Continuing Education

Disparities and Culturally Specific Interventions in African American Mental Health

Addressing Systemic Barriers and Promoting Equity in Diverse Communities

Mental Health Education

About The Course

Course Title: Disparities and Culturally Specific Interventions in African American Mental Health

Learning Method: Record asynchronous distance (non-interactive). This course includes a recorded video and access to the presented resources.

Amount of CE Credit Offered: 1 Cultural Competency credit. ASWB ACE and NBCC.

Fees: This course can be purchased individually for $25 or as part of an annual unlimited continuing education subscription available for $99/year.

Posttest: Following the course, the participant will take a 10 question posttest. A score of 70% correct is required to pass and obtain a certificate. If you do not pass the posttest, it can be re-taken after fully reviewing the materials again.

Certificate of Completion: In order to receive a certificate of completion, you must indicate that you’ve watched the entire video portion of the course, earn a passing grade on the test, and complete the requested course evaluation.

Description of the Course:

Why is understanding this topic important?

1. Addressing Health Disparities:

African Americans face significant mental health disparities due to systemic racism, economic inequities, and limited access to culturally competent care. Highlighting and addressing these disparities can improve mental health outcomes and promote equity in healthcare systems.

2. Fostering Culturally Responsive Care:

Understanding the unique cultural and historical experiences of African Americans allows mental health professionals to provide interventions that are relevant, effective, and empowering. This is crucial for building trust and engagement with underserved populations.

3. Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health:

Discussions like this help decolonize and destigmatize mental health care within African American communities, encouraging more individuals to seek support and recognize the value of therapy. This shift can lead to increased utilization of services and better overall community well-being.

Learning Objectives:

Identify Systemic Barriers: Identify and articulate at least three systemic barriers that contribute to mental health disparities among African American communities and describe strategies for addressing these barriers in clinical practice.
Apply Culturally Specific Interventions: Demonstrate an understanding of Afrocentric therapy and other culturally responsive approaches by outlining how these methods can be integrated into treatment plans to better support African American clients.
Promote Trust and Inclusivity: Develop actionable techniques for building trust with African American clients, including practices that emphasize cultural humility, decolonized therapy approaches, and the acknowledgment of historical and generational trauma.

Target Audience:

Mental health professionals and Masters and Clinical level licensees pursuing continuing education.

Content Level:

Both beginning and intermediate-level content are included in this course.

Instructor Bio(s):

Meagan Mitchell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been providing individualized and group instruction for over 8 years.

Meagan Mitchell, LICSW, is currently a Child and Adolescent Therapist and owner of Brain Space Wellness. She is working towards her Play Therapy credential. Meagan is also the founder of Agents of Change Social Work Test Prep – a learning platform and community designed for social workers preparing for their licensing exams.

She loves combining her passion for learning and sharing her knowledge with the social work community. Meagan has a strong interest in tech & and innovation, specifically exploring the intersection of technology with social work practices. She is also passionate about multicultural supervision & and ethics; ensuring diverse voices are heard, understood, and supported in supervision and consultation.

Lastly, Meagan is currently a DSW student at SUNY Buffalo.

Kadijah Harris, MSW, LCSW

Kadijah brings nearly a decade of experience in the social work field, with expertise spanning foster care, family-centered treatment, and outpatient therapy. Her work has centered on providing culturally responsive mental health services, particularly to African American communities, through roles like foster care social worker and family treatment clinician.

Currently, Kadijah is the owner and CEO of Nia Counseling and Family Services, PLLC, where she provides virtual clinical therapy, coaching, and mentoring to African Americans in North Carolina. She specializes in Afrocentric therapy and person-centered holistic approaches, using modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy and talk therapy to address challenges like anxiety, depression, and ADHD.

Kadijah is deeply committed to decolonizing and destigmatizing therapy, ensuring that mental health care is accessible, culturally relevant, and empowering for her clients. Her practice emphasizes honoring the cultural strengths and rich heritages of African American communities, integrating these elements into tailored, supportive interventions.

Find more from Kadijah at https://www.niafamilylife.com/ and on Instagram: @niacounseling

Course Outline:

1) Understanding Barriers to Mental Health Care Access

Overview of systemic barriers (e.g., economic disparities, limited access, and stigma).
Historical injustices and their impact on trust in mental health care.
Cultural perceptions and the influence of generational trauma.

2) Building Trust and Cultural Competence

Importance of cultural humility and self-awareness in therapy.
Strategies for fostering trust with African American clients.
Role of open-ended, culturally relevant questions in client engagement.

3) Afrocentric Therapy and Holistic Healing

Principles of Afrocentric therapy (e.g., community interconnectedness, spiritual integration).
Techniques for incorporating cultural strengths and heritage into therapy.
Narrative therapy as a tool for identity exploration and healing.

4) Adapting Therapeutic Models

Identifying cultural gaps in traditional therapeutic approaches.
Modifying existing models (e.g., CBT, DBT) for cultural relevance.
Exploring specialized approaches like Afrocentric play therapy and strength-based parenting models.

5) Practical Applications and Resources

Strategies for creating an inclusive therapeutic environment.
Tools and resources to support African American clients (e.g., culturally representative materials).
Continuing education opportunities for clinicians to deepen cultural competence.

Course Creation Date: 1/28/25

Requesting Accessibility Accommodations:

Please email [email protected] to request accessibility accommodations.

System Requirements:

The most recent version of Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge browser
Javascript enabled
PDF plugin
Graphic and audio output capability
Broadband internet connection with a minimum speed of 5Mbps (recommended)
TLS 1.2 supported by your web browser

Refund Policy: In general, refunds will not be provided. However, if you do have any concerns or grievances, please contact us at the email address below. Registrants who do not complete their course(s) will not receive a refund. Registrants who purchased the course but did not achieve a passing grade will not receive a refund. The Agents of Change Grievance Policy can be viewed here.

Cancellation Policy: If an Agents of Change Continuing Education course is canceled, a full refund will be provided to all participants.

Please email [email protected] with any questions about the course.

Agents of Change is Approved by ACE

Agents of Change, #1919, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 7/26/2023 – 7/26/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.

Agents of Change is Approved by NBCC

Agents of Change has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7620. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Agents of Change is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

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