African American Community Initiative
African American Community Initiative (AACI)
The Mission
The mission of the African American Community Initiative is to become a known resource for African American Community members facing challenges with finding and utilizing mental health services, while addressing inequalities faced by African Americans in our county. Our vision is to build a community driven support system for reducing mental health and substance use treatment disparities, and the stigma of mental illness.
Be a part of the solution!
Join the African American Community Initiative as we work to increase awareness of mental health and substance use issues and promote wellness and recovery .We look forward to seeing you at our monthly meeting. We meet every second Tuesday of the month at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 1300 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Contact Chyvonne Washington or Desirae Miller for more information
The African American Community Initiative is funded by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).
Past Events
Healthy Minds Make for a Healthy Community
While behavioral health issues effect people of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds, African Americans are more likely to experience certain factors that lead to these issues, and less likely to seek or receive treatment. In recent years, 12% of people in treatment for substance use disorders identified as African American, compared to 3% of the total San Mateo County population.