On September 20, 2019 from 6 PM to 9 PM , the Black Mental Health Alliance will host its annual fundraiser to honor our principal founder and celebrate individuals and organizations that embody his legacy.


Recent scientific studies have shown there is a racial disparity in mental health care, treatment and services in the black community.

  • Suicide rates have increased among black youth aged 5 to 11 years from 2001 to 2015 in the United States. 
  • Black Americans are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress.
  • Black Americans are perceived to have a greater risk of harm associated with heroin and LSD as reflected in the SAMHSA 2018 Annual report.
  • Many Black Americans have expressed a sense of distrust or lack of empathy/understanding from providers that are not culturally-competent. 
Dr. Maxie Collier and Mr. Fikre Workneh were frustrated by the entrenched, life-threatening health disparities among Blacks, specifically Black residents of Baltimore City, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), violence, and suicide. They observed widespread misdiagnoses by practitioners and a lingering stigma towards mental health treatment in the Black community that kept individuals with mental illness from seeking care. They concluded that culturally-competent mental health providers were scarce and that increased training would increase this pool. In turn, Maxie T. Collier, M.D., a private practice psychiatrist and Baltimore’s first Black Health Commissioner and Fikre Workneh, MSW, a social worker originally from Ethiopia who worked with veterans, joined by Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, a registered nurse founded the Black Mental Health Alliance for Education and Consultation, Inc.

After 35 years in service, BMHA invites you to honor their mission and vision during the Dr. Maxie T. Collier VIP Reception and Awards Ceremony. Proceeds from the event elevate the organization’s capacity to strengthen the community through impactful trainings, interactive workshops, and meaningful programming.

We can rebuild the village and offer a safe and culturally-affirming space for our collective healing, restoration, and resiliency. See you on September 20!
Become a Partner to Rebuild The Village
After partnering with Taraji P. Henson's Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to curate the "Can We Talk?" Conference in Washington, DC, June 8-9, 2019, we have been laser focused on The Village . The conference stood to normalize the conversation about black mental health and well-being and the specialized cultural competency that equips providers to optimize services and build trust.

Further cultivating the fundamental relationships and building blocks of the village is our strategic focus.  Rebuild The Village is the theme for this years’ event. We will celebrate individuals and organizations that exemplify this vision. Clinicians, nonprofit professionals, mental health advocates, and community members from across the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia region will convene to support the mission of BMHA.

We enthusiastically request your support through Corporate Sponsorship . Your participation as a co-sponsor contributes to restoration and healing and ensures the resources needed for full community participation. Proceeds from the event elevate the organization’s capacity to strengthen the community through impactful trainings, interactive workshops, and meaningful programming.

Are You a Business Owner?

If you are a business owner with a service or product, please consider submitting an in-kind donation for the silent auction. Send an email to Syvonne Carter at Scarter@blackmentalhealth.com with "Silent Auction Donation" on the subject line and Syvonne will immediately send you a form to complete and submit.

We welcome you to visit our website and learn more about our organization. Please feel free contact Jan Desper Peters, Executive Director, at JanDesper@blackmentalhealth.com or Syvonne Carter at Scarter@blackmentalhealth.com or call her at (202) 412-8122 if you have any questions.