Cent(HER)ed Collective Girls Inc. was founded to close the mental health gap for Black women and girls, directly addressing the alarming rise in suicide attempts among Black teenage girls. Founded in 2021 by Dr. Brittney Autry, the organization partners with Noble Schools to provide weekly wellness programming that supports the healthy psychological and emotional well-being of girls across Chicago.
Black teenage girls are facing a mental health crisis that has gone largely unaddressed. Between 1991 and 2017, and suicide death rates for Black teenage girls increased by 182% from 2001 to 2017. When these needs go unmet, the effects compound: unaddressed mental health issues can show up physically, make daily life harder to navigate, and lead to poor school performance, job loss, homelessness, and greater vulnerability to victimization, effects that can follow girls well into adulthood. Black girls need mental health support that is tailored to them, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund will support the launch of Accelerate(HER), a year-long mental health ambassador initiative that will empower Black girls in Chicago through training in mental health first aid, career exposure in mental healthcare, and student-led workshops. Designed to break down mental health stigmas, foster leadership, and build a sustainable pipeline of Black mental health professionals who can serve their own communities, the program will also focus on creating a sense of belonging, resilience, and mental wellness among its 25 participants, all current members of Cent(HER)ed Collective’s weekly wellness programming in the schools it serves. Implemented over the course of the school year, Accelerate(HER) will give these girls vital experiential learning that builds on their academic studies, along with the coping skills, confidence, and community connections to become mental health ambassadors in their own right.
For more information about Cent(HER)ed Collective Girls Inc., please visit the organization’s website.
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