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Mental Health Needs and Service Standards for Black Children and Youth 

Black youth cycling

Access Alliance is embarking on an important Community-based Research (CBR) project with African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities – From Policing to Public Health: A Data-Driven Framework for Culturally Concordant Mental Health and Non-Carceral Crisis Response for children and youth in Toronto.

Led by the Director of the Research Department, AKM Alamgir, PhD, and Gemechu Abeshu, PhD, Research Operations, this initiative seeks to better understand the current assets, needs, and concerns of ACB children and youth in Ontario. The project aims to develop evidence-based recommendations for culturally responsive and community-anchored mental health care models that can improve the well-being and quality of life of Black children and youth. 

Background 

For Black Canadians, anti-Black racism serves as a critical social determinant of health. It is essential to engage in deliberate and sustained efforts to achieve health equity for Black communities in health planning. For example, diabetes prevalence has increased significantly among younger adults in Canada, with Black individuals disproportionately affected and experiencing worse complications. Recent research that we have conducted highlights the importance of targeted approaches to Black health equity.  

Additional research also shows that some members of Toronto’s Black communities who identify as having African and/or Caribbean ancestry may have limited knowledge of health promotion activities, relying primarily on healthcare providers and social networks for information. In that work, ACB community members emphasized health awareness, advocacy, sensitivity, and autonomy as priority areas for health promotion. This project will continue some of that research, prioritizing community knowledge about available services, identifying needs, assets, and addressing challenges in healthcare system navigation.  

We will generate community- and expert-informed, real-time evidence in a CBR approach involving community, service providers, funders, and relevant literature to understand current needs, concerns, assets, and supports that work. We will consult with experts and community members to recommend a future state that is tangible, efficient, and acceptable to the community to improve their quality of life, all grounded in an equity perspective. 

Project goals 

  1. Co-generate evidence on the current mental health status of Black children and youth compared to the non-Black residents in Toronto, the availability of culturally sensitive mental health professionals, and their needs.  
  2. Gather in-depth insights (Focus Groups and interviews) from Black children/their caregivers, and youth with diverse intersectional identities to develop a future model that ensures tangible improvement in Black Mental Health.  
  3. Promote sustainability, the project will build the capacity of Black scholars in the community to conduct ethical research and realist evaluation in future 

The research will gather qualitative insights directly from youth, caregivers, and service providers while also mapping existing mental health services. We will also conduct an environmental scan of current programs and research related to Black youth mental health. Findings will be validated through an expert and community consultation session and disseminated through reports and peer-reviewed publications. 

Our approach – from evidence informed current state to future state

This project is a collaborative community-based research initiative led by Access Alliance in partnership with two Toronto-based Community Health Centres to examine the mental health needs of African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) children and youth: 

Access Alliance will lead this mixed-methods CBR initiative following the Collaborative Evidence Generation approach. We will conduct quantitative data collection from databases and grey reports. Focus group discussions will be done to generate qualitative evidence, along with key informant interviews. An arts-based approach may be used for children. The data we collect will be triangulated using a collaborative approach; validated and built upon with the community through a World Café meeting. 

We will work with our CHC partners to create a Toronto Black Mental Health Research Collaborative. We will co-generate evidence on the current mental health status of Black children and youth compared to non-Black residents in Toronto, the availability of culturally sensitive mental health professionals, and their needs. Together, we will identify and map culturally sensitive mental health providers across Toronto and survey Black youth regarding their specific non-crisis emergency needs. 

The collaborative group of CHCs will gather in-depth insights (Focus Groups and interviews) from Black children/their caregivers, and youth with diverse intersectional identities to develop a future model that ensures tangible improvement in Black Mental Health. 

Core Roles of Partner Agencies 

Our partners bring essential insight, access, and strengths to this work, including working as:

  • Knowledge Brokers: Agencies often act as the “middleman” between academic researchers and the community. They translate complex data into actionable insights and ensure the research findings reach the people who can use them. 
  • Gatekeepers and Facilitators: Because they have established relationships, partner agencies provide researchers with access to specific populations, sites, or historical data that would otherwise be difficult to reach. 
  • Co-Designers: Rather than just being “sites” for study, active partners help shape the research questions to ensure they address practical, local needs rather than just theoretical gaps. 
  • Resource Providers: This includes “in-kind” support such as office space, staff time, existing datasets, or specialized equipment necessary for the project’s success. 
  • Ethical Stewards: They ensure the research respects the cultural norms and privacy of the participants, acting as an extra layer of protection for the community’s interests. 

By centering Black voices in research participation, interpretation, and leadership, the project strengthens long-term community capacity to shape future health systems.  

Over the next 6 months, we will generate community-driven evidence to inform culturally safe and consistent mental health responses and alternatives to prison-related crisis intervention for Black children and youth. Our peer-research model ensures that trained Black peer researchers will conduct interviews and focus groups within their communities. They will be supported by Access Alliance research staff and partner organizations. A peer-research approach intentionally strengthens the capacity of Black scholars and peer researchers to conduct community research and evaluation in the future. 

Community centred 

Anti-Black racism is a social determinant of health. Black health equity requires deliberate, targeted, community-informed approaches to mental health and crisis response. Community-based research recognizes that lived experience is a critical source of knowledge and works to ensure research reflects community realities and priorities. We see research as a powerful social tool not just for better understanding the world, but also for creating a better world that is more equitable, fair, and just. Our research priorities, projects, and activities are guided by the values and principles relevance, rigor, quality, ethical practice, and positive impact. In a project like this, we strive to understand root/systemic causes and social determinants of poor health outcomes and inequities in ways that can inform upstream and long-term solutions. 

As we move forward with the work, we will share what we learn and resources we identify. Among some of our plans are to establish a Toronto Black Mental Health Research Collaborative, starting with our CHC partners on this project, and inviting and engaging with existing Black Mental Health researchers and organizations, such as the Black Health Alliance, TAIBU, and others. A Black Community Advisory Board (CAB) will serve as the moral and strategic compass of the project. We hope to identify and map culturally sensitive mental health providers across Toronto and survey Black youth regarding their specific non-crisis emergency needs, co-develop a community-led crisis response protocol, and make specific policy recommendations and roadmaps for implementation with Ontario Health and the City of Toronto. 

A peer researcher will lead this project. Peer researchers are people who conduct formal studies or evaluations within a community or demographic of which they are a direct member. By leveraging their lived experience and established trust, they bridge the gap between academic theory and the nuanced realities of the group being studied. This collaborative approach ensures that the research process remains ethically grounded, culturally relevant, and focused on outcomes that genuinely benefit the participants. 

A Black Community Advisory Board (CAB) will serve as the moral and strategic compass of the project. Working closely with our Peer Researcher, we will co-develop a “Community-Led Crisis Response Protocol” that integrates community health nurses and peer workers. 

What does this look like in practice? 

A CAB brings: 

  • Cultural Translation: Advisers vet research materials (surveys, interview guides, and flyers) to ensure the language is accessible, respectful, and free of academic jargon that might alienate participants. 
  • Ethical Oversight: Beyond formal institutional boards, advisers act as a “community conscience.” They identify potential risks to the community’s reputation or well-being that an outside researcher might overlook. 
  • Strategic Recruitment: They provide guidance on the best ways to reach “hidden” or skeptical populations, often vouching for the project’s integrity to build initial trust. 
  • Data Interpretation: When results come in, advisers help explain why certain trends might be appearing, providing the social and historical context that raw numbers cannot show. 
  • Advocacy: Once the study is complete, advisers often lead the charge in using the findings to lobby for policy changes or new community services 

To promote sustainability, the project will build the capacity of Black scholars in the community to conduct ethical research and realist evaluation in future.

Sharing progress

At our May 20, 2026 Community-Based Research Retreat Day, Dr. Abeshu provided preliminary findings from the project, including a summary of scoping review and mapping initiatives. View his presentation and slidedeck below.

AAMHCS_Gemechu Abeshu_ Black Mental HeathDownload

Project updates

To keep you informed, we are posting information from project lead, Dr. Gemechu Abeshu, who is sharing our findings on LinkedIn as they emerge. 

To paint a comprehensive current landscape, our team is combining rigorous data through: 

As we continue to learn, build our knowledge, and engage with the community, we want to share our findings directly with you as they emerge. 

Insight #1: a compounding cycle of trauma 

To kick things off, we are highlighting a critical 2020 study by Beverly-Jean Daniel and Johanne Jean-Pierre that underscores how systemic structures actively impact the mental health and stability of Black children, youth and families. 

Their research reveals a compounding cycle within child welfare and social services: 

Reporting Bias: Black families face a disproportionately high number of calls from school authorities to the police regarding “presumed” neglect or abuse. 

Systemic Removal: Black children face higher rates of being separated from their families and placed into residential or foster care. 

The Crossover Pipeline: There is a stark, disproportionate “crossover” where youth navigating the child welfare system are funneled directly into the youth justice system. 

Why this matters 

You cannot talk about youth mental health without addressing the structural trauma caused by racialized surveillance and family separation. Understanding these systemic pressures is a vital first step in co-creating real solutions for Black youth in Toronto. 

Insight #2: cultural representation matters 

Did you know? 

A lack of cultural competency is a massive barrier to mental health care. Amittia Parker’s 2021 study found that standard services often fail to understand intersecting stressors (race, gender, migration) or accommodate alternative healing methods like nature connection. 

Representation is key. 

60% of surveyed Black Canadians said they’d be more willing to use mental health services if the provider were Black. 

Mainstream mental health care is overwhelmingly white and heavily Western-focused. To make healing accessible, we need diverse providers and open minds to non-Western approaches. 

Insight #3: the mental health system doesn’t match lived reality

Did you know?

There is a massive mismatch between existing mental health systems and the actual realities of Black children and youth in Canada. According to available research (see list below), the current system is failing Black children and youth in three distinct ways:

  1. It’s Culturally Disconnected: The literature shows that dominant models remain heavily Eurocentric, ignoring the roles of spirituality, migration experiences, and collective family wellbeing.
  2. It Focuses on the Individual, Not the Environment: The studies find that systems treat distress as a personal pathology, completely overlooking structural drivers like anti-Black racism, housing insecurity, and educational exclusion.
  3. It Minimizes Lived Realities: Youth across these studies report feeling frustrated when providers offer generic coping strategies while ignoring or minimizing the racialized trauma underlying their distress.

The evidence is clear.

We cannot fix structural trauma with generic solutions. If we want to build effective mental health spaces, the care must evolve to reflect the social and historical contexts highlighted by available research.

Related research:

  • Fante-Coleman, T., Jackson-Best, F., Booker, M., & Worku, F. (2023). Organizational and practitioner challenges to Black youth accessing mental health care in Canada: Problems and solutions.Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne, 64(4), 259–269. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000370
  • Ticar, J. E., & Edwards, F. (2022). Toward holistic and community-based interventions in the mental health of Black and Filipino youth. Intersectionalities, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.48336/IJIEYD8705
  • Salami, B., Maduforo, A. N., Aiello, O., Osman, S., Omobhude, O. F., Price, K., Henderson, J., Hamilton, H. A., Kemei, J., & Mullings, D. V. (2024). Factors That Contribute to the Mental Health of Black Youth during COVID-19 Pandemic. Healthcare, 12(12), 1174. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12121174

Insight #4: we can re-imagine support

Did you know?

For Black communities and over-policed populations in Canada, traditional police involvement in mental health crises can introduce profound service barriers and heightened safety risks.

Available studies back this up:

The City of Toronto’s 2021 Reimagining Crisis Response Community Report revealed that over half of respondents felt unsafe or very unsafe when police responded to a mental health crisis.

The Proof of Concept: A community-led solution isn’t just a hopeful idea—it works. A 2023 evaluation of the Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) conducted by CAMH, Shkaabe Makwa, and the City of Toronto proved its impact.

The Results: Over a 13-month pilot period, the TCCS achieved a 78% diversion rate from police. This means nearly 4 out of 5 crisis calls were successfully resolved without law enforcement ever needing to be on the scene.

Source: City of Toronto. (2025). From Impact to Action: Final report into anti-Black racism by the Toronto Police Service.

Insight #5: we must reduce stigma

Did you know?

June 27th is Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) awareness day. On this day, we reaffirm our collective commitment to creating communities and systems where Black children and youth feel seen, heard, and supported.

We are currently conducting a scoping review of research on Black children and youth mental health in Canada. Our review includes 56 studies, and together they show that mental health stigma is not simply about individual attitudes. Rather, it is shaped by anti-Black racism, religious and cultural beliefs, fear of judgment, previous harmful encounters with institutions, and mistrust of systems that have too often misunderstood, marginalized, or punished Black children, youth, and families.

The reviewed literature shows that mental health struggles are often difficult to name and even more difficult to discuss. Across several studies, some Black families and communities associated mental illness with “madness,” weakness, spiritual failure, being “cursed,” or not having enough faith. In some family and faith settings, experiences of depression, anxiety, or emotional distress were minimized, dismissed, or viewed as something individuals should simply “get over.” Such beliefs can discourage open conversations about mental health and delay help-seeking among Black children and youth.

Reducing stigma requires more than encouraging individuals to seek help. It also requires culturally responsive, anti-racist, and trauma-informed mental health systems that are trusted by Black communities, alongside greater mental health literacy, community dialogue, and safe spaces where children, youth, and families can seek support without fear of judgment.

Some of the references we’ve consulted:

Insight #6: we commit to compassionate community

Did you know?

July 1 is Canada Day.

It is a time of gratitude for our shared values of compassion and community. On this momentous day, we call upon fellow Canadians to open our hearts to understand the lived experiences of Black Canadian children and youth.

Our ongoing research shows that Black children encounter discrimination as early as age seven, with adolescents facing an estimated five incidents every single day (Adu et al., 2025). This daily reality is an exhausting weight on their mental well-being.

This systemic challenge can manifest in heartbreaking ways. Garang et al. (2025) share a striking case of a six-year-old African-Canadian girl handcuffed by police at school for 28 minutes. It is a painful reminder of how easily authority figures can view Black children through assumptions of disorder, rather than pausing to understand and nurture them.

Moving forward isn’t about casting blame; it is an invitation to do better together. It calls on educators, policymakers, and community members to actively listen, reform systems, and build spaces rooted in genuine understanding.

This Canada Day, let’s commit to ensuring every child in Canada feels truly seen, deeply valued, and profoundly safe.

References:

Insight #7: community is a vital support

Did you know?

When Black youth experience school marginalization, trauma, or mental health distress, clinical environments are not the only options for care.

Our ongoing research at Access Alliance on Black children and youth mental health (BCY MH) shows that community safe spaces and Arts-Based Healing (spaces focused on belonging and emotional expression) allow youth to be supported as whole people. Creative outlets like spoken word poetry, expressive drawings and music enable Black youth to safely process trauma, school marginalization, and emotional pain outside clinical environments (Arraiz Matute & Tabi, 2024).

Further, trusted faith-based institutions represent existing, culturally familiar, informal care entry points. When properly integrated, they successfully reduce stigma and help connect families to appropriate mental health resources (Fante-Coleman et al., 2023a; Fante-Coleman & Jackson-Best, 2020).

The data shows that community-based programs and faith institutions offer vital pathways to support. Integrating these models establishes an upstream care pathway. Investing in arts-based community spaces and building the capacity of faith-based institutions provides non-police alternatives that utilize existing community trust and centre the lived experiences of Black youth.

References: