Minority* Mental Health Awareness month is a critical time to center the wellbeing of communities of color. This year, it falls at a time where collective trauma and grief is at an all time high with ongoing crises – multiple pandemics, climate crisis, government institutions failing people of color and taking away established rights – on top of long-standing structural discrimination and physical violence against communities of color.
In the fight towards equity and justice for women and families, we must acknowledge the factors that negatively impact communities of color’s well-being, which include but are not limited to collective, cultural, generational, and systemic trauma. Compounding that harm are the structural and cultural barriers to accessing culturally congruent, trauma-informed, anti-racist support and care exacerbate mental health challenges and inequities.
We have compiled some resources that center the experiences, expertise, voices of communities of color.
* The term minority diminishes the value of the lives and contributions of communities of color. While the rationale for the term has been to refer to the segment of the population that communities of color compromise, the term is inappropriately used in instances where the “minority” makes up the majority (ex. COVID-19 rates, maternal mortality, experiencing police brutality). According to Dr. Danique Dolly, “when we call Black and Brown people ‘minor’ in the context of major problems, we subconsciously give permission to treat those problems with less energy (or no energy at all)…Minority means less than. It’s deficit-based. It puts a stamp on every non-white ethnic group in the nation and feeds into their internal narratives of racial inferiority.”
BIPOC-focused Mental Health Projects
- Melanin & Mental Health
- Therapy for Black Girls
- Loveland Therapy Fund
- Therapy for Black Men
- Black Men Heal
- Native Wellness
- We R Native
- Brown Girl Therapy
- Asian Mental Health Project
- Asian Mental Health Collective
- South Asian Mental Health Initiative & Network
- Latinx Therapy
- Therapy for Latinx
- Mandala: Belonging & Well-Being for BIPOC Employees
- QTPOC Mental Health – Rest for Resistance
- Understanding racial trauma – Mental Health America
Inclusive Mental Health Provider Directories
- Inclusive Therapists
- Therapy In Color
- Therapy for Black Men
- Melanin & Mental Health
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
- Therapy for Queer People of Color
- Latinx Therapy
- Therapy for Latinx
- Therapy for Latinx
- South Asian Therapists
- Asian Mental Health Collective
- Open Path Collective
- Hello Alma
Crisis Hotlines
- 988 (call or text 988 or chat online), the short code to the national suicide and crisis hotline launched this July. This toll-free, three-digital phone number will connect the caller to a national network of more than 200 crisis centers.
- Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline
- Crisis Textline (Text HOME to 741741 or use WhatsApp) – free, 24/7 support
- Blackline (1-800-604-5841), a space for peer support and counseling prioritizing Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
- StrongHearts Native Helpline (1-844-762-8483), a confidential and anonymous culturally-appropriate domestic violence and dating violence helpline for Native Americans, available every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT.
- Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) provides trans peer support, run by and for trans people.
- Trevor Project (Call 1-866-488-7386, text 678678, or chat online), provides information & support to LGBTQ+ young people 24/7, all year round.
Additional Resources
- The Nap Ministry – Tricia Hersey
- The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health – Rheeda Walker, PhD
- What My Bones Kow – Stephanie Foo
- Homecoming – Dr. Thema Bryant
- Set Boundaries, Find Peace – Nedra Glover Tawwab, MSW, LCSW
- You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience – Tarana Burke and Brené Brown
- Grieving While Black: An Antiracist Take on Oppression and Sorrow – Breeshia Wade
- Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief – Michelle Cassandra Johnson
- What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing- Bruce D. Perry, M.D., PH.D. and Oprah Winfrey
- Decolonizing Mental Health – a conversation between BIPOC mental health experts & advocates, part of PBS’s “Mysteries of Mental Illness” series
The information on this page is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical provider for any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
