Black mental health professionals are critical in addressing challenges related to mental and behavioral health care in African American communities, including accessibility, relatability, cultural competency and more. However, while they are treasured resources, studies show African American mental health care professionals face particular challenges related to burnout.
While Black mental health professionals are critical, recent data shows they are significantly more likely to experience burnout than other helping professions, putting both an underrepresented group of practitioners and the people they serve at risk.
A National survey conducted by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, found a concurrence of feedback from mental health practitioners concerned that they may not be able to meet increasing demands for mental health or substance use treatment and care without the help of much needed public policy changes.
Among 750 behavioral health workers and over 2,000 adults across the U.S., “nearly two in three (65%) reported increased client caseload, and more than seven in 10 (72%) reported increased client severity since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The mental health workforce is predominantly White and female, and there is a lack of representation of clinicians of color, especially Black male clinicians. This lack of diversity can make it difficult for Black Americans to find a practitioner they feel comfortable sharing race-related trauma with.
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