Filling the Gaps

The Peer Support Team at Northwest Fire District connects firefighters with a trained peer support specialist to talk confidentially about mental health. The program also connects firefighters in need with additional resources like therapy and counseling. In an effort to change the mindset most first responders have toward mental health, there are currently 50 trained peer support specialists throughout the state and more than 1,000 across the country.

Nuci’s Space aims to prevent suicide by providing a safe space for people of all ages, particularly youth, to connect and play music. They also offer affordable practice spaces and mental and physical health care services for participants, including affordable counseling.

Several Louisville organizations are addressing mental health care accessibility for youth of color by offering therapy in community spaces like barbershops, libraries, and other familiar environments. This approach aims to reduce stigma and has also made mental health care more accessible by eliminating barriers such as cost and location. Many youths who had participated in the therapy programs reported feeling more open to discussing their mental health.

The Kniffley Racial Trauma Therapy Model is specifically designed for people of color and focuses on affirming racial identity and providing a safe space to discuss traumatic experiences and gain a sense of empowerment. The model uses culturally relevant therapeutic tools and therapists who have been trained with it report a significant increase in how prepared they are to address racial trauma with clients.

Nonprofits Mixteca, RaisingHealth, and Brave House are providing safe spaces for migrants to receive culturally relevant mental health care through workshops that incorporate cultural traditions and common mental health and self-care practices. The workshops help provide a sense of community and combat the stigma surrounding mental health in the immigrant community.

“Chill Rooms,” offer students a place where they can go and talk to “chill therapists” when they’re feeling anxious, stressed or just need a minute to reset during the school day. Some schools have even partnered with other organizations to offer creative forms of mental health care, like equine therapy. In the Northgate School District, the graduation rate has increased by 11% since incorporating Chill Rooms.

Amongst an increased need for mental health care, Monadnock Family Services is offering group therapy to children to get them in for some level of care as staff shortages make offering individual therapy too difficult. The American Psychological Association found that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy for most conditions — as well as more efficient. Monadnock Family Services offers a variety of groups depending on a patient’s interests and identity, like groups for those who enjoy hiking to groups for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Black Men Heal Yoga is a free yoga class that provides a safe, healing space for Black men looking to explore tools like meditation, mindfulness and movement to combat stigma and take care of their mental health. Black Men Heal Yoga is funded by money raised through social media. 10 classes have been held so far, with more than 50 men being served and about $2,000 in donations being raised.

ACCESS Open Minds connects youth and young adults to mental health support, including therapists, caseworkers and peer navigators to help them get the care they need. One of ACCESS’s main goals is to bridge the gap between the complexities of the mental health care system and the community. By creating these youth wellness hubs and connecting people with the appropriate services, ACCESS has decreased the number of hospitalizations and emergency room visits and increased the number of people getting mental health care.

The Tufunguke initiative works to raise awareness, educate and provide a community for those experiencing mental health issues. Tufunguke creates a safe space both online through social media platforms and in person through events for people to come together to discuss mental health and get connected with care resources Tufunguke reaches about 100,000 people a month through its many social media accounts.