Barriers to Mental Health Care for Boston-Area Black Residents [Report]

Barriers to Mental Health Care for Boston-Area Black Residents [Report]

by the Applied Research Team

Editorial note: In 1992, the Massachusetts Department of Health established the Community Health Network Area (CHNA) initiative, which divided the state into 27 areas, each with its own CHNA. Since then, the various coalitions have become inactive or morphed into different areas. CHNA 17, the Greater Cambridge/Somerville Community Health Network, was rebranded as the Coalition of Racial Equity in Mental Health (CORE) in 2023.

While the CHNA 17 Data is no longer available, the following community needs assessments and hospital needs assessments remain accessible:

• Cambridge Needs Assessment Executive Summary

• The Well Being of Somerville Report 2011

• Mount Auburn Hospital Needs Assessment

• McLean Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Strategy

June 2026

---

Does Boston-area mental health care adequately serve Black residents? Community Health Network Area 17 (CHNA 17) invited EGC to partner in addressing this question for six cities near Boston.

CHNA 17’s 2018 report cites seven major barriers to American-born Blacks receiving mental health care as needed. Barriers include:

• a double-stigma associated with mental health issues in the current social climate

• a dearth of Black mental health providers

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Focus group for Cambridge mental health service providers, facilitated by EGC’s Applied Research and Consulting.

SOMERVILLE, MA - Nika Elugardo (left) and Stacie Mickelson (right), former Directors of EGC’s Applied Research, co-facilitating a mental health care focus group with Somerville residents.