One in four adults endures the burden of mental health disorders. That burden has become heavier lately due to a trio of crises disproportionately affecting the Black community: the coronavirus pandemic, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis, which sparked protests for racial justice. During a year of massive change, and trauma, mental health is bound to finally take a front seat.

During the month of September, The Dr. Brandt® Foundation*used their annual #SayILoveYou campaign to highlight the urgent need to support the Black Community with culturally responsive care and partnered with mental health provider, TalkSpace, to fund over 100,000 hours of online and on-demand professional mental health services. In light of the pandemic and on-going fight for justice in the Black Community, we took this month to highlight voices from the mental health community and bring the conversation to the forefront of our channels and messaging.

We also partnered with TalkSpace to provide resources to learn more about how the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement is affecting mental health at a dramatic rate. You can read our co-branded blogs Black Americans and the Mental Health Care System During COVID 19, How Mental Health Activists are Fighting Racism, and Self Care in the Age of COVID. We had the pleasure of co-hosting Dr. Karmen Smith, LCSW DD in a Question and Answer session on our social channels where she tackled some of our communities’ most asked questions about Shame and Judgement in the Mental Health Industry.

Thankfully, the conversation around mental health continues to change every day. We’ve seen more public figures speaking out about their own experiences with mental health and therapy and working to destigmatize the conversation surrounding mental health.