June Hope Talks

On June 16th, Southside Center of Hope hosted our annual Hope Talks live discussion. However, the broadcast was unable to stream live on our social media platforms due to technical difficulties. We apologize to those who tried to tune in and for any inconvenience this may have caused.  We hope you will join us for our next broadcast in August.

We were joined by Kayla Bell-Consolver, MS, LMHC and Director of Student Counseling Services at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and discussed barriers impacting black and brown communities’ access to mental healthcare. 

Bell-Consolver has special knowledge of issues impacting mental health in communities of color, as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Her work centers around eradicating the barriers to mental health access in marginalized communities.

While there are many barriers that contribute to people not receiving the mental health support they need, these obstacles are exasperated in black and brown communities. According to Bell-Consolver, some of these barriers include social stigma and financial instability.

“Historically, communities of color have been denied access to mental health services, as a result, some may feel they don’t need mental healthcare services” said Bell-Consolver during the live broadcast.

Bell-Consolver also shared when black and brown people seek treatment, the care they receive is often less valuable than that of their white counterparts. This is due to a lack of professional understanding of how trauma and the current social climate impacts the wellbeing of people of color. Bell-Consolver suggests that mental healthcare providers and professionals take time to educate themselves on the unique experiences of black and brown communities, and how to better address and validate their needs. 

You can find Kayla Bell-Consolver on LinkedIn, or on YouTube and TikTok at @QuestionKayla. We look forward to our next Hope Talks in August.

Hope Talks is a series created by Southside Center of Hope to bring subject matter experts and community members together to discuss important topics impacting our community and to share resources. The one-hour conversation is livestreamed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.