Black Men in Community & Mental Health with Dr. Jonathan Shepard

And The Question Is with Dr. Graham

According to Mental Health America (MHA), over 16% of black or African American people had a mental illness in 2017. That’s about 7 million individuals - more than the combined population of Philadelphia, Houston, and Detroit. Despite the prevalence, it remains a touchy, sensitive subject that prevents many from getting the support they need. The question is why.
To shed more light on this pressing problem in our black community, I talked to Dr. Jonathan Shepard, whose knowledge and expertise made him the appropriate person to discuss the barriers of care. It turns out there are many. The goal of this episode, however, isn’t just to provide information about the severity of the issue but to also offer reasons black people—men, in particular—should learn to seek help now available in many forms.
As we point out in this episode, we still have a long way to go in making even the topic of black mental health accessible. But this is why we’re here in the first place: to provide space for a healthy discussion on matters that affect our community, whether we like it or not.

Topics Covered:

• Discover the two biggest barriers to black mental health
• Learn how black faith affects the community’s perception and acceptance on mental health support
• Listen as Dr. Shephard shares the best strategies to help improve access to mental health support for the black community
• Explore the various programs available, including organizations like black Mental Health Alliance

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Time Stamps/Quotes

8:58-9:08: To me, faith is what tends to be able to cope with a number of stresses of life. You cannot cope with what we're going through right now if your faith is weak. Again, they [faith and mental health] don't intersect. They are one and the same.

16:30-16:41: That's where I'm going with this. And so when you hear people like me talking about this, you want to know that we understand that their mental health professionals do get it. And we're letting you know that you need to be able to connect with somebody.
28:11-28:32: I'm not here to challenge your belief. I'm here to expand your capacity. Because if you expand your capacity, then you'll have the ability to look beyond what I'm even saying. And your boundaries will even expand for the Lord told us that if you would believe or me, and if you really understand my word and my purpose for you, it will cause you to have brain expansion.