A Community-Based Approach to Increasing Access to Mental Health Services: The Inclusion of Black Faith-Based Organizations

Background and Purpose: Access to mental health services has become a national public health issue, particularly for racially and ethnically diverse communities (Coombs et al., 2021). Although acknowledged in the literature and community as a viable community-based resource for Black populations, limited research has investigated the utilization of Black faith-based organizations (FBOs) to increase access to services to address mental health needs for underserved populations (Armstrong, 2019). Village HeartBEAT, Inc. (VHB Inc.), a faith-based nonprofit organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, comprised of over 60 churches, developed the Bridge to Better Mental Health (B2BMH) project. The project team established seven faith-based mental health hubs staffed with Community Health Workers to promote mental health services among adult residents in the region by linking them to referrals and resources. This study aimed to explore service engagement, access, cultural humility, and satisfaction outcomes among participants enrolled in B2BMH.

Methods: The research team utilized a descriptive survey research design. After 90 days of participation in the B2BMH program, individuals were administered an online survey. The survey included 12 validated items assessing service engagement, access, cultural humility, and satisfaction. One open-ended question obtained qualitative feedback. A descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS v. 29 to analyze demographics and key indicators.

Results: Of the total respondents (N=89), approximately 92% were Black (n=77), 83% were female (n=69), 57% had obtained an associate or college degree (n=47), and the majority (27.7%) were aged 45-55 followed by 55-65 (25.3%). Results revealed high service engagement, access, cultural humility, and satisfaction among respondents. The highest-rated outcomes were cultural humility and satisfaction, indicating that the program is meeting the needs of diverse residents. Access to services had the highest level of variance with scores. Qualitative responses indicated differences in preferences regarding the frequency of engagement with the Community Health Workers and recognition that participants needed more help accessing support resources than they realized.

Conclusion and Implications: Our findings highlight the importance of engaging FBOs to increase access to care for diverse populations and ultimately have a broader social impact. Interestingly, the sample was highly diverse for race but not for gender, indicating the need to reach more Black male populations with this initiative. Additionally, the higher representation among associate or college-educated participants reveals a need for access to care for mental health services despite educational levels. Additional strategies are needed to reach populations who do not have a high school diploma or college degree. Further, B2BMH uses the social determinants of the mental health framework (Allen et al., 2014) for linkage and referral, ensuring that holistic needs are addressed, including food insecurity, housing, and income.

As the largest workforce of mental health providers, social workers are uniquely positioned to partner with FBOs to help increase access to mental health services for underserved populations. Additionally, using the social determinants of mental health framework, combined with increasing access to services at the community level, may help reach populations less likely to have access to critical services.