Black mental health professionals work to improve access to care in Birmingham

Adezza DuBose, a licensed counselor in Birmingham, sits behind her desk, her purple tipped locs tied into flower-like buns, notebook in hand, ready to listen to anyone in need. Her laugh could put anyone at ease while sitting on her bright yellow couch. She feels familiar, like catching up with a cousin during the holidays or ranting with a friend after a hard day of work. Alabama ranks 50th in access to mental health care, according to a 2022 Mental Health America study. Despite the stigmas surrounding mental health, Birmingham-based counselors and advocates are working to ensure underserved communities are receiving quality care. Black women mental health professionals in Birmingham hope to make positive changes by providing culturally competent care and resources. “I want to be able to show my community that they have Black people out here in these spaces that were never designed for us,” DuBose said. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of West Alabama, DuBose enrolled in the military in 2015 and served six years. During that time, she gave birth to her daughter, worked as a mental health technician at a Tuscaloosa children’s center, founded Black Mental Health: Let’s Pray...