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Wellness

Welcome to our wellness sanctuary, a dedicated space for Black individuals to engage with supportive resources. Together, let's cultivate wellness that reflects the strength, resilience and joy of our Black community.

In 2020, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario enacted Bill 178, proclaiming the first Monday of March as Black Mental Health Awareness Day.

Resources for Black Students

Journey Together - Sharing Our Lived Experiences: This wellness support group offered by Western Student Experience aims to create a safe and healing space to share race-related lived experiences including stress, navigating environments, renewal and care. Western is committed to helping students alleviate their faced realities and create a community based on empowerment and collective transformation.

This program offers bi-weekly virtual sessions on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. To register or for more information, email health@uwo.ca.

Black Mental Health Matters is a virtual hub that provides links to articles, resources and news.

The Canadian Black Youth Helpline was founded in Manitoba and has the primary intention of preventing social or psychological breakdown in communities through a focus on education, health, and community development. The Helpline serves as the primary point of contact for youth, families, school districts, and youth-serving stakeholders to access professional services. Services are also offered in French, and other languages are available upon request. 

To learn more, please see their webpage or call their toll-free number at 1-833-294-8650 or info@blackyouth.ca

Health & Wellness provides professional and confidential services, free of charge, to students needing assistance to meet their personal, social and academic goals. Services include consultation, referral, groups and workshops, as well as brief, mental health counselling.

Book your appointment with a counsellor to develop your personalized care plan, which may include: Online resources, Web apps, Peer Support Centre, Referral to specialized service, Groups or Workshops, Single session, Brief individual therapy, Case manager involvement, Support from Special Constables, and Outpatient/Inpatient hospital referral.

RiseUp, powered by Kids Help Phone, recognizes that African, Caribbean and Black youth and communities across Canada deserve mental health and well-being support informed by their rich cultures and diverse lived experiences. Rise Up is a national, 24/7, bilingual e-mental health support service for Black youth. The service is free and available nationwide for Black individuals from across the Afro-diaspora of diverse ages, genders, and backgrounds.

Black youth across Canada can access dedicated wellness support for free, 24/7, by texting RISE to 686868.

Western International is dedicated to fostering a globally connected campus. The team is committed to empowering global citizenship on campus through culturally responsive service and inclusive programming.
Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario are local places where young people can receive walk-in access to high-quality, integrated, mental health and substance use services, as well as other health, social and employment supports. Through collaboration among many different providers and sectors, hubs provide easy and rapid access to services that address the needs of youth across multiple domains of their lives.

Resources for Black Staff and Faculty

Time away from performing or thinking about work is important for one’s restoration and contributes to achieving a healthy and sustainable professional and personal life. Disconnecting From Work includes information on the policy and best practices that can promote employees’ and their colleagues’ ability to disconnect from work. You will find tips and tricks to disconnect from work outside the office and take steps to a more balanced life.
Explore a centralized hub of Employee Wellbeing services, promoting mental health and wellness. From online activities like zumba and yoga through Living Well at Western to dedicated live Healthy Minds, discover resources to support staff mental health and overall well-being.
Discover Faculty and Staff Resources tailored for staff seeking both mental and physical support. Explore resources helping you navigate injury and illness management, occupational health including immunizations, as well as a wealth of wellness resources both internally and externally. Access comprehensive mental wellness resources to support staff well-being from within the organization and beyond.
The Western Human Resources contact page connects you with Faculty Specific counselors to address inquiries regarding illness or injury accomodations, return to work, ergonomics, and more. Receive tailored support in navigating your needs effectively.

Local, Provincial and National Resources

The Black Health Plan provides a roadmap for creating equitable health conditions for Black populations. These populations have disproportionately poorer health outcomes, and experience significant barriers to accessing preventive care and health services. 

The plan is built along three pillars: 

  • Equitable pandemic response for Black populations
  • Equitable health system recovery with a focus on Black populations
  • Sustained health equity for Black populations

Each pillar includes a corresponding set of recommendations for the Ministry of Health, Ontario Health, Ontario Health Teams and health service providers.

The plan urges health care providers, organizations and governing bodies to take action on the recommendations it has set out, and to use it both as a guide for specific changes and as inspiration to transform existing structures. The goal is to ensure that Black communities across Ontario receive safe and equitable care and improved outcomes.

The Black Health Plan was developed jointly by Ontario Health, The Wellesley Institute and the Black Health Alliance, led by community and health care leaders. 

Across Boundaries is an ethnoracial mental health cenre in Toronto, Ontario, providing equitable, holistic mental health and addiction services for racialized communities. The agency operates using anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and anti-Black racism frameworks to support individuals with severe mental health challenges.
Since 1989, the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP)  has worked to respond to the threat of HIV and AIDS in Toronto’s African, Caribbean and Black communities. Their work is guided by their motto, ‘Because All Black People’s Lives Are Important’, which serves as a reminder of their commitment to the human rights and dignity of all Black people who are vulnerable to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). 
The Black Health team at London Health Sciences Center (LHSC) is actively engaged in advancing the important work of creating safer and inclusive spaces at LHSC, addressing inequities in the healthcare system, and improving care experiences and health outcomes for Black people.  As the first hospital in Ontario to create a health stream dedicated to Black Health, LHSC is in the unique position to collaboratively improve care experiences and health outcomes for Black individuals.
The Black Health Alliance  centers Black communities in defining the challenges and barriers affecting our health and well-being. They provide a platform for Black people to establish a common voice around systemic problems, and they work to co-design and mobilize the tools, skills, partnerships and investment needed to implement solutions that improve health outcomes across Canada. 
Black Healing T.O. is committed to providing support and care for Black & Afro Indigenous folks in Ontario. Their resources and initiatives are collaborative and trauma-informed. They aim to embody four key principles: respect, self-determination, trauma-informed practices, and anti-racist and anti-oppressive approaches.
Black Mental Health Canada (BMHC) aims to improve the well-being of Black people and advocate for culturally safe, competent, accessible, and affordable mental health care for diverse Black communities in Canada. The mission of BMHC is to promote community education and empowerment through a range of activities, including public speaking engagements and workshops, as well as providing information and resources.
At the Black Mental Wellness Corp., their mission is to provide access to evidence-based information and resources about mental health and behavioural health topics from a Black perspective, to highlight and increase the diversity of mental health professionals, and to decrease the mental health stigma in the Black community.
The Black Therapist List recognizes that mental health is often considered taboo in Black communities, and there are many barriers to seeking support. Stats show that only 1 in every 3 Black adults who need mental health support receive it. The Black Therapist List is designed to destigmatize mental health and help normalize therapy in the Black community. Their mission is to connect you with someone you feel you can trust, relate to, and who understands your unique experiences.
Black Women in Motion is a Toronto-based, survivor-led, grassroots organization that empowers and supports the advancement of Black women, girls, nonbinary and gender-non-conforming survivors of gender-based violence. They work within an anti-racist, intersectional feminist, trauma-informed and survivor-centred framework to create culturally-relevant resources, healing spaces, educational and economic opportunities for survivors. 
Launched to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS in Black communities in Canada, Braids for Aids (BrAIDS) has grown to impact Black communities globally. The program was created in response to calls of the community to provide a culturally appropriate response to HIV/AIDS awareness in the African, Caribbean and Black Communities and to address the issue of funding for various resources in the fight against the disease. 
The Canadian Black Health Alliance is a community-led, registered charity dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada. They centre Black communities in defining the challenges and barriers affecting their health and well-being. They provide a platform for Black people to establish a familiar voice on systemic problems and work to co-design and mobilize the tools, skills, partnerships, and investments needed to implement solutions that deliver health outcomes across Canada. 
The City of London acknowledges that anti-Black racism is systemic in Canada and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive strategy to address and challenge it in all its forms. On November 26, 2024, City Council approved the 2025-2029 Anti-Black Racism Action Plan, which outlines steps the City will take to improve municipal programs, policies, and procedures to address anti-Black racism. The plan aims to ensure full and meaningful participation of the Black community in services, events, and life in London. With Council’s approval of the action plan, an implementation strategy outlining key outcomes, performance indicators, and timelines is under development. 

Stop Tolerhating is a movement to reject hate in London. Full stop. 

We acknowledge that experiences of hate, racism, and discrimination in London are real and come in many forms. As hate incidents continue to rise, we all need to do our part to make London a more inclusive and safe space for everyone. Tolerhating happens when we tolerate hate - when we stay silent and allow discrimination to continue instead of taking action. This silence makes those spreading hate feel like it’s okay, while victims feel excluded and unsafe. The Stop Tolerhating campaign asks us to stop staying quiet and start taking action - standing up against hate and making sure everyone feels respected and included. 

Generation Chosen is a non-profit organization devoted to interrupting intergenerational cycles of trauma and poverty in lower-income communities. Since its inception in 2016, Generation Chosen has remained dedicated to its youth-led and youth-serving ethos, empowering young individuals to be drivers of change. 
Healing in Colour envisions a world where BIPOC* (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour), in all our intersections, have access to therapy that supports our healing and liberation. For BIPOC, finding a therapist who understands our lived experiences can feel next to impossible. Healing in Colour strives to make that search easier. Healing in Colour offers a directory of BIPOC therapists who are committed to supporting BIPOC individuals across all their intersections.
TAIBU is a Kiswahili word for "Be in Good Health" where systemic racism prevents marginalized populations from accessing necessary healthcare and community health centres that are designed to meet the needs of marginalized populations. TAIBU Community Health Centre offers Black-identifying clients throughout the Greater Toronto Area access to primary care, health promotion and disease prevention programs in a culturally affirming environment.