BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Healing Hub of New York partnered with Say Yes Buffalo to launch a team of 15 mental health clinicians who represent the Black and Brown community in Buffalo.
The group will receive financial support from The Healing Hub to provide free counseling services and workshops.
Organizers say the need for this counseling was highlighted following the mass shooting at Tops that targeted the Black community.
Fragrance Harris Stanfield is a survivor of the mass shooting.
"My daughter and I were standing right next to each other when it started. My hand was on her when it started. When we realized we were under attack, we literally watched Mr. Salter backing up and pulling his weapon," said Stanfield. “We saw that."
Stanfield has been going to counseling ever since.
"The hardest part is the expectation that I need to get over it and need to move on," she said. "I'd like to say the healing process is what it is. You can't force someone to heal faster than they do."
The tragedy brought attention to the many disparities that the Black and Brown community face on the East Side of Buffalo, including access to affordable mental health services.
"Unfortunately, we don't have enough Black and Brown clinicians to serve the entire community. So, we have to ensure our white colleagues are also trained to intervene in a culturally centered way,” said Kelly Dumas, Executive Director of Healing Hub of New York. "Oftentimes people of color are misdiagnosed because they're misunderstood and their cultural differences aren't recognized."
Fragrance is hoping that this initiative gives the community what they need.
"It's sad that it took something so horrific to get us to really focus on this," she said. "You have to say, in the end, it's the results that matter. We need to build the people and make sure people are healing, and not glossing over what we went through."
You can learn more about affordable mental health services here.
