D14 - Church-affiliated Mental Health Clinics — Leveraging Partner Potential to Promote Mental Health Equity

Reducing racial disparities in mental health care is one of the great public health challenges of our time. When compared to non-Hispanic white adults, African American (AA) adults are more disabled from mental health conditions, have lower access to treatment and are less likely to receive quality mental health services when they do seek care. Conversely, AA adults are more likely to seek mental health care from churches than formal treatment centers. Since 147 million Americans are affiliated with a religious institution, partnering with churches may increase access to evidence-based practices, especially for AA adults and Americans living in under-resourced communities.