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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has created a one-day training workshop to train Black clergy, staff, lay pastors and faith-based clinicians on issues related to mental health and suicide prevention. The workshop, Soul Shop for Black Churches, was created to train church leaders on the impact of suicide on their communities. The workshop also teaches leaders on how to address suicide related issues, suicide prevention and mental health issues.
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Report released in 2019 showed that suicide was the second leading cause of death among Black people ages 15-24.
The overall goal of the workshop is to create an ongoing, strategic effort to change how the faith communities address and support those who may be struggling with suicide loss or thoughts of suicide. According to their website, afsp.org, Soul Shop for Black Churches focuses on:
- The role of societal discrimination in suicide rates among Black and brown young people
- The prominent role of the church in Black communities and how it can be leveraged for a positive impact related to suicide prevention and loss and healing
- Statistics, trends and rates of suicide among people of color
- Challenges of and ideas for engaging issues of mental health and suicide in Black churches
