Mental Health
Due to the stigma surround mental health (1), the medical mistrust in the Black community due to centuries of exploitation and mistreatment from medical providers (2), and the structural racism that still exists within healthcare (3), Black people are less likely to receive mental healthcare (4). However, there are culturally competent mental healthcare services that acknowledge the history of racism in the medical field and make active strides to unlearn conscious and unconscious biases.
We have included a few resources you can use to find culturally competent therapists and mental health services.
Find Help and Support
- Maryland Psychologist Locator – Find a Maryland-based psychologist for long-term help
- Better Tomorrow, Starts Today (BTST) Services – Individual, family, and group therapy, therapeutic mentoring, client transportations (with no additional charge), psychological evaluations, and medical management
- Therapy for Black Girls – Provides culturally responsive therapists to provide support and help you navigate life
- Black Mental Health Alliance – Provides a directory of Black psychologists, as well as mental health workshops, interventions, and school-based mental health services in Baltimore
- NAMI Baltimore – Provides support groups and peer-to-peer classes for those living with a mental health condition in Baltimore
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing – Provides resources related to mental health and substance use treatment
Emergency Hotlines
- National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline (options for deaf and hard of hearing)
- Visit www.988lifeline.org
- Call/Text 988
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline
- Visit www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
- Call 800-662-4357
- Baltimore Crisis Response Hotline
- Visit https://bcresponse.org/
- Call 410-433-5175
To Learn More About Mental Health
Videos
- The Power of the Black Woman’s Self Love Journey by Denise Francis
- Emphasizes the importance of self-love in healing from intergenerational trauma
- Easy Self-Care for Hurting & Healing Black Women by Alecia Renece The Artist
- Offers 22 self-care tips that you can adopt in your healing journey
Podcasts
- Black Women & Mental Health by The Chicago School
- Discusses domestic violence, generational trauma, and systematic oppression as it relates to Black women and emphasizes the effect of untreated trauma on the mental and physical health of Black women
- Girl Just Heal Your Mental Health by Girl Just Heal Podcast
- Discusses the misconceptions that society and the Black community have about mental health issues
Books
- Decolonizing the Body: Healing, Body-Centered Practices for Women of Color to Reclaim Confidence, Dignity, and Self-Worth by Kelsey Blackwell
- Offers somatic, body-centered practices to help you heal from systemic oppression and reconnect with your body and inner self
- The Pain We Carry: Healing from Complex PTSD for People of Color by Natalie Y. Gutierrez
M.O.C.H.A. Lab 