Thrive Together: Holistic Mental Health Care For BIPOC Students at Concordia University.
Thrive With BHC
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Holistic Mental Health Care For BIPOC Students at Concordia Univeristy
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Thrive With BHC • Holistic Mental Health Care For BIPOC Students at Concordia Univeristy .
We’re excited to introduce Thrive Together, an innovative partnership with Concordia University to bring culturally competent mental health support to Black students! Thrive Together is a groundbreaking collaboration between The Black Healing Centre, NouLa Black Student Center, and Campus Wellness & Support Services, designed to provide one-on-one care sessions and collective care circles that foster healing, resilience, and community.
This partnership was made possible through our long-time supporter and collaborator, the Shift Centre for Social Transformation, whose commitment to community-led initiatives has helped bring this vision to life.
Why This Partnership Matters
Black youth in Canada face significant mental health challenges, often intensified by systemic racism and limited access to culturally appropriate care. 60% of Black youth report high levels of daily stress, yet only 38% receive the mental health services they need—far lower than their non-Black peers. At Concordia, the need is especially urgent, with no Black counselors available.
By bridging this critical gap, Thrive Together ensures that Black students have access to the culturally competent care they deserve, fostering community resilience, reducing isolation, and enhancing academic success. This initiative is not just about mental health—it’s about empowerment, belonging, and creating lasting change.
To our knowledge, this is the first initiative of its kind at a university—and we’re thrilled to be part of this essential movement toward more accessible and culturally relevant mental health support.
Who are the BHC’s Community Care Practitioners (CCPs)
The Community Care Practitioners (CCPs) at The Black Healing Centre (BHC) are a diverse group of individuals with previous experience in community work, who have deepened their capacity to support mental health through BHC's comprehensive training program. Developed by Dr. Lisa Ndejuru, a psychotherapist and affiliate assistant professor at Concordia, this program equips CCPs with essential psychosocial support skills.
CCPs come from various professional backgrounds, including but not limited to facilitation, naturopathy, education, psychology students, movement teaching, and massage therapy. These practitioners bring a holistic approach to their work, adding to their already established practices of supporting others’ well-being. They are not licensed psychotherapists, but rather trained to provide emotional support and guide individuals through moments of distress or uncertainty, while respecting the limits of their role.
What CCPs Can Do
Psychosocial Support: CCPs are trained to hold space for emotional support, helping individuals manage stress, navigate personal challenges, and assess risk in certain situations. They know how to assist people in regulating emotions and behaviours, and are capable of escalating concerns when needed.
Accompaniment and Empowerment: CCPs excel in accompanying individuals through difficult moments, focusing on providing ongoing support that goes beyond immediate mental health first aid. They are skilled in fostering a safe environment where individuals feel empowered to process what is bothering them and begin making changes.
Behavioural Change: While CCPs are not therapists, they can assist individuals in making positive behavioural changes, nervous system regulation, and exploring ways to manage emotional struggles.
Risk Assessment: Trained to assess risk, CCPs can recognize when a situation requires additional professional intervention and will escalate cases to the appropriate professional according to agreed-upon safety protocols. These protocols have been developed in collaboration with BHC and Concordia Campus Wellness.
What CCPs Cannot Do
Diagnose or Treat Mental Health Conditions: CCPs are not licensed psychotherapists and therefore cannot diagnose mental health disorders or prescribe medication.
Provide Psychotherapy: While CCPs offer valuable emotional support, they do not provide the same in-depth, long-term therapeutic treatment that a licensed psychotherapist would.
Provide Medical Interventions: CCPs are not medical professionals and cannot offer any medical advice or interventions.
Learn more about our Community Care Practitioners (or as we like to call them, CCPs) below!🥰
You Deserve to Be Well
You Deserve to Be Well
Ready to prioritize your well-being? 🌿✨ Sign up now to access free, culturally competent mental health support through one-on-one care sessions designed for BIPOC students at Concordia! Spaces are limited—secure your spot today!
If you have any questions about this project or partnership please email us at programs@blackhealingcentre.com
Meet the Team
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Amy Colley is a dedicated and experienced autism consultant, passionate about supporting individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. She is transitioning in her career to focus on accessibility to mental health services, particularly for English-speaking BIPOC.
Through the CCP training program, she aims to bridge the gap in accessibility to psychosocial services, normalize seeking mental health support and participate in the empowerment of the Black community.🌻
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Dienaba N’dongo is a community worker with immigrant families and a community naturopath. Her daily work is part of a deep desire to contribute to the sustainable well-being of racialized communities.
Through the CCP training program, she wants to be part of a network of Black practitioners who work to promote the overall health of our community and become empowered to enhance her caregiving approach.
We deeply appreciate Dienaba’s presence and participation in the Community Care Practitioners program of 2024!🌟
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Manda Benn is a multi-talented individual; she’s a dance teacher and choreographer who uses dance as a therapy; community youth worker; radio host and registered massage therapist. She is passionate about the community she serves and is always available to listen attentively and provide honest words of encouragement.
Through the CCP training program, she wants to gain the tools and knowledge to support her community’s mental health on a more professional level.☘️
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Joanna is a mindfulness facilitator and co-founder of Never Was Average. She uses a trauma-informed, multidisciplinary approach to empower communities through art and culture.
Through the CCP training program, she wants to intentionally support her community members by providing non-judgmental spaces for them to be heard and shared.🌱
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Jordy Belance is inspired by humanist and mindfulness philosophies and has an integral and optimistic approach to humanity. His work involves accompanying individuals on a journey of introspection, personal growth, and self-expression.
Through the CCP training program, he aims to engage in community to better support, care for and serve the community effectively.
We are grateful for Jordy’s presence and participation in the Community Care Practitioners program of 2024! 🍄
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Dr. Lisa Ndejuru is BHC’s Clinical Director and Creator of the CCP Training Program. She is a Psychotherapist and Rwandan researcher focusing on individual and collective meaning-making, care, and powerment in communities impacted by the violence of anti-blackness.
Her work also explores inter-generational trauma transmission within Black communities and Afrotopias (future imaginaries).💐
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Fabiola Ngamaleu Teumeni, is a psychology student and co-founder of Black Girls Gather: A WIBCA Book Club, creates safe spaces for young Black girls to embrace their Blackness and works to incorporate diverse perspectives on race, gender, and sexual orientation in academia.
Through the CCP training program, Fabiola aims to create non-judgmental spaces where community members can pause, connect with their emotions, and practice mindfulness.🌸
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Sapphire Woods (they/them), M.Ed, is a Black, trans, and gender-nonconforming person of Trinidadian descent. They are a trauma-informed storyholder and aspiring queer elder. Their trauma-informed community care approach addresses power dynamics and centers Black joy and emotional honesty.
Through the CCP training program, they hope to demonstrate unconditional compassion for community members and be a strong string in folks’s net of care.🌞