Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, data has suggested that the mental and emotional health of Black youth have worsened. Social influencers of health — such as disparities in access to mental health services; direct, indirect, and systemic experiences of racism; and greater risk of adverse childhood experiences — have all also been impacted by and exacerbated by the pandemic, further contributing to mental health concerns among Black youth. This presents a particularly important time to understand and identify treatments that address the specific and unique mental health concerns of Black youth, more specifically Black boys.
Black boys are more likely to experience the pressures of Black masculinity roles, which suggest that they must be physically and emotionally strong, athletic, and places less emphasis and value on their emotional health and feelings. This webinar will provide the audience with an understanding of the unique experiences of Black boys, the negative impact of shame and stigma on their mental health (depression, anxiety, trauma, and suicide), and how collectively these factors may make vulnerability, sharing their feelings, and seeking help even more difficult. This presentation will also provide strategies for reducing the stigmatization of mental health, specifically among Black boys.
Nicole Cammack, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Washington, DC and in the state of Maryland. She received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and her master's and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University. Throughout her career, Dr. Cammack has focused on identifying ways to address the cultural and systemic issues that impact Black mental health and wellness. This passion led to the development of Black Mental Wellness, Corp. of which she is the President and CEO.
Jessica Henry, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Georgia. She is the co-founder and vice president of program development and evaluation for the Black Mental Wellness Corp., and founder and CEO of Community Impact: Consultation & Psychological Services—a trauma-informed organization whose mission is to provide trauma-informed services to individuals and organizations affected by traumatic events. Henry is the current senior director of behavioral health for one of Washington, DC’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers, and previous clinical director of a level-5 close security male prison and Georgia’s largest youth homeless shelter. Overall, Henry is passionate about the mental health of individuals in Black and under resourced communities and has specialized in increasing access to treatment and providing the highest quality of evidence-based mental health treatment services to underserved youth, families, and adults exposed to traumatic events (e.g., community violence, abuse, neglect). She received her B.S. from Howard University, M.A. from Columbia University, and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University. She is from the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. For more information about Henry, please visit BlackMentalWellness.com or ImpactTheCommunity.com. She can also be found on Instagram @BlackMentalWellness or @CommunityImpact_CP.
Health and behavioral health professionals, school staff, community members and advocates, and family members of Black youth
