providing Mental Health Services for Marginalized communities
Mission
Throughout the course of my life I was given support, encouragement and guidance by the people in my community, school, and everyday life. These people I affectionately called my Underground railroad and I would not have made it without them.
The Black Railroad is of the belief that people do not exist or survive solely on our own. We all need people along our journey to support us, uplift us and to help us grow, thrive and achieve wellness, especially in the arena of mental health. The Black Railroad’s goal is for individuals and communities of color to all have their own railroads to support them and help them succeed and achieve wellness.
The Black Railroad aims to destigmatize mental health care in communities of color through clinical interventions, consultation, community advocacy, and access.
The Black Railroad is an open love letter to communities of color who are often left out of discussions of mental health. The Black Railroad aims to provide mental health care that is centered on their experiences and cultural identities. As well as providing culturally accountable trainings to schools and organizations, while offering group and individual treatment modalities grounded in cultural humility, awareness of the current socio-political climate and offering space for vulnerability, and trust.
Contact Info
TheBlackRailroad@gmail.com
What we Do
The Black Railroad is attempting to change the narrative of mental health stigma in marginalized and often overlooked and underserved communities of color. The Black Railroad offers:
1-1 Consultation as well as Organizational Consultations to individuals, schools, and organizations on how to move their places of work from being organized by trauma to being healthy places of operation for their staff and the communities they serve that are culturally accountable.
Provide year long consultation with schools aimed to interrupt the school to prison pipeline, as well as disrupting the push-out and crimination of students of color.
Provide Lectures and Teaching Engagements (See Service Page for additional Details)
Viral Black Death Presentations and Discussion Forum (See Service Page for additional Details)
Group Therapy sessions for children of color experiencing difficulties.
Individual Therapy for children, adolescents, adults, and couples. Area’s of Focus include but not limited to:
Adjustment difficulties
Experiences of Trauma
Grief and loss
Substance abuse
Identity development
our Story
Dr. DeVonna Jacobs is the owner behind The Black Railroad. She was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She completed her Undergraduate studies at Saint Mary’s College of California, studying Child/Adolescent Psychology. She then went on the compete her Masters Degree and Doctoral Degree at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. She had her internship and Post Doctoral fellowship at organizations specializing in community mental health, focused on serving communities of color, foster youth, providing trauma informed and culturally accountable care. Her desire and love for advocacy, mental health, and serving often invisible and overlooked communities fueled her to start The Black Railroad.
Dr. Jacobs says that growing up, community violence was a part of her daily experience. It was sewn into the environment as seamlessly as the systems that uphold it. With this organization she is setting out to rework the fabric of mental health stigma and sew something different. Working to change consciousness around the narrative of seeking mental health services in communities such as the one she grew up in.
Let's Chat
Interested in any of the Black Railroad’s services? Let us know!
You can also schedule using the Appointments page.