Black Girls Mental Health Collective

“They don’t wait for Black women to break before building a place to hold them.”

For Black women in America, mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it exists inside a system that routinely overlooks, misdiagnoses, or dismisses our pain. Research shows that Black women are less likely to have their symptoms taken seriously, more likely to have their distress mislabeled as “anger” or “attitude,” and far less likely to receive culturally competent care when they ask for help (Rosenthal & Lobel, 2020; Ward, 2013).

Even when Black women seek support, they face structural barriers: they are significantly more likely to experience anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum, but least likely to receive treatment (Gavin, 2022). This combination — chronic stress, racial trauma, isolation in new motherhood, and lack of responsive care — creates a silent pipeline toward mental health crisis.

Black Girls Mental Health Collective was born to disrupt that pipeline.

Instead of waiting until collapse, they bring care to the starting point — pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood — the very season where emotional neglect is most quietly dangerous. They create spaces where Black women are held with care, dignity, and cultural understanding before their struggles become labeled as a crisis.

The Services They Offer

BGMHC provides a deeply nuanced range of support tailored specifically to the lived experience of Black women and birthing individuals — because healing is not one-size-fits-all. Their offerings include:

1. Individual Therapy – Trauma-informed, culturally responsive care for anxiety, depression, pregnancy/postpartum stress, birth trauma, fertility challenges, pregnancy after loss, grief, pregnancy planning therapy, and so much more!
   

2. Support Groups & Circles – These include facilitated virtual gatherings such as:

   1. A Self-Care Circle for Mamas — a weekly Tuesday 60-minute virtual drop-in space at 6pm PST for Black mothers to connect, rest, reflect, and reclaim self-care. 

   2. Nurtured & Nourished: A Postpartum Healing Circle for Black Mamas — a 45-minute virtual healing space every other Friday 12:00–12:45 pm PT (3:00–3:45 pm ET) led by Melissa Morgan 6:00–6:45 pm PT (9:00–9:45 pm ET) led by Ebony Staten for mothers in their first year postpartum.

   3. Expecting Together — is a virtual support group that meets every other Tuesday for 60 minutes at 6pm PST and is designed for pregnant Black women and birthing individuals to prepare emotionally, mentally, and socially for their journey (details listed on their website).

   4. Soulful Rest — a restorative virtual meet-up that comes together every other Monday at 12pm PST offering rest and reflection tailored for Black women, especially during motherhood transitions.

3. Maternal & Perinatal Focus – Specialized pathways for women during pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood — connecting mental health care with maternal wellness at the earliest juncture. 

4. Professional Training & Supervision – Workshops, clinical supervision, and mentorship for doulas, midwives, therapists, and mental health professionals who work with Black mothers and birthing people — expanding culturally competent care across systems. 

5. Virtual Access & National Reach – While deeply tied to local Black maternal health networks in the Bay Area, BGMHC offers virtual sessions and services to Black women and birthing individuals across the United States — ensuring geography doesn’t determine access.

Why Their Work Matters

The Miles Hall Foundation works to ensure that when a mental health crisis occurs, families are met with care — not criminalization.

Black Girls Mental Health Collective stands at the other end of that same life-saving bridge: they support Black women before crisis ever takes root.

So many crises begin long before there is a 911 call — in the exhaustion, isolation, and unspoken overwhelming emotions that Black mothers carry alone. BGMHC sees the emotional load that society overlooks and meets it with prevention, protection, and community. Where traditional systems say, “come back when you are breaking,” BGMHC says, “you don’t have to break to be worthy of care.”

This is how real change happens — by tending to the roots, not just the aftermath.

Their work ensures mental health is treated as a birthright, not a privilege — and by doing so, they are rebuilding the foundation of care for future generations of Black mothers and families.

Those who want to learn more, join a support circle, or help sustain their mission can explore their resources and offerings directly through their website!

References

Rosenthal, L., & Lobel, M. (2020). Explaining racial disparities in adverse birth outcomes: Unique sources of stress for Black American women. Social Science & Medicine, 246.

Ward, E. C., Wiltshire, J. C., Detry, M. A., & Brown, R. L. (2013). African American men and women’s attitudes toward mental illness, perceptions of stigma, and preferred coping behaviors. Nursing Research, 62(3), 185–194.

Gavin, A. R., et al. (2022). Racial disparities in maternal mental health treatment: The persistence of unequal care. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 26(4), 745–757.

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Partnership Acknowledgement

The organizations featured in our Miles of Connections profiles are part of a county-wide effort to advance health, healing, and well-being within Contra Costa’s Black communities. Along with The Miles Hall Foundation, twelve organizations received funding through Contra Costa County to expand culturally rooted care and community support.

This work is built from the voices of over 4,000 Black residents who shaped the vision for a stronger ecosystem of services. In response, on August 12, 2025, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the launch of what will become the Federal Glover African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub — a coordinated network of Black-led wellness services to be anchored in East County.

The Contra Costa Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ), in partnership with the East Bay Community Foundation, is supporting this first cohort of organizations to ensure services reach the community now while the Hub’s long-term infrastructure is built.

As part of this initiative, The Miles Hall Foundation leads the “Miles of Connections” outreach effort, helping residents learn about, access, and connect with these vital healing resources.