Donate
Subscribe
Webinars\Since March 2020, we have all been trying to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. One unexpected outcome of the pandemic has been the devastating impact on the mental health of children, exacerbating the children’s mental health crisis. While many experts suggest that youth were already facing a mental health crisis prior to the pandemic, data from the Centers for Disease Control suggest that the emergency department visits for a mental health concern increased for children ages 5-11 (by 24%) and adolescents ages 12-15 (by 31%). In addition, data collected through a Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed that parents reported that their children’s mental health is currently worse than prior to the pandemic.
When we examine the mental health crisis among Black youth specifically the suicide rates among Black youth have continued to increase faster than other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. In addition, many facilities that target child and adolescent mental health reported being significantly understaffed, wait times for services increased, and there is a lack in diversity of mental health providers to address the unique mental health needs of diverse youth. Collectively, this led to the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association declaring a national state of emergency on child and adolescent mental health in October 2021.
We know that Black youth disproportionally face additional stressors that negatively impact mental health including racism and health inequalities and disparities. While Black Mental Wellness does not provide direct clinical care, we provide trainings for a range of individuals involved in the care and development of youth, specifically, mental health professionals, school systems/school staff, national youth mentorship programs, non-profit organizations, and colleges/universities. Further, we create and implement programming to directly educate various populations about child and adolescent mental health, provide trainings on cultural sensitivity when assessing and treating youth, and in work directly with youth. We also actively work with youth in-person and in virtual spaces to learn initial ways to identify their feelings and engage in healthy coping strategies.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________Upcoming Webinar
We invite you to join us on our webinar “Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Supporting Students in the Mental Health Field” on July 11, 2022
__________________________________________
About Black Mental Wellness
Black Mental Wellness is a corporation of licensed Clinical Psychologists who are passionate about addressing mental health and wellness concerns specific to the Black community.
