Efforts Underway to Respond to Trauma in the Aftermath of the Baltimore Uprising

The unrest in Baltimore during the spring of 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody has called attention to a number of longstanding challenges plaguing urban communities:  poverty, unemployment, boarded up homes, poor education, limited opportunities for youth, unmet health needs, and trauma-related mental health concerns.  In the aftermath of this crisis, several organizations have begun to work collaboratively to address these challenges.

The All Healers Mental Health Alliance (AHMHA), a member of the IBW Black Family Summit, was formed in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina to facilitate culturally appropriate responses to the mental health needs of people affected by disaster.  AHMHA and other organizations have come together to support the Black Mental Health Alliance for Education and Consultation, Inc. (BMHA), a 30 year old organization based in Baltimore, to respond to community concerns uncovered by the uprising.

BMHA is pursuing a two-pronged approach.

First, to address the mental health impact of trauma in the black community triggered by incidents such as the killing of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, BMHA engaged the Community Healing Network (https://communityhealingnet.com) and the Association of Black Psychologists to provide a facilitator’s training on Emotional Emancipation Circles (EECs).  EECs are support groups for black people that promote the understanding of trauma related to the racism that the black community has experienced historically and in the contemporary environment.

The goal of the training is to build capacity by equipping a cadre of leaders to hold support group meetings in zip codes 21215, 21216, and 21217 where participants whose lives are affected by racism can share their burdens and frustrations and heal together in a safe space.  Second, BMHA has convened a Call to Action, of mental health professionals, community healers and health advocates, out of which an interactive speaker series called, Baltimore Rising:  Summoning the Village, has been developed.

This speaker series has been designed to bring national thought leaders, researchers and scholars to Baltimore who will share their knowledge and recommendations for solutions to the current and longstanding challenges facing the city in areas such as employment, education, housing, the criminal justice system, health, mental health and substance abuse.

A panel of leaders from the Baltimore community will respond to the featured speaker and share their knowledge of Baltimore, critically analyzing the relevance and applicability of the keynote speaker’s recommendations to achieve positive change in the city. Twelve sessions are planned and an issue brief with solutions and recommendations customized for Baltimore with the incorporation of audience input will be crafted after each program.

The inaugural event of this series to be held on July 23^rd, 2015, will feature Mindy Thompson Fullilove, M.D., a psychiatrist who helps cities neutralize the effects of policies detrimental to the black community such as mass incarceration, planned shrinkage, disinvestment, and de-industrialization, and undertake deliberate action steps to improve quality of life.