Halumbe Wellness Project: Supporting the Mental Health of Black Youth in Ottawa

The overall aim of this project is to promote the mental health and well-being of Black youth in the Ottawa School District, particularly considering the Covid-19 pandemic. Through culturally relevant mental health interventions, the project aims to increase knowledge of the unique mental health needs and challenges faced by Black youth in Canada among teachers, administrators, and parents. This includes raising awareness of the role that the social determinants of health play in shaping barriers to access. By promoting resilience and building capacity among the Black community, the program will help to reduce stigma and improve access to mental health support services for Black youth.

Lead organization: Centre for Resilience and Social Development

Improving the mental health of Black Youth in the Ottawa School District.

WHO
WHAT
HOW
WHERE
WHY

Black youth, newcomers and refugees

Objectives

Through culturally relevant mental health interventions, the project aims to increase knowledge of the unique mental health needs and challenges faced by Black youth in Canada among teachers, administrators, and parents.

Objectives will be achieved through targeted programming for students, their teachers, and their caregivers. By promoting resilience and building capacity among the Black community, the program will help to reduce stigma and improve access to mental health support services for Black youth.

Activities

Interventions for Black Youth in three Ottawa public schools
Targeted training for school administrators and teachers
Workshops for parents and guardians

Settings

Community
School

Implementation sites

Ottawa, Ontario

Black Canadians are more likely to experience serious psychological distress than the general population from socio-economic stressors such as:

Poverty
Racism
Islamophobia
Marginalization
Lack of access to culturally appropriate community services
Increased exposure to violence and victimization

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing mental health needs among Black Canadian youth

In the words of the project team members

“The overarching objective of Halumbe Wellness Project is to address the mental health needs and challenges of Black Canadians…we hope that the project will increase knowledge about the unique experience and challenges faced by Canadian youth and their families and reduce the stigma around mental health, specifically within the Black community.”