Healing Hub of New York, Inc. and Say Yes Buffalo have announced a new cohort called "Building Clinicians of Color." Organizers say the need for mental health support for the African American community was highlighted by the racially motivated mass shooting that occurred in 2022. 

The cohort consists of 15 mental health clinicians of color. The initiative will support them through culturally centered training, workshops, and financial support to, in turn, support people of color looking for services. 

"It's going to be important on the provider side that we provide support in a way that resonates with what they need," Kelly Dumas, Healing Hub of New York, Inc. said. "So when they come into places to get services, they need to see people who look like them, who will understand them."

Over the next two years, the clinicians will also provide five hours of free counseling per month for residents of Buffalo.