‘Building Clinicians of Color’ to Support Mental Health Access in Buffalo
Healing Hub of New York, Inc. and Say Yes Buffalo are proud to announce the launch of a cohort of 15 clinicians of color who will receive support and resources designed to increase their ability to provide culturally centered mental health counseling to individuals in the local community. This much-needed initiative is aimed at addressing the need for individuals to have the choice of receiving traditional and nontraditional mental health services from a clinician of color when desired. This need was highlighted following the mass shooting at Tops that targeted the Black community and resulted in the loss of 10 precious lives and community-wide trauma.
This inaugural cohort is comprised of 15 clinicians at various levels of practice and includes those in private practice, fully licensed or working towards full clinical licensure, those interested in starting their own practice, and clinicians interested in enhancing their skills. Clinicians will receive an array of support through culturally centered trainings provided by Rafiki Consortium, workshops and financial support to assist with credentialing to accept insurances, marketing skills for increased visibility, and support to assist with licensing exams and clinical supervision needs. In return, each of these clinicians will provide the equivalent of five hours per month of free counseling services to Buffalo residents over the next two years. These services will be provided in the form of group and individual counseling at various settings.
“We recognize the vital need for culturally centered and accessible mental health support within our community,” said Kelly Dumas, LCSW, Executive Director at Healing Hub of New York, Inc. “Our goal is to build up clinicians and practices of color for individuals to seek help, find hope, and embark on a path towards healing and thriving in spaces that are reflective of us.”
“In the aftermath of the Tops tragedy, we identified a need for culturally sensitive mental health services in our community, and we were thrilled to partner with Mrs. Dumas and Healing Hub of New York, Inc. to get this program off the ground,” said Say Yes Buffalo CEO David Rust. “It makes a huge a difference when the person offering support has a shared cultural background as the person receiving support, especially when we’re talking about acute racial trauma.”
Services will be provided out of various locations to include Say Yes Buffalo, Villa Maria College, Harvest House Ministries, Zion Dominion Global Ministries, Martha Mitchell Center of Buffalo Municipal Housing Authorities, and Northland Workforce Training Center.
The organization encourages those struggling with mental health challenges or those who know someone in need of support to reach out and take the first step toward wellness.
For more information, please visit www.healinghubny.org or contact (716) 202-8415 for inquiries.