Young Black Men Dealing With Traumatic Experiences of Violence

Aiello, Olivia

doi:10.3102/1691961

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Nor have organizations committed to a deep understanding of the nuances of Black youths’ lives, an understanding which could then be integrated into practice (Jones et al, 2020). Black communities in Canada are disproportionately impacted by geographic and financial barriers to care (Fante-Coleman & Jackson-Best, 2020), increased exposure to gun violence (Aiello, 2022), over-incarceration, and other social determinants of health. Care that fails to integrate those experiences and address these barriers to care would be insufficient and reflects a poor understanding of anti-racist practice (Cénat, 2020; Jones et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizational and practitioner challenges to Black youth accessing mental health care in Canada: Problems and solutions.

Fante-Coleman¹,

Jackson-Best²,

Booker³

et al. 2023

Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne

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This article aims to elucidate the barriers to mental health care for Black youth by providing the perspectives of youth, caregivers, and service providers. Given the significance of service provision, analysis is focused on accessing the mental health care system at the organizational and practitioner levels. The present study explored the barriers and facilitators to mental health care for Black children and youth in Canada. The results of this article draw from a larger study that aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to mental health care for Black children and youth in Canada. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify themes, which were analysed through a critical race theory lens. Participants noted numerous challenges related to accessing care, many of which they attributed to anti-Black racism (ABR). At the practitioner level, stigma and racism from providers, a lack of cultural awareness, and non-Black workers unable to assist Black youth were major themes. At the organizational level, three core themes emerged: Organizations not committing to cultural responsiveness, a lack of Black professionals, and a lack of agencies specifically for Black youth. To increase access to care, organizations must address ABR by making actionable commitments to anti-racist efforts, increasing culturally responsive programming, and addressing ABR for Black employees. Practitioners need to take a flexible, individualised care approach that rejects assumptions and stereotypes and allows clients to lead with their experiences. This study is among the first to explore ABR and access to mental health care for Black youth in Canada. Public Significance StatementResearch suggests that Black youth in Canada are at greater risk of developing mental illness than their counterparts, and access to safe and effective mental health care is necessary to address these challenges. This article provides an overview of current obstacles to providing care to Black youth. Barriers at the organizational and practitioner levels related to anti-Black racism hindered adequate access to care which requires actionable commitments to rectify.

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