Been A Long Time Coming: Afrocentric Trauma-Informed Treatment Engagement for the African Male Diaspora

This presentation will provide a clear picture of how the intersections of untreated mental illness and increased chronic illness are leading Black men to an early death. It will also highlight the barriers that prevent the African male diaspora from engaging in treatment. It will address the grand challenges of social work, including closing the health gap, advancing long and productive lives, and eliminating racism (Grand Challenges for Social Work, 2024).
This presentation proposes an alternate treatment intervention customized to meet the needs of the African male diaspora within a group setting. The 9-week Afrocentric trauma-informed treatment program will have three objectives:
1. Teach the participants about the importance of their cultural history and ancestral linkages between modern African American and African cultures;
2. psychoeducation—learning more about how mental illness impacts the participants, mentally and physically; and
3. Learn coping strategies like meditation, mindfulness, grounding exercises, and journaling.
This program will increase engagement and retention among Black male participants in therapy by providing them with a safe space conducive to catharsis where, through shared experiences, they can receive mutual support and validation. Through the psychoeducational part of the program, these participants will have an improved understanding of how Black men are impacted by mental illness, will learn what signs of mental illness to look for in others, and, through empowerment, will learn how to have open conversations with friends and family about normalizing mental health services.