Social worker advocates for more mental health support in black communities

Recent shootings in Albany make it easy to see the violence only from the point of statistics. However, behind the stats are families and to a broader degree, the black community. They are also impacted by the violence.

Therapist and licensed social worker Hakim Collier says with every shooting comes black trauma and the need for the mental health community to step in.

"If we feel, and we’re seeing life being snuffed out of the younger population, what does that mean? What does that look like," he asked. "So we’re left to our own devices to think about these things without answers."

Collier says blacks are people who display great resilience, but with the pandemic, the killing of George Floyd and now the surge in shootings, constant feelings of being overwhelmed aren’t surprising.

So Collier is pushing for more mental health support for those in the black community. That’s even for those who consider turning to violence as a way of solving problems.

Collier says there’s a lot of inner turmoil behind their actions.

He says he understands mental health therapy is a tough sell, but there is help out there.

Meet one Albany resident who says even though she didn’t know the recent gun violence victims, she’s still been affected, by watching the video of Elaine Houston’s story.

You can contact Collier by clicking here.