July is national “BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month!” 

As an organization that promotes mental wellness, we cannot fully do our job without addressing the imbalance, lack of access, and overall whiteness that exists in mental healthcare. Now more than ever we must discuss the disparity of mental health resources for communities that have been pushed to the margins.

In addition to raising awareness, and calling to end the stigma against receiving mental healthcare, we must also call for accessible and approachable mental health tools to be available in every community. With PeaceLove programming available through community organizations, we hope to play a small role in the larger movement of bringing the language of self-love and safe spaces out from behind pay-walls and directly into communities.   

Below is a list of mental health organizations founded by people of color, designed specifically for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people. These websites contain newsletters, articles, podcasts, and networks to locate multiculturally competent therapists. We hope this list can connect people with the resources that they need. 

If you are not a member of the BIPOC community, consider supporting one of these organizations in order to sustain their work.

DRK BEAUTY – https://thisisdrkbeauty.com/drk-healing/ 
“We are a digital community that supports and empowers women of color in all their diversity. We promote curated content and programming that prioritizes the needs and stories of women of color in this brave new world.” 

Therapy for Black Girls – https://therapyforblackgirls.com/ 
“Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.”

We R Native – https://www.wernative.org/ 
“We are a comprehensive health resource for Native youth, by Native youth, providing content and stories about the topics that matter most to them. We strive to promote holistic health and positive growth in our local communities and nation at large.”

Healing Black Women – https://www.healingblackwomen.com/ 
“Healing Black Women is a safe space designed to encourage & promote all forms of wellness & healing for black women. Join us as we honor Minority Mental Health Awareness Month by sharing why #OurMentalHealthMattersNow with 6 dynamic virtual panel discussions.”

Melanin & Mental Health – https://www.melaninandmentalhealth.com/
“Melanin & Mental Health® was born out of a desire to connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black & Latinx/Hispanic communities. We are committed to promoting the growth and healing of our communities through our website, online directory, and monthly events.”

Black Girls Smile Inc. – https://www.blackgirlssmile.org/
“Black Girls Smile Inc. was founded in 2012 by Lauren Carson based on the gaps she found throughout her mental health journey as a young African American female with clinical depression. Lauren envisioned a society that through the normalization and dialogue surrounding mental wellness, all individuals, including young African American females would be provided the education, support and resources necessary to lead a positively mentally healthy life. Black Girls Smile Inc. was born!”

Therapy For Black Men – https://therapyforblackmen.org/
“TherapyForBlackMen.org is a directory to help men of color in their search for a therapist. Using the directory, men can search by therapist location and specialization. Searching by location, the results will include the therapists near you and will display their credentials, location, and the issues they treat. At TherapyForBlackMen.org, men will also find a wide range of resources aimed at helping them in their search for a multiculturally-competent therapist.”

Ethel’s Club – https://www.ethelsclub.com/about/
“Ethel Lucas was a matriarch figure in a tight-knit Black community whose home offered warmth, laughter, and care. Her belief in community as a practice lives on in her granddaughter, our Founder and CEO, Naj Austin. Our mission is inspired by Ethel — we create healing spaces that center and celebrate people of color through conversation, wellness and creativity.”

Victoria Rose is a writer and musician from Providence, Rhode Island. victoria@peacelove.org