
- Follow in Insta @translifeline
Who to Call for Help in Atlanta
- General Crisis
- Suicide Prevention
- Domestic Abuse
- Substance Abuse
- Youth and Family
- Sexual Abuse
- ** “For emergencies in which law enforcement may be called, ask for a CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM (CIT) OFFICER” **
FREE/REDUCED COST SERVICES, SUPPORT GROUPS, EVENTS, ETC.
Sane in the Membrane - Free community wellness check-in
REAL - NEW
- “Real is a modern therapy membership, designed for female-identifying and non-binary folks. Starting at just $28/month, your Real membership includes:
- Therapy Pathways: Weekly on-demand therapy sessions, each focused on a specific mental health goal.
- Group Salon Access: Intimate Group Salons find common ground and growth around a shared life experience.
- Progress Tracking: Ongoing check-ins to take a proactive approach to your mental health.”
BEAM - Black Centered Healing and Support Virtual Spaces
- “BEAM will be holding Black centered healing and support virtual spaces to support our folks during this difficult time. Check back daily for updates.”
- More info about BEAM here
Black Men Heal - Free/Reduced Cost Counseling Sessions
- Apply here
- “We provide 8 free one-on-one sessions with a provider of color to talk about current or past thoughts, feelings and experiences around issues such as masculinity; work/life balance; & relationship/family struggles. The goal of therapy is to help achieve enhanced well-being through positive changes in behaviors, beliefs and emotions.”
- “Each male selected for the free sessions is essentially encouraged to become a mental health change agent. By one male simply sharing/discussing his experience with other black men, he creates a safe space for another man to step into.”
- Group therapy also offered.
Black Men Feel - Virtual Meetings
- They host digital Black Men Feel sessions as a safe space for black men to vent. Check their Instagram for updates on the next meeting (June 14th). This is restricted to black men
- They also created this document explaining why mental health is important, the difference between different kinds of mental health professionals, how to afford therapy, and how to find therapists (NOTE: Not only relevant to black men - this is important info for all who are considering therapy)
HealHaus
- 1 week free trial of unlimited yoga and meditation with HealHaus
- “At HealHaus, we’ve combined diverse healing modalities and practitioners under one roof to provide people with an inclusive space focused on holistic health and wellness. We are committed to building a community that is dedicated to changing the stigma attached to healing.”
WEBSITES / ORGANIZATIONS
Many of these provide resources to find a therapist. If you are unsure of where to start, Black Men Feel created a great therapy 101 document, linked here.
Black Emotional And Mental Health Collective (BEAM)
- Black Virtual Therapist Network
- “We are a collective of advocates, yoga teachers, artists, therapists, lawyers, religious leaders, teachers, psychologists and activists committed to the emotional/mental health and healing of Black communities.” - From BEAM
- Offerings:
- Journal Prompts for Wellness
- Educational Graphics: Coping Skills, Emotional Awareness, etc.
- Articles about Black Mental Health
- Toolkits / Worksheets
- List of Additional Resources - All descriptions came from BEAM
- The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a space for queer, gender non-conforming and trans therapists of color to build, resource, and support one another as clinicians and healers. NQTTCN also provides a dynamic list of trans and queer therapists and healers across the country.
- Open Path Psychotherapy Collective provides middle and lower-income level individuals, couples, families, and children with access to affordable psychotherapy and mental health education services. network of therapists & counselors that work on sliding scales if you don't have insurance
- Psychologytoday.com: Find detailed professional listings for Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Therapists, Counselors,Support Groups and Treatment Centers in the United States and Canada.
The following list and descriptions came from @dyme_009 on Instagram. Their post is linked here and it also details some facts about black mental health and where to donate to support black mental health. You can access the links associated with the post here.
- “Our goal is to increase access to quality and inclusive mental healthcare for queer and trans folks of color through empowerment and education.”
- “Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.”
- “Created so men and boys of color would have a dedicated place to visit when seeking support for mental health guidance or professionals. In addition, this site was created to help strip away the stigmatization associated with men of color regarding therapy in their communities at large.”
ADDITIONAL EXISTING LISTS OF RESOURCES
- Apps, Podcasts, Websites
- Publications, Articles, Toolkits
- Therapist Directories
- Ways to Connect with Other Black People
- IN THIS DOCUMENT [The following is the table of contents from the above link]
PSYCHOEDUCATION / ARTICLES / SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
- This toolkit details strategies for healing before, during, and after direct action.
TOOLS
- Meditation / Deep Breathing / Affirmations
- The Safe Place - “App features Include Black Mental Health Statistics, Inspirational Black Quotes, Self Care Tips, How to Cope After Police Brutality, Mental Health In The Black Church, How to talk to black family members who may not want to understand mental illness, Breathing Techniques, Meditation, Exercise, Mental Health Videos And Podcast, Mental Health Articles, Open Forum Discussions And More!”
- Notokapp.com - “An app created by two black entrepreneurs, the notOK App™ is a free app that takes the guesswork out of asking for help when you’re feeling vulnerable. We’ll notify your trusted contacts that they’ve been selected as your support group. When the time comes and you need to reach out, you’ll just have to open the app and press the large, red notOK™ button.”
SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
- Hosting HEALfest: “HEALfest provides the space & opportunity to show up as our authentic (and frustrated) selves, process all that is happening around us and prioritize mental wellness. With interactive sessions, led by experts in the mental health and holistic wellness field, we are learning strategies for addressing and overcoming trauma, navigating the social injustices in our community, digging deeper into our awareness of self, learning how to better manage relationships during crisis, releasing self-sabotaging behaviors, getting the scoop on effective self-care practices, and engaging in a guided yoga & meditation session to ground ourselves and create peace amidst the challenges we face.”
- Follow for more timely updates on virtual events like this (this event has passed - just an example)
- They posted mental health resources for and by black men (Post here)
- They host digital Black Men Feel sessions as a safe space for black men to vent. Check profile for updates on the next meeting (June 14th).
- They host digital discussions for black men. Follow for most up to date info.
- They have a podcast, guided meditations, and a blog at their website
- Podcast about LGBTQIA+ health & wellness