Black 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health Groups

What we offer

Programs

RISE AND THRIVE: Black Wellness Sessions   

Facilitated by an experienced, culturally-sensitive trained mental health counselor, this weekly mental health group is designed to foster a supportive space for 2SLGBTQ+ Black youth to openly discuss their experiences, develop coping strategies, and build resilience. Aligned with the principles of “A Black Health Plan for Ontario”, these sessions will address the unique, intersectional challenges faced by these communities.   

Program sessions focus on the following topics:  

• Suicide Prevention: Introducing safety planning, recognizing warning signs, and seeking support for intervention.   
• Disordered eating support: Promoting body positivity and neutrality, and providing resources for further support   
• Depression & Anxiety: Offering coping skills, discussing triggers, and providing strategies to manage well-being.   
• Well-being & Confidence: Leading confidence-building exercises, guided self-reflection, and affirmations.   
• Addressing Stigma: Facilitating dialogues around stigma, challenges faced by the community, and more  

In the Rise and Thrive program, food is used as a tool to create supportive environments for discussion mental health topics. Participants engage in cooking African and Caribbean diasporic foods as a group, which facilitates community building and enhances engagement with the session topics. This approach also fosters a sense of cultural pride and connection, encouraging open discussions and mutual support among participants of the program.  

The Levelling Minds 2.0 Program  

The Levelling Minds 2.0 is a nine-week program designed to empower 2SLGBTQ+ Black youth. Focusing on nurturing emotional wellness and building effective communication tools, all under the guidance of experienced mental health counsellors. This is a 9-week intervention that provides a targeted curriculum for these youth and their support networks, including families and adult supporters.   The goal is to demonstrate improved connections in communities and families.

Facilitated by an an experienced, culturally-sensitive trained mental health counselor, the Levelling Minds 2.0 program offers group sessions that emphasize trauma-informed care and the realities of minority stress. Our goal is to family dynamics and relationships.

Topics covered within the Levelling Minds 2.0 curriculum include intersectionality and trauma, emotional awareness, self- and co-regulation, family and community dynamics, assertive and non-violent communication, and community care.  

Check back for next sessions soon!

Resilient Roots

Resilient Roots is a nine-week workshop training that aims to empower Black, African, Caribbean, and multiracial youth who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and as having lived experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges to learn skills in peer support and become effective peer leaders. 

The main goals of this program include:

• Build knowledge on mental health, including understanding the types of mental illnesses, how mental health is represented in holistic wellbeing, and the connection between racism, oppression, trauma and mental health
• Develop key peer support skills, including communication, navigating interpersonal relationships, critical thinking, and setting boundaries
• Build skills for resiliency, including self-care and community care strategies
• Understand how to support someone experiencing depression and/or anxiety, and who is at risk of suicide
• Build skills in understanding harm reduction, recognizing the signs of opioid overdose, and how to administer naloxone
• Build skills on how to work as a part of a team
• Develop knowledge on the mental health resources and support networks that are available 

Check back for next sessions soon!

Upcoming Programs