Suicide rates rising among Black boys and men is a hard conversation to have, seemingly harder if the answer requires more money to Black organizations to provide community-based resources, and the political will to get it done.
Mental health providers are calling on community participation to shed light on some of the reasons why suicide is ticking up in the Black community, as the number of white people dying by suicide is decreasing.
Health advocate Linda Hart said many high-profile cases in the entertainment industry are sounding the alarm on a serious issue that has been unfolding in the Black community over the past decade. She said more targeted help is needed to stop the tragic trend.
Hart reaches about 1,500 annually with unduplicated contacts in Riverside County’s Black community where she holds in-person mental health presentations. But in San Bernardino County where she lives, and in areas across the state, she said the Black community is estranged from outreach workers who look like them.
Part of her focus this year is reaching families for multi-generational impact. She commended Riverside County for taking strong steps to support racially relevant programs, and MSA funds and RFP process for all communities.
Read more at PrecinctReporter.com.
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