By Meadowlark Monaghan, AIM Youth Advisory Board Member
We know that people from minority groups are significantly less likely to receive mental health care compared to white youth. On top of that, minority youth are more readily referred to the juvenile justice system than to specialty primary care.
Lack of cultural understanding, misdiagnosis and under diagnosis, language barriers, stigma barriers, cultural presentation of symptoms, lack of diversity among mental health care providers, lack of insurance, and distrust in the healthcare system are just some of the barriers to care.
At AIM, our mission is to bridge the gap between research and access to care for ALL youth struggling with their mental health. We do this by finding, funding and implementing evidence-based treatments, empowering youth to discover their own mental health solutions, and training caring adults to create a safe holding place for children, teens, and young adults.
This July, we’re focusing on culture, community, and connection to uplift and support BI&POC youth for a hopeful and mentally well future. Starting with connecting to the community! When we reach out for support, we begin to heal ourselves and our community.
As part of our Mission to bridge the gap between research and access to care for youth, today, we are sharing BI&POC-specific resources that utilize research-backed modalities that are equally culturally competent.
BI&POC Mental Health Resources:
Inclusive Therapists
Inclusive Therapists offer a safer, simpler way to find a social justice-oriented counselor, therapist or coach. They connect you with BI&POC + LGBTQ mental health care in your area. They offer family therapy, therapy for children, teen therapy, group therapy, coaching, virtual, and low-cost services, amongst others. They also have a great Instagram to share with teens for mentally healthy education, affirmations, and more.
We R Native
We R Native is a comprehensive health resource for Native youth, by Native youth, providing content and stories about the topics that matter most to them. They promote holistic health and positive growth in our local communities and nation at large. They have many resources, articles, educational tools for youth to learn more and a Youth Support Resource Guide.
Asian Mental Health Collective
AMHC aspires to make mental health easily available, approachable, and accessible to Asian communities worldwide. They have a therapist directory, community events, support groups, resources, training, blog and more.
AAKOMA Project
AAKOMA believes that to meet the mental health needs of Youth of Color, we need to operate at three levels – raising consciousness among individuals, providing accessible tools for ongoing management, and changing systems to receive youth and provide better care. They have an incredible guide on the State of Mental Health for Youth of Color 2022. They also have an incredible virtual therapy program for 5 free sessions with culturally competent providers nationwide for youth aged 12-30. More information about this program and others on their site.
Black Mental Wellness
Black Mental Wellness is a corporation, founded by clinical psychologists, who through their training and expertise, recognized the need for culturally competent professionals to collaborate and address mental health issues that are prevalent and unique to the experiences of Black people. They offer workbooks, virtual conferences, coping + wellness strategy toolkits, as well as other resources.
Therapy for Black Girls
Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. In addition to being a therapist network, they also have a podcast, a Sister Circle digital community space, blog and more.
Therapy for Blk Men
TherapyForBlackMen.org was born from the idea that Black men and boys face unique challenges and stigmatization, and therefore need a dedicated space for seeking and finding mental health support. They’ve made it their mission to strip away that stigmatization and ease the process of finding help via their Therapist + Coach network. By providing targeted resources and a database filled with professionals equipped to support men of color, their users can now obtain the help they need and deserve.
The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN)
The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a healing justice organization committed to transforming mental health for queer and trans people of color (QTPoC). NQTTCN sits at the intersection of the mental health field and movements for social justice. Find a therapist or myriad of resources via their website.
Open Path Psychotherapy
Open Path connects clients in need with culturally competent mental health professionals who offer affordable therapy for $40-70 per session in-office and online (and have a $30 pricing option for student intern sessions).
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. Through fellowships, residency programs, listening tours, and more, they contribute to both the empowerment and the liberation of their community.
Latinx Therapy
This national directory is for Latinx Therapists in private practice. In addition to finding a therapist, folks can connect to their podcast, courses + workshops, wellness resources, and events.
South Asian Therapists
South Asian Therapist is a mental health therapy and counseling directory network. Find an Asian therapist near you.
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AIM’s Instagram recently linked to each of these organizations. Connecting youth to these social media accounts like the ones above and AIM’s are a great way of utilizing social media as a positive-focused community space for youth and a fun way for them to connect with resources.
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About the Author
Meadowlark Monaghan (she/hers) is a consultant using her knowledge gained as a mental health professional to act as a liaison between brands, creators, + online communities with the field of psychology and mental health. She also co-hosts the personal development podcast, Thoughts May Vary. Her work has been seen with Madhappy, Local Optimist, The Mayfair Group, Lonely Ghost, AIM Youth Mental Health, NAMI San Diego and more.
Moving Upstream: A Proactive Approach to Addressing Behaviors and Bullying
Krista Reuther is the Assistant Director of Ohana’s Community Health and Prevention Program. She received her Masters in Public Health and Social Work at UC Berkeley. She comes to this position after 14 years of clinical social work experience at Stanford Children’s Hospital in pediatric oncology, critical care, and bereavement. Her goal is to reduce the incidence of mental illness in children and adolescents in Monterey County.
Dr. Guss is a 35-year veteran educator with a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. She served as a classroom teacher for 10 years, including two years as a teacher in a bilingual program in South Central Los Angeles. She has also served as a college professor, mentor teacher for new teachers, and a master teacher for teacher candidates completing their student teaching experience. She continues to be a strong advocate for the teaching profession.
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (1994) CA
Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
is 15 years old and a sophomore at Marina High School in Marina, CA. Her academic interests include math, history, and psychology. She joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 because she wanted to be a part of something that could have a great impact on her community. Marwa is interested in youth mental health because she has always been fascinated with the human mind and she wants to support those that are suffering who may feel like their challenges in life aren’t important enough or are too afraid to seek necessary help.
Giovanna Panetta is a 16 year old junior at Carmel High School. She has always been called to STEM subjects, specifically biology. The AIM Ideas Lab instantly attracted her attention as a research opportunity. Gia has always comprehended the importance of mental health. She knows that COVID only exacerbated previously existing problems, and that as a community we can try and find the root of those problems. Mental health is an integral part of life, and can impede a body’s ability to be healthy. She strongly believes that life is worth living, and she wants to help anyone that thinks otherwise.
Dr. Friedman completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of California San Diego (UCSD). She went on to complete her masters and doctorate degrees (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School. Dr. Friedman completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and her post-doctoral fellowship training at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Her clinical training and experience has been focused primarily on comprehensive assessment and effective treatments for anxiety, mood and related disorders. Dr. Friedman has extensive experience in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for anxiety disorders (e.g. worry, OCD, social anxiety, phobias and PTSD), depression, adjustment disorders/life stress, insomnia and body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g. Trichotillomania and skin picking). She has received training in evidence-based interventions for a variety of specific problems, including exposure with response prevention (ERP) for treatment of OCD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for treatment of PTSD, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). Moreover, she has specialty training in the treatment of childhood anxiety and related disorders, such as ADHD, selective mutism, separation anxiety, PTSD, depression and specific phobias. In addition, Dr. Friedman has developed an expertise in research on Trichotillomania and body-focused repetitive behaviors, which has led to numerous local and national presentations. Dr. Friedman regularly attends local and national conferences, training seminars and workshops in order to stay informed on the most up to date treatments and apply state of the art science into her clinical practice.
Dr. Piacentini is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist and Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He directs the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Clinic and Tourette Association Center of Excellence which provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment (both therapy and medication) for youth with the above problems. He also directs the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilence, Education, and Support (CARES; carescenter.ucla.edu) which provides education and programming to parents, teachers, and clinicians about anxiety prevention and management.
Citlalli Nava is 18 years old and a first year majoring in Psychology at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, CA. She is passionate about understanding how mental health affects how youth think, act, and feel. Citlalli joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 after witnessing the increase in mental health challenges in teenagers and considering the mental health issues they are facing. Citlalli is interested in youth mental health because it is a real problem faced by her generation.
Clinical and community psychologist and health care innovator Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. With more than 146,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as members, APA promotes and disseminates psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives – a mission consistent with Evans’ life work.
