Kids Help Phone and BlackNorth Initiative teaming up to provide mental health support for Black youth

 

As of Thursday (February 4), Kids Help Phone and BlackNorth Initiative have announced a partnership committed to closing the gaps and reducing barriers to mental health support for Black youth in Canada.

According to data from Kids Help Phone, Black service users experiencing racism are the most distressed of all service users.

Based on the findings, Black youth are experiencing a plethora of mental health crises in Canada. However, they are 47 per cent less likely to seek mental health support compared to white youth.

As a result, this partnership is intended to fight to end the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community, which has historically prevented Black youth from reaching out for support, and has therefore led to increased levels of depression, anxiety, and suicide among the Black community.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with BlackNorth Initiative as together, we align to listen, understand and act to support underserved Black youth, nation-wide," Katherine Hay, president, and CEO of Kids Help Phone, said in a news release.

“As one of the first signatories committing to the BlackNorth Initiative to remove barriers created by anti-Black Racism, Kids Help Phone continues our journey with purpose. We are thankful to BlackNorth Initiative for their leadership and guidance in this important work," she continued.