The resources shared by GirlTREK are for informational purposes only and are not meant to serve as medical advice or to replace consultation with your physician or mental health professional. GirlTREK does not endorse any of the individuals or organizations listed below or referrals obtained through organizations or websites listed below. Use of GirlTREK's National Resource Toolkit constitutes an agreement by the users not to hold GirlTREK, any of its employees, volunteers, or officers liable or responsible for information obtained through the resources below by persons or entities not associated with GirlTREK.
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TOP-3 FEATURED RESOURCES: This section was created to make it easy for you to explore our Top 3 Featured Resources which have been carefully curated to empower and uplift Black women in navigating critial times in our nation. Dive in and find guidance, solace, and empowerment tailored just for you. You can also search our national resource toolkit for resources relevant to your personal situation.
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DOMESTIC ABUSE RESOURCES
SAFETY ALERT: If you are in danger, please use a safer computer and consider calling 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 / TTY 1-800-787-3224 or the StrongHearts Native Helpline at 1−844-762-8483 (call or text) are available to assist you.
Please review these safety tips.
Black Women Revolt: The Black Women Revolt against domestic violence resource center is dedicated to:
- Increasing awareness about the impact of intergenerational violence in the Black community.
- Removing barriers for Black women who have experienced domestic abuse to receive access to culturally sensitive resources.
- Providing a designated space with resources specifically for Black women in San Francisco to help educate and heal as they recover from abuse.
National Domestic Abuse Hotline: Help to those experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship.
National Resource Center On Domestic Violence:
NRCDV knows that domestic violence is preventable and ending domestic violence takes vision.
WE PROMISE to lead boldly in centering and amplifying voices of survivors and traditionally marginalized communities.
WE PROMISE to make you feel Valued, Inspired, Equipped, and Informed, in each and every interaction you have with NRCDV.
WE PROMISE to provide opportunities to make you feel Invested and Connected in the movement to end domestic violence.
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SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCES
Survivors' Agenda: A collective of organizations who believe that survivors should be the ones shaping the national conversation on sexual violence. The Survivors’ Agenda Initiative is about building power and changing the conversation–especially for those most marginalized and kept down by the structural oppressions of our society. A collective of organizations who believe that survivors should be the ones shaping the national conversation on sexual violence.
Per Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too Movement, policy areas we should be advocating for:
1. Workplace policy: Job & Worship space safety
2. Body Atonomy: Reproductive rights
3. Sex & consent education
4. Health & Healing: Post traumatic growth
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The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.
When we’re suicidal, our thought processes might slow down. There are times when we can’t put our thoughts and feelings into words. Even if our brains are in overdrive, and we have lots of different thoughts and it can be difficult to pull them together.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE! If you are someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, please dial 988 to speak with a counselor 24-7.
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The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation was created by actress and author, Taraji P. Henson to provide support and bring awareness to mental health issues that plague our community.
No one should have to suffer in silence.
Virtual Therapy Services are NOW AVAILABLE. Click here to get started!
If you need IMMEDIATE help with thoughts of harming yourself or others, please call the National Suicide Helpline at: 1-800-273-8255
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The Crisis Text line is here to bring in reinforcement to help care for our community this holiday season and beyond. It’s simple! If you or someone in your community is having a difficult time navigating life’s challenge OR in crisis, Text WALK to 741741. It’s FREE and 24/7.
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Black Men Matter – Examining Mental Health Issues Among Black Men – A Guide To Freedom: Mental Health Resources to support the men in your life.
Addiction Hotline 866-716-0142
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Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too Mental Health Resource Guide
Megan Thee Stallion launches website with mental health resources for fans. The site includes links to organizations, numbers for helplines and ways fans can find a nearby therapist.
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Need someone to talk to during a mental health crisis?
Check out our Warm Line Directories
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Virtual Mental Health Resources for Black Women
Black lives matter, and so does Black mental health. The Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health reports that African Americans are 10 percent more likely to experience serious psychological distress. At the same time, only 30 percent of African American adults with mental illnesses get help each year, which is below the U.S. average of 43 percent.
Racism and racial trauma continue to affect the mental well-being of Black people, who already face so many obstacles when it comes to receiving mental health treatment. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness stated, “Racism is a public health crisis.”
If you feel like the continued incidents of police brutality, the demoralizing legal proceedings like in Breonna Taylor’s case, and the lack of justice for Black lives (on top of living in a society that upholds systems of racism) are taking a toll on your mental health, here are some resources that could help you, your friends, or your family right now: Black lives matter, and so does Black mental health
The Loveland Foundation: Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.
Through our partnerships with Therapy for Black Girls, National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network, Talkspace and Open Path Collective, Loveland Therapy Fund recipients will have access to comprehensive lists of mental health professionals across the country providing high quality, culturally competent services to Black women and girls. With therapy sessions costing an average of $80 – $200 per session, we have selected the previously mentioned directories to increase the likelihood that participants are able to financially afford therapy after the end of the 4-12 sessions supported by The Loveland Foundation’s Therapy Fund. Black women and girls deserve access to healing, and that healing will impact generations.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are a Black woman or girl who would like financial assistance seeking therapy please click here to fill out our Therapy Fund signup form.
Up To Parents: FREE resources for those who are separated, going through a divorce, or are divorced to help their mental and financial state during the separation from their spouses. In the simplest terms, Up to parents show separated and divorced parents how to build their better futures by focusing on meeting their children's needs. We charge nothing, and our only hope is that increasing numbers of parents and professionals will see the overwhelming advantages of abandoning the idea of separation and divorce as disputes in favor of a truly child-focused way forward.
BEAM National Crisis Response Teams and Services Across America:
Crisis Response Teams provide professional, same-day intervention for adults who are experiencing mental health crises and is an option before 911 needs to be contacted.
The team visits families to prevent acute psychiatric crises from becoming emergencies that require law enforcement involvement or involuntary hospitalization.
CRT includes licensed mental health clinicians, community and family support workers and a family nurse practitioner employed by Contra Costa Behavioral Health Services (BHS).
The goal is to de-escalate the crisis and safely connect the families with care and mental health resources.
The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline: Calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline gives you access to a range of free services including:
- Confidential support from a trained staff member
- Support finding a local health facility that is trained to care for survivors of sexual assault and offers services like sexual assault forensic exams
- Someone to help you talk through what happened
- Local resources that can assist with your next steps toward healing and recovery
- Referrals for long term support in your area
- Information about the laws in your community
- Basic information about medical concerns
SAMHSA National Helpline: Provides treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
SAMHSA Step-by-Step Guide to Wellness: This guide offers a broad approach for things we can do—at our own pace, in our own time, and within our own abilities—that can help us feel better and live longer.
Sunshine Behavioral Health: Help is here. SBH is here to help support those in our community facing mental health issues. “Racism is a public health crisis,” according to a May 2020 statement from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This means that racism — whether unintentional, unconsciously, or concealed — has affected Black Americans’ access to equal and “culturally competent” health care.
American Red Cross: You are not alone. Contact the Red Cross for emergency aid. You are not alone! The thousands of staff and volunteers of the Red Cross are here for you with emergency aid when you need it most, and also advice and assistance to help you recover from a disaster or become better prepared to face one in the future.
USA.Gov Hurricane Relief: Disaster Financial Assistance with Food, Housing, and Bills
During the coronavirus pandemic, you may qualify for additional help with food and bills. Learn about mortgage and rental relief. And find out how the CARES Act can help your family.
Disaster distress helpline: If you or someone you know shows any disaster distress symptoms, whether you know they are in relation to a hurricane or tropical storm or if it is unclear how they started, call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 for support and counseling.
It’s normal for hurricanes to cause people to experience emotional distress. Feelings such as overwhelming anxiety, constant worrying, trouble sleeping, and other depression-like symptoms are common responses before, during, and after these types of storms.
2-1-1 Texas Disaster Assistance: Call 9-1-1 for life-threatening, emergency situations due to Hurricane Harvey. When you call 2-1-1(link is external), you’ll have the choice of several options. Here’s what each one does.
Option 1
- Answers general assistance questions and operates year round
Option 2
- Questions about SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), TANF, Medicaid and CHIP
- Information about the current SNAP food waivers related to Harvey
Check here for FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE and NEWS/INFORMATION regarding the severe winter storm.
5 FREE Mindfulness Apps: Sisters Magazine has curated a list of Free Mindfulness Apps to Help you find CALM. "The Black community is coping with historic challenges relating to social justice, health and the economy. We’re all in this together. During this turbulent time, Sisters From AARP is prioritizing new and existing content that supports our readers’ mental, physical and economic safety and well-being, including this story." - Sisters Magazine
Black Girls With Gardens: BGWG is a collective dedicated to providing answers, tips, and inspiration to women of color interested in gardening. We value how much representation matters and aspire to create a space for like minded women to support each other and connect with their ancestral environmental background. For the newbie plant mom of 1, the woman with the potted plant army, or the aspiring farmer, BGWG have you covered.
Whether gardening is a form of self care, coping, hobby, or a career for you- we promise to make gardening easy for you.
BGWG is a digital resource for women of color to find support, inspiration, education, and representation in gardening.
Allstate, Purple Purse, Foundation: The Allstate Foundation’s domestic violence program (Purple Purse) works to create a society where women are financially empowered.
1 in 4 women experience domestic violence in the United States. 99% of those cases include financial abuse. It’s one of the main reasons victims are unable to leave an abusive partner or have to return to one.
Since 2005, The Allstate Foundation has been committed to ending domestic violence through financial empowerment. The Purple Purse Foundation provides survivors with the education and resources needed to achieve their potential again and equip young people with the information and confidence they need to help prevent unhealthy relationships before they start.
How to find a Black Therapist: Finding the right therapist doesn't have to be a guessing game. Imade' Nibokun Borha, the Founder of "Depressed While Black," walks us through how to get help (even if you don't have insurance.)
Therapy For Black Girls: Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.
BFT - Black Female Therapist: Black Female Therapists (BFT) is the #1 lifestyle and empowerment platform for women of color! This platform was created to promote, inspire, and elevate other black female therapists and create a safe space for black mental health.
The "Safe Place" App: "The Safe Place" Is a Minority Mental Health App geared towards the Black Community. African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the rest of the general population. However, many black people still do not wish to seek professional help for their mental illnesses. The Purpose of the "Safe Place" is to bring more awareness, education, and hope to this serious issue.
211 United Way can be accessed by phone or computer. A toll-free call to 211 connects you to a community resource specialist in your area who can put you in touch with local organizations that provide critical services that can improve—and save—lives.
You’ll find information about:
- supplemental food and nutrition programs
- shelter and housing options and utilities assistance
- emergency information and disaster relief
- employment and education opportunities
- services for veterans
- health care, vaccination and health epidemic information
- addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs
- reentry help for ex-offenders
- support groups for individuals with mental illnesses or special needs
- a safe, confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic abuse
Whether in times of natural disaster or personal crisis, 211 is committed to being the first, most essential resource to anyone who needs help.
Call 211 and speak with a live, highly trained service professional in your area from any cell phone or landline. All calls are private and confidential.
National Alliance on Mental Illness: Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 M-F, 10 am – 6 pm, ET Or in a crisis, text "NAMI" to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling
If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. There are many supports, services and treatment options that may help. A change in behavior or mood may be the early warning signs of a mental health condition and should never be ignored.
Every year people overcome the challenges of mental illness to do the things they enjoy. Through developing and following a treatment plan and effective coping strategies, you can dramatically reduce many of your symptoms.
Dear Black Women: Mind, body and soul one stop shop for mental health and self-care.
National Coalition for the Homeless: If you are not homeless yet, it may be possible to avoid becoming homeless by finding out about prevention or emergency assistance programs in your area. Often these programs can help in paying rent, utilities, or bills.
If you are homeless now, emergency assistance programs may help with health care, food, and temporary, transitional, or permanent housing.
National Suicide Prevention LifeLine: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.
National Disability Institute (NDI): FINANCIAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19 is here! The National Disability Institue understands the devastating impact COVID-19 will have on the financial and personal health of people with disabilities and those with chronic health conditions, as well as their families and communities. This website provides you with trusted answers to your questions, including assistance to help you manage your finances. Our partnership with LifeCents gives you access to free online financial wellness training, while AFCPE offers you free professional financial counseling. The Financial Resilience Center was developed by NDI with generous funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation. We are in this together, and we are here to help.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline provides telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States.
A care package for the Sounds True community: In response to the growing uncertainty and heightened stress during this unprecedented time, we have created this special digital care package to help you navigate the coming days with mindfulness, compassion, and presence. Please share and enjoy these free resources—we can all use some support!
Hello Alice Small Business Resource Center: Apply for a COVID-19 Business for All Emergency Grant What do you need help with?
Hello Alice is offering $10,000 grants being distributed immediately to small business owners impacted by coronavirus, as part of our broader mission to ensure Business for All. In addition to funding, grant recipients will receive ongoing support from the Hello Alice community.
The Institute for Advancement of Women's Health: (IAWH) Offers free training on health issues women face. (IAWH) is a non-profit organization, based in Northern Virginia. Our mission is to conduct and apply community-based, public health research that leads to women becoming more knowledgeable and better informed participants in their health care and well-being.
SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus: With the additional funding provided by the new COVID-19 relief package, SBA will resume processing EIDL Loan and Advance applications that are already in the queue on a first come, first-served basis.
The SBA will provide further information on the availability of the EIDL portal to receive new applications.
Elder Care Locator: The Eldercare Locator is a nationwide service that connects older Americans and their caregivers with trustworthy local support resources. Since 1991, the Eldercare Locator has been linking those who need assistance with state and local agencies on aging, as well as community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers. Whether help is needed with services such as meals, home care or transportation, or a caregiver needs training and education or a well-deserved break from caregiving responsibilities, the Eldercare Locator is there to point that person in the right direction.
The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration on Aging (AoA), an agency of the U.S. Administration for Community Living.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency or fear for your safety, call 911.
Thank you for taking time to review our national resource toolkit. We are constantly updating this guide with resources you can use. We hope that the information shared was helpful to you.
Have more questions? Email our Community Care Team at info@girltrek.org
"We are each other's business; we are each other's harvest; we are each other's magnitude and bond." - Gwendolyn Brooks