On March 22, 2024, DBSA CEO, Michael Pollock joined DBSA Board member Dr. Altha Stewart, MHA, and NAMI at the 2024 Black Psychiatrists of America Spring Conference: Exploring the Nexus of Community and Mental Health: Space, Place, and Identity in Los Angeles. Michael shared DBSA’s advocacy efforts on addressing race equity in mental health care in support of Black communities through offering support groups for the Black community and training peer specialists.
DBSA is committed to providing free, in-person, and online support groups tailored to the needs of the Black community. These groups address various barriers such as financial constraints, transportation issues, accessibility concerns, and the need for culturally relevant resources.
In 2023 alone, DBSA conducted over 20,000 support group meetings with more than 250,000 attendees. Additionally, there were 45,000+ downloads of educational resources from the DBSA website.
Specifically for the Black community, DBSA organized 403 online support groups in 2023, with over 6,000 attendees. Feedback from participants indicates a strong sense of community, with 97% feeling welcome and included, 92% expressing increased hopefulness, and 87% learning new strategies for managing mood disorders.
Despite the high demand, there are significant barriers to accessing culturally relevant mental health care. These include a severe shortage of behavioral health professionals, with only 4% being Black, and a shortage of state-credentialed peer specialists.
Peer specialists play a vital role in providing accessible and affordable support. They are integrated into care teams and receive training focused on breaking stigma, instilling hope, and enhancing peer support networks. In 2023, DBSA trained 141 peer specialists to meet the growing demand.
It’s clear that there is a sustained need to expand support groups specifically for the Black community. DBSA’s Black support groups are consistently over capacity, with a 60% higher attendance rate compared to the general average. Despite this, 17% of those seeking to join a group are waitlisted.
We believe that addressing these disparities requires collective action and support. By raising awareness and advocating for increased resources, we can ensure that all individuals, regardless of race or background, have access to the mental health support they deserve.
