Strategy 1: Raise Awareness and Reduce Stigma in the African American Community

• Action Steps:
  • Launch culturally relevant public awareness campaigns about mental health and suicide prevention.
  • Engage African American influencers, churches, and community leaders to talk openly about mental health and suicide.
  • Create resources that specifically address the mental health needs of African Americans, using language and imagery that resonate with the community.
  • Host community events, forums, and workshops that encourage conversations around mental health and suicide.

• Action Steps:
  • Encourage mental health professionals to provide culturally competent care that acknowledges the unique experiences of African Americans.
  • Provide training for gatekeepers (teachers, pastors, community leaders) on recognizing signs of mental distress and referring individuals to appropriate services.
  • Collaborate with African American churches, fraternities, sororities, and other community organizations to create peer support networks.
  • Offer family-based mental health programs that involve parents and caregivers in supporting youth mental health.

• Action Steps:
  • Increase the availability of mental health services in predominantly African American communities, particularly in underserved urban and rural areas.
  • Provide resources for low-cost or free mental health services to those who face financial barriers.
  • Ensure that African Americans have access to culturally appropriate telehealth services, especially in areas where in-person services are limited.

• Action Steps:
  • Advocate for policies that address the root causes of mental health struggles in African American communities, such as housing insecurity, unemployment, and racial discrimination.
  • Partner with organizations working on criminal justice reform to address the mental health impact of incarceration,  police violence, and racial profiling.
  • Support educational and employment initiatives that reduce poverty and economic stress, which are significant risk factors for suicide.
  • Promote racial equity in healthcare access and ensure that African Americans receive equitable mental health treatment in medical settings.

• Action Steps:
  • Collaborate with African American churches, and spiritual communities to create faith-based mental health initiatives.
  • Train pastors and spiritual leaders to recognize signs of mental health struggles and provide spiritual and emotional support.
  • Organize faith-based support groups where people can share their experiences in a safe and supportive environment.
  • Partner with faith-based organizations to offer grief counseling and postvention services for families affected by suicide.

• Action Steps:
  • Develop school-based programs that teach African American youth coping skills, resilience, and emotional regulation.
  • Address bullying, discrimination, and social pressures faced by African American teens, particularly in predominantly white or racially diverse schools.
  • Provide resources and relevant mentorship programs that connect African American youth with positive role models.
  • Engage parents in suicide prevention through family-focused workshops and resources that address generational trauma, communication, and mental health. 

  Action Steps:  

• Promote 24/7 988 crisis helplines.
• Develop positvention strategies to help communities recover and prevent further suicides after a suicide event..

• Action Steps:
  • Educate African American communities on the importance of safe storage, medications, and other lethal means.
  • Partner with community organizations to provide resources and education on gun safety.    
  • Distribute gun locks and lock boxes, and educate the importance and impact.

• Action Steps:
  • Provide resources for culturally sensitive grief counseling and support services for African American families who have lost loved ones to suicide.
  • Create peer-led survivor support groups that allow  African Americans to share their grief experiences in a culturally familiar setting.
  • Organize community remembrance events and healing circles to support families and friends affected by suicide.