"Heal Together": Community-Led Transformation of Mental Wellness Care for Black Women

Background/Purpose

Black women in the United States experience poor physical and mental health outcomes associated with racialization and systemic inequities. Traditional mental health care systems have historically failed Black women due to practical, psychological, and cultural barriers including cost, transportation challenges, stigma, the strong Black woman stereotype, generational trauma, and perceived lack of cultural competence among providers. This study employs a community-based participatory research approach to develop, implement and evaluate "Heal togetHER" (HT)—a novel mental wellness model adapted from evidence-based programs in Zimbabwe.By centering urban-dwelling Black women's lived experiences, this research advances understanding of post-pandemic mental health service needs and responsiveness to community-based peer support models, directly aligning with the conference theme of transformative change through innovative care approaches that bridge science, policy, and practice.

Methods

Using a rigorous explanatory mixed-methods design, our community-based participatory research approach ensured that research questions, design, recruitment, data collection, and analysis were developed and conducted in collaboration with community partners. This collaborative approach informed the development and implementation of the peer support intervention where Black women with lived experience are trained as peer support specialists to provide mental health support to other Black women in non-specialty community settings. Data collection included evaluation surveys assessing participant outcomes after engagement with HT peer support specialists, supplemented by focus groups to gather a qualitative understanding of program effectiveness.

Findings

Preliminary analysis of surveys from 30 Black women who completed HT peer support sessions revealed positive outcomes (post-intervention): 89% reported improved emotional regulation (56% strongly agreed, 33% somewhat agreed), while 96% reported enhanced social connection (70% strongly agreed, 26% somewhat agreed). Additionally, 92% indicated they would recommend the service to other Black women, and 89% expressed willingness to access the service again for emotional support. These findings demonstrate strong acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of the peer support model among participants, suggesting its potential as a culturally responsive approach to addressing mental health disparities.

Conclusion/Implications

This study demonstrates how community-engaged research processes can transform mental wellness care delivery for marginalized populations. Heal togetHER represents a promising approach to achieving mental health equity for Black women by addressing barriers to traditional care through culturally responsive peer support. Findings illustrate how social work science can align with community-driven policy and practice to create transformative change in mental health service delivery. This research provides a replicable model for how social work scholars and practitioners can meaningfully engage communities in developing innovative interventions that center lived experiences and cultural contexts, ultimately leading to more equitable health outcomes and systems transformation.