Local Nonprofit Increasing Mental Health Outreach For Tulsa’s Black Communities

A local nonprofit is working to address mental health issues in Tulsa’s black community. The Tulsa Black Mental Health Alliance said it is working to reduce stigmas and provide more resources to those in need. TBMHA has professional counseling services and plans to create an environment of acceptance for people of color facing mental health challenges. One of the founding members of the organization said it can be difficult for people to receive mental health services from people who don’t look like them. “They come in and they aren’t really able to give us effective tools to work through the trauma, to work through the crisis, to work through the different things that we as African Americans and black and brown experience. They aren’t from North Tulsa. They didn’t go to our schools. They don’t have our generational traumas,” said Kimberly Whayne, Licensed Professional Counselor. Whayne said these agencies will offer professional counseling services among other resources. “Helping our community understand that we all have mental health. We all have some areas we need to focus on when it comes to our mental health. These are some ways we can do that. These are some resources. These are some tips....