In Case You Haven't Heard…

The Confess Project Barber Coalition is a nonprofit created to help Black men and boys become the best version of themselves, CNN reported Jan. 25. Their mission is to bridge the gaps in mental health care by providing a safe space for people to talk openly about the struggles they face. Since it began in 2016, the Barber Coalition has spread to 16 cities across the Southeast and Midwest and trained more than 200 barbers to be mental health advocates for their communities. The group hosts online training courses, group support calls and individual check‐ins for its member barbers to circumvent the lockdowns and social distancing guidelines the pandemic has brought on. Most barbers are already trained to build relationships and trust with their clients. Lorenzo Lewis, founder of the Confess Project, takes that one step further by teaching his members how to engage in active listening and guide their clients to talk about issues in their lives. From there, the barbers have undergone training on stigma reduction and validation so they can provide clients with positive reinforcement for whatever they are facing.