TULSA, Okla — It's Mental Health Awareness Month and one Tulsa non-profit is looking to raise that awareness.
Skillz on Wheels is an organization aiming to promote mental health, especially in Black and brown communities, since there is still a big stigma towards receiving help.
WATCH: REMOVING THE STIGMA: Skillz on Wheels encouraging mental health help
Founder and Executive Director of Counseling, Ebony Skillens, said the organization was founded in 2021, but are constantly trying to expand their resources.
According to the CDC, suicides among the Black population have increased nationwide by 1,445 between 2018 and 2023.
The National Violent Death Reporting System also showed the suicide rate in Oklahoma’s black population was 15.8 per 100,000 in 2022.
It was more than both the Hispanic and Asian population.
Skillenz said she wants people to feel safe coming to the organization for help.
It's part of the reason the organization operates a van that comes to people to contact them easier.
"We're easily accessible," she said. "We pull up in parking lots with clinicians that look like the community, that live in the community, and now work in the community, and so the thought was to be able to offer it at no cost."
The organization has several scheduled locations clinicians go to, for those looking for resources:
MONDAYS: Tulsa Health Department
TUESDAYS: North Point
WEDNESDAYS: UMA Tulsa
THURSDAYS: Greenwood Cultural Center
FRIDAYS: Telehealth
One of the newer programs is a "Barbershop Initiative", that trains barbers in Tulsa to communicate with their customers in a conversational way, while also looking out for suicidal thoughts or other mental health issues.
“The barbershop initiative provides just a safe place for men to have those hard conversations and really deal with those emotions that for so long was taboo to talk about," said Skillens. "And to come to the realization that it is okay to cry, men can cry, men can be angry and not act out in their anger.”
D'Juanpatrick is one of the barbers part of the program.
“As a barber in the community for nearly 40 years, I've been somebody that young kids, adults, people over a period of time, that has been able to share their experiences in life, some of their problems and issues," he said.
He said he is excited to make a change and is honored to be a part of the initiative.
“I've seen a lot of growth," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, a lot of people have been coming to me for therapy, the ear to hear, like I say.”
To further his mission in mental health help, D'Juanpatrick is also gearing up to start his own podcast.
"We're going to call it Mental Pressure," he said. "We came up with several top topics, and we've been critiquing it over a period of time to get this thing off the ground eventually."
For now, Skillz on Wheels is just hoping to improve the community and help others become their best selves.
For more info on how to receive help, you can visit their website.
Also, if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, you can dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Hotline.
Isabel Flores is your North & East Tulsa reporter.
Is there something you think she should know about or look into?
You can email her at Isabel.Flores@kjrh.com.
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