Grant: Operating Grant: College and Community Innovation Social Innovation Fund

According to Mental Health Commission of Canada (2022), 95.1% of Black Canadians feel that the underutilization of mental health services is an issue that needs to be addressed. It was further noted that of 35.4% Black Canadians experiencing significant psychological distress, 34.2% did not seek mental health services. The research team consists of Black community-members and academics who will embark on a multi-method Community-Based participatory action study exploring the experiences of Black patients and frontline workers in emergency, acute and community mental health settings. Working with the Health Research Council for People of African Descent as well as partners, the Regional Municipality of Durham, Black Health Alliance and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, the study will explore the experiences Black community members and their caregivers have when navigating the health system to address mental health concerns. The experiences of frontline workers (both Black and non-Black) when assessing and treating Black patients will also be explored. This research will explore existing data and collect new data regarding Black patients accessing mental healthcare supports in Durham region. The research team alongside Black service users/caregivers and frontline workers will co-create mental health resources tailored to the needs of Black patients which will consist of self-advocacy and self-care, best practices navigating the mental health system inclusive of a mapped-out trajectory of how Black patients currently experience the mental health system. The research team also intends to create culturally responsive learning opportunities for frontline healthcare workers to assist in their interactions with Black patients. The study is grounded in intersectionality theory and culturally responsive teaching framework both of which provide a foundational understanding of the intersections of race, gender, class, and systems of power. This project will be the first project in Canada to properly map out Black patients’ experiences with mental health care, gather Black patient and healthcare worker perspectives concurrently, and analyze outcomes and risk factors in health data for Black patients in the Durham Region. Partners and community networks will be able to share the outcomes broadly and ensure uptake and on-going use of the findings to improve their services and ensure frontline workers are trained and supported.