This project, Black Men’s Mental Health and Well-being, led by the Urban League of Greater Madison, strengthened mental health support for Black men in Wisconsin by addressing stigma, expanding access to culturally responsive resources and building a network of trusted community advocates. The project equipped Black men with the knowledge and skills to recognize mental health challenges, support their peers and connect individuals to care. The initiative exceeded its training and community education targets, engaged approximately 3,800 participant through workshops, trainings, outreach events and wellness activities, expanded access to culturally responsive services through the Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association Men’s Health and Education Center and launched a pilot urgent care clinic that brought free medical, dental and behavioral health services directly into an under-resourced Madison neighborhood. Together, these efforts reduced stigma, increased access to care and strengthened community capacity to support the long-term mental health and well-being of Black men.
The Challenge
The Black Men’s Mental Health and Well-Being Project built upon the strengths of two trusted community organizations, Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association and the Urban League of Greater Madison, to address longstanding mental health inequities affecting Black males in Wisconsin. By leveraging existing community relationships and creating safe, culturally responsive spaces for learning and connection, the project sought to empower Black men to become advocates for mental health and well-being within their families, workplaces and communities.
Black males continue to face significant barriers to accessing mental health care and support. Mental health stigma often discourages open conversations about trauma, adverse childhood experiences and emotional well-being, with many Black Americans believing that depression or anxiety would be viewed negatively within their social circles or that discussions about mental illness are inappropriate, even among family members. Limited access to affordable mental health services and a lack of safe, supportive spaces for interpersonal connection further hinder efforts to seek care and reduce stigma.
These challenges are compounded by persistent health disparities. Black adults are 20 percent more likely than White adults to report serious psychological distress, and Black males in Wisconsin have a life expectancy seven years shorter than White males. Suicide is also the third leading cause of death among Black males ages 15–24. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation and systemic racism further intensified these disparities, underscoring the need for culturally responsive mental health education, advocacy and community-based support networks.
Project Goals
This project aimed to improve the mental health and well-being of Black males in Wisconsin. Project goals included:
Improving the mental health and well-being of Black males in Wisconsin by increasing access to mental health support and reducing stigma surrounding mental health.
Training Black male leaders as community mental health advocates through evidence-based programs focused on mental health first aid, motivational interviewing, active listening, trauma-informed care and victim advocacy.
Increasing mental health literacy and equipping advocates to recognize mental health challenges, connect individuals to community resources and promote supportive conversations within households, workplaces and communities.
Decreasing health-risk behaviors, improving quality of life, increasing productivity and ultimately helping to address the higher death rates and shorter life expectancy experienced by Black males in Wisconsin.
Building community capacity and strengthening systems of support by creating a network of advocates who promote mental health awareness, increase access to services and encourage lasting community and systems-level change.
Results
Over the five-year grant period, the Black Men’s Mental Health and Well-Being Project made a huge impact in reducing stigma, expanding access to culturally grounded mental health support and strengthening community capacity to promote the mental-emotional well-being of Black males in Wisconsin. The project trained multiple cohorts of Black male mental health advocates through evidence-based programs, including motivational interviewing, mental health first aid and trauma-informed care. During the final year, the project significantly exceeded its targets for mental health advocate skills training. Participants completed a curriculum designed to increase confidence, strengthen peer-support and communication skills and improve awareness of available mental health resources. Many trainees reported feeling better equipped to recognize signs of mental-emotional distress, initiate supportive conversations and guide peers toward appropriate services and resources. The project also exceeded its final year targets for community education and skill development. These workshops, outreach sessions and peer-led activities reached Black men across different ages, backgrounds and neighborhoods. Many participants reported greater confidence discussing mental health, supporting peers and accessing available services.
During the final year, the project held approximately 124 meetings, trainings and events, including:
15 program workshops
23 community education sessions
17 Mental Health Advocate trainings
37 outreach events
6 peer-support circles
12 planning or coordination meetings
4 partnership or stakeholder engagement meetings
10 special events, including awareness campaigns and community forums
These activities engaged community residents, volunteers, nonprofit and community leaders, UW System faculty and staff, local and state government leaders and organizational staff. Approximately 3,800 instances of participation by Black men were recorded across project meetings and weekly wellness activities during the final year. Because participants were counted each time they attended an activity, this number may include individuals who participated in multiple events. Weekly wellness activities included hiking, walking groups, running clubs, yoga sessions and spinning classes. These movement-based activities were intentionally designed to support mental health through physical activity, stress reduction and social connection. Participants reported that the consistency of the activities helped them establish healthier routines, strengthen peer relationships and experience a greater sense of belonging. The high level of participation reflected the project’s growing visibility and the community’s interest in accessible, culturally grounded approaches that integrated physical, emotional and social well-being.
A central component of the project was providing services in trusted and familiar community settings. Services were embedded within the Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association Men’s Health and Education Center, located inside JP Hair Design, Madison’s largest Black barbershop. The Center provided a safe place for health screenings and conversations about mental and emotional health. The project reported that more than 55.97 percent of Black male residents in Dane County accessed services during the grant period. Locating services in the barbershop helped normalize conversations about mental health and provide culturally responsive support outside of traditional health care settings.
The project further expanded access through a three-month pilot urgent care clinic operated from June through September 2025. The clinic was housed at the Perry Family Free Clinic’s satellite location inside Second Baptist Church in Madison’s 53711 ZIP code. The pilot brought services directly into an under-resourced neighborhood where Black men and their families living below the federal poverty level could access free medical care, dental services, behavioral health support and scenic walking trails within their own community.
Through consistent outreach and a presence within trusted spaces, the project also contributed to reducing stigma and shifting community norms surrounding mental health. Evaluation findings indicated greater openness to discussing mental-emotional health and increased awareness of available resources. The project’s culturally responsive approach helped address stigma that can prevent Black men from discussing trauma, personal or family challenges and mental health concerns or from seeking formal support. The team collected data from three cohorts of fathers in Madison and began preparing to convene a fourth cohort and conduct follow-up data collection. Data collection was completed in Madison, with one additional data collection session conducted in Racine. These activities helped identify factors affecting the recruitment and retention of Black men in Dane County and Racine. Identified barriers included distrust of research institutions, concerns about data privacy, inflexible session times, transportation limitations and the additional time needed to build trusting, long-standing relationships with participants. The work also highlighted stigma around discussing personal and family challenges in formal research settings and the importance of conducting outreach through trusted community networks.
Lasting Impact
This project addressed lasting impacts on mental health and access to health care while also responding to interconnected social determinants of health. By placing the clinic within a trusted community institution, the project created an environment where health, safety and connection were available close to residents’ homes. This model reimagined how health services could be delivered to populations that have historically faced barriers to accessing care and provided a promising framework for future community-based health initiatives across Wisconsin.
