National Resource Toolkit: Support for Black Women's Mental Wellness

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The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.

When we’re suicidal, our thought processes might slow down. Sometimes we can’t put our thoughts and feelings into words. Even if our brains are in overdrive, and we have lots of different thoughts and it can be difficult to pull them together.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  If you are someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, please dial 988 to speak with a counselor 24-7.

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The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation was established by actress and author Taraji P. Henson to provide support and raise awareness about mental health issues that affect our community.

No one should have to suffer in silence.

Virtual Therapy Services are NOW AVAILABLE.  Click here to get started!

If you need IMMEDIATE help with thoughts of harming yourself or others, please call the National Suicide Helpline at:  1-800-273-8255

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The Crisis Text Line brings reinforcement to help care for our community this holiday season and beyond. It’s simple! If you or someone in your community is having a difficult time navigating life’s challenges or is in crisis, Text WALK to 741741. It’s FREE and 24/7.

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Black Men Matter – Examining Mental Health Issues Among Black Men – A Guide To Freedom:  Mental Health Resources to support the men in your life. 

Addiction Hotline 866-716-0142

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Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too Mental Health Resource Guide

Megan Thee Stallion launched a website with mental health resources for fans. The site includes links to organizations, numbers for helplines, and ways fans can find a nearby therapist.

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Need someone to talk to during a mental health crisis? 

Check out our Warm Line Directories

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Virtual Mental Health Resources for Black Women

Black lives matter, and so does Black mental health. The Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health reports that African Americans are 10 percent more likely to experience serious psychological distress. At the same time, only 30 percent of African American adults with mental illnesses get help each year, which is below the U.S. average of 43 percent.

Racism and racial trauma continue to affect the mental well-being of Black people, who already face so many obstacles when it comes to receiving mental health treatment. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness stated, “Racism is a public health crisis.”

If you feel like the continued incidents of police brutality, the demoralizing legal proceedings like in Breonna Taylor’s case, and the lack of justice for Black lives (on top of living in a society that upholds systems of racism) are taking a toll on your mental health, here are some resources that could help you, your friends, or your family right now:  Black lives matter, and so does Black mental health

The Loveland Foundation:  Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.

Up To Parents:  FREE resources for those who are separated, going through a divorce, or are divorced to help their mental and financial state during the separation from their spouses.  In the simplest terms, Up to Parents shows separated and divorced parents how to build their better futures by focusing on meeting their children's needs.  We charge nothing, and our only hope is that increasing numbers of parents and professionals will see the overwhelming advantages of abandoning the idea of separation and divorce as disputes in favor of a truly child-focused way forward.

BEAM National Crisis Response Teams and Services Across America:  

Crisis Response Teams provide professional, same-day intervention for adults who are experiencing mental health crises and is an option before 911 needs to be contacted.

The team visits families to prevent acute psychiatric crises from becoming emergencies that require law enforcement involvement or involuntary hospitalization.

CRT includes licensed mental health clinicians, community and family support workers and a family nurse practitioner employed by Contra Costa Behavioral Health Services (BHS).

The goal is to de-escalate the crisis and safely connect the families with care and mental health resources.

The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline:  Calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline gives you access to a range of free services, including:

• Confidential support from a trained staff member
• Support finding a local health facility that is trained to care for survivors of sexual assault and offers services like sexual assault forensic exams
• Someone to help you talk through what happened
• Local resources that can assist with your next steps toward healing and recovery
• Referrals for long-term support in your area
• Information about the laws in your community
• Basic information about medical concerns

SAMHSA National Helpline:  Provides treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

SAMHSA Step-by-Step Guide to Wellness:  This guide offers a broad approach for things we can do—at our own pace, in our own time, and within our own abilities—that can help us feel better and live longer.

Sunshine Behavioral Health:   Help is here.  SBH is here to help support those in our community facing mental health issues. “Racism is a public health crisis,” according to a May 2020 statement from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This means that racism — whether unintentional, unconscious, or concealed — has affected Black Americans’ access to equal and “culturally competent” health care.

Griefshare: A support group to help you move through the grief process

A GriefShare support group is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the complicated emotions of grief. Through this 13-week group, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s “normal” in grief. Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief, in all its unpredictability—and gain solid support each step of the way.

American Red Cross: You are not alone.  Contact the Red Cross for emergency aid. You are not alone!  The thousands of staff and volunteers of the Red Cross are here for you with emergency aid when you need it most, as well as advice and assistance to help you recover from a disaster or become better prepared to face one in the future.

USA.Gov Hurricane Relief:  Disaster Financial Assistance with Food, Housing, and Bills

During the coronavirus pandemic, you may be eligible for additional assistance with food and bills. Learn about mortgage and rental relief. And find out how the CARES Act can help your family.

DOMESTIC ABUSE RESOURCES

SAFETY ALERT: If you are in danger, please use a safer computer and consider calling 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 / TTY 1-800-787-3224 or the StrongHearts Native Helpline at 1−844-762-8483 (call or text) can assist you.

Please review these safety tips.

Sister Support Resource Guide for Intimate Partner Violence: GirlTREK partnered with Ujima, the National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community, to create the Sister Support Resource Guide for Intimate Partner Violence. Find tools and resources to help you or someone you love navigate an unsafe relationship, get support, and heal.

Black Women Revolt:  The Black Women Revolt Against Domestic Violence resource center is dedicated to:

• Increasing awareness about the impact of intergenerational violence in the Black community.
• Removing barriers for Black women who have experienced domestic abuse to receive access to culturally sensitive resources.
• Providing a designated space with resources specifically for Black women in San Francisco to help educate and heal as they recover from abuse.

National Domestic Abuse Hotline:  Help to those experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship.

National Resource Center On Domestic Violence:

NRCDV knows that domestic violence is preventable and ending domestic violence takes vision.

WE PROMISE to lead boldly in centering and amplifying voices of survivors and traditionally marginalized communities. 

WE PROMISE to make you feel Valued, Inspired, Equipped, and Informed, in each and every interaction you have with NRCDV. 

WE PROMISE to provide opportunities to make you feel Invested and Connected in the movement to end domestic violence. 

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SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCES

 

Survivors' Agenda: A collective of organizations who believe that survivors should be the ones shaping the national conversation on sexual violence. The Survivors’ Agenda Initiative is about building power and changing the conversation–especially for those most marginalized and kept down by the structural oppressions of our society. A collective of organizations who believe that survivors should be the ones shaping the national conversation on sexual violence.

 

Per Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too Movement, policy areas we should be advocating for:

1.  Workplace policy: Job & Worship space safety 

2.  Body Atonomy: Reproductive rights

3.  Sex & consent education

4.  Health & Healing: Post traumatic growth

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Disaster distress helpline:  If you or someone you know shows any disaster distress symptoms, whether you know they are in relation to a hurricane or tropical storm, or if it is unclear how they started, call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 for support and counseling. 

It’s normal for hurricanes to cause people to experience emotional distress. Feelings such as overwhelming anxiety, constant worrying, trouble sleeping, and other depression-like symptoms are common responses before, during, and after these types of storms. 

5 FREE Mindfulness Apps: Sisters Magazine has curated a list of Free Mindfulness Apps to help you find CALM.  "The Black community is coping with historic challenges relating to social justice, health, and the economy. We’re all in this together. During this turbulent time, Sisters From AARP is prioritizing new and existing content that supports our readers’ mental, physical, and economic safety and well-being, including this story." - Sisters Magazine

Allstate Purple Purse Foundation: The Allstate Foundation’s domestic violence program (Purple Purse) works to create a society where women are financially empowered.

1 in 4 women experience domestic violence in the United States. 99% of those cases include financial abuse. It’s one of the main reasons victims are unable to leave an abusive partner or have to return to one.

Since 2005, The Allstate Foundation has been committed to ending domestic violence through financial empowerment. The Purple Purse Foundation provides survivors with the education and resources necessary to achieve their full potential again and equips young people with the information and confidence they need to help prevent unhealthy relationships before they begin.

How to find a Black Therapist: Finding the right therapist doesn't have to be a guessing game.  Imade' Nibokun Borha, the Founder of "Depressed While Black," walks us through how to get help (even if you don't have insurance). 

Therapy for Black Girls is an online platform dedicated to promoting the mental wellness of Black women and girls.

BFT - Black Female Therapist: Black Female Therapists (BFT) is the #1 lifestyle and empowerment platform for women of color! This platform was created to promote, inspire, and elevate other Black female therapists and to create a safe space for Black mental health.  

The "Safe Place" App: "The Safe Place" Is a Minority Mental Health App geared towards the Black Community. African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the rest of the general population. However, many black people still do not wish to seek professional help for their mental illnesses. The Purpose of the "Safe Place" is to raise awareness, promote education, and foster hope for this serious issue.          

211 United Way can be accessed by phone or computer. A toll-free call to 211 connects you to a community resource specialist in your area who can put you in touch with local organizations that provide critical services that can improve—and save—lives.

You’ll find information about: 

• supplemental food and nutrition programs
• shelter and housing options, and utilities assistance
• emergency information and disaster relief
• employment and education opportunities
• services for veterans
• health care, vaccination, and health epidemic information
• addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs
• reentry help for ex-offenders
• support groups for individuals with mental illnesses or special needs
• a safe, confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic abuse

Whether in times of natural disaster or personal crisis, 211 is committed to being the first and most essential resource for anyone who needs help.

Call 211 and speak with a live, highly trained service professional in your area from any cell phone or landline. All calls are private and confidential. 

National Alliance on Mental Illness: Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 M-F, 10 am – 6 pm, ET Or in a crisis, text "NAMI" to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. There are many supports, services and treatment options that may help. A change in behavior or mood may be the early warning signs of a mental health condition and should never be ignored.

Every year people overcome the challenges of mental illness to do the things they enjoy. Through developing and following a treatment plan and effective coping strategies, you can dramatically reduce many of your symptoms.

Dear Black Women: Mind, body and soul one stop shop for mental health and self-care.

National Coalition for the Homeless: If you are not homeless yet, it may be possible to avoid becoming homeless by finding out about prevention or emergency assistance programs in your area. Often, these programs can help in paying rent, utilities, or bills.

If you are currently homeless, emergency assistance programs may provide help with healthcare, food, and temporary, transitional, or permanent housing.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.        

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline provides telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States.

A Care Package for the Sounds True Community: In response to the growing uncertainty and heightened stress during this unprecedented time, we have created a special digital care package to help you navigate the coming days with mindfulness, compassion, and presence. Please share and enjoy these free resources—we can all use some support!

The Institute for Advancement of Women's Health: (IAWH) Offers free training on health issues women face. (IAWH) is a non-profit organization, based in Northern Virginia. Our mission is to conduct and apply community-based, public health research that leads to women becoming more knowledgeable and better informed participants in their health care and well-being.

Elder Care Locator:  The Eldercare Locator is a nationwide service that connects older Americans and their caregivers with trustworthy local support resources. Since 1991, the Eldercare Locator has been connecting individuals in need of assistance with state and local agencies on aging, as well as community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers. Whether help is needed with services such as meals, home care, or transportation, or a caregiver needs training and education, or a well-deserved break from caregiving responsibilities, the Eldercare Locator is there to point that person in the right direction.

The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration on Aging (AoA), an agency of the U.S. Administration for Community Living.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency or fear for your safety, call 911.

Thank you for taking the time to review our national resource toolkit.  We continually update this guide with additional resources for your use.  We hope that the information shared was helpful to you. 

Have more questions? Email our Community Care Team at info@girltrek.org

"We are each other's business; we are each other's harvest; we are each other's magnitude and bond." - Gwendolyn Brooks