Impact Story-Sanecha’s Journey: Enhancing Mental Health Services for Black Youth in Calgary
(pic: Black Youth Mental Health Advisory Group)
Sanecha (not her real name) came to Canada from East Africa in 2017 to study global development. Feeling lonely and scared in Calgary, she experienced mental health issues while in school and had negative encounters with a service provider. Through an East African youth network, she connected with ActionDignity and joined our Black youth mental health advisory group in partnership with the Lionheart Foundation.
This group aimed to help mental health therapists better serve Black and racialized communities by incorporating youth perspectives. Sanecha’s negative experience with mental health services motivated her to advocate for more inclusive and supportive services for Black youth. She participated in sessions on social inclusion, Black history, mental health, and community leadership, which deepened her understanding of the challenges faced by Black youth.
After several mentoring sessions, she met with mental health therapists, learning about the complexities of the mental health system and the specific challenges faced by Black youth. This inspired her to take action. During the conclusion of the Black youth mental health advisory group engagement with the therapists in March 2023, she planned a “Speed Dating” event between Black and racialized youth and mental health therapists to improve access and cultural sensitivity in mental health practices with the support of a therapist.
Sanecha has applied her newly acquired skills, and maximized the connections with the youth, ActionDignity and mental health therapists. She is relentless in her advocacy and support to practitioners to make mental health services accessible and appropriate to racialized and black Calgarian youths and families. She is determined to create a place where youth like her struggling with mental health will be welcomed and treated well.
More about the project:
The Lionheart project recruited 7 members to the Mental Health Youth Advisory Group. With 4 training sessions and 2 focus group discussions on racism and mental health, the Youth Mental Health Advisory Group members improved understanding and knowledge about the history of Blackness, slavery and racism and awareness of different mental health community resources for racialized and Black youth. The project also built leadership capacity of Mental Health Youth Advisory Group members on mental health to advocate for themselves and other youth in their communities.
Furthermore, the project empowered Black youth to share – in a safe space – their lived experiences with racism and cultural struggles that affect their mental health, which they would not usually share with their family and some friends. This resulted in disclosures, which helped them in releasing their stress and mental health issues.
BACK TO BLOG