Black Mental Health Alliance

What Black Mental Health Alliance does

Black Mental Health Alliance (legal name: Black Mental Health Alliance for Education and Consultation, Inc.; DBA "BMHA") is a Baltimore-based nonprofit founded in 1982 that provides culturally relevant behavioral health services to Black children, youth, adults, and families. Its program portfolio comprises four interconnected service lines: Mental Health Education (workshops, trainings, and community learning), Resources & Referrals (connection to culturally competent therapists and providers), Community Outreach (Baltimore-region engagement through local organizations), and Affirming & Healing Spaces (safe community environments for support and well-being).

The organization operates with a small four-person staff led by Interim Executive Director Jessica Ellis, governed by a Board of Directors chaired by President Dr. Jonathan Shepherd (Chief Medical Director, Hope Health Systems). BMHA has no proprietary technology platform — service delivery is human-led through direct community engagement, referral partnerships, and education programming. A notable strategic initiative is the Bowie State University collaboration forming a training institute housing the only nationally accredited Peer Recovery Coach training program.

BMHA is funded through donations (collected via the Zeffy platform, including a dedicated 42nd Anniversary campaign) and grants, with no disclosed revenue figures, no enterprise customers, and no pricing model. Distribution is regional across the Baltimore/Mid-Atlantic area through community partnerships, a website contact form, and social media channels (LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram). The organization announced 2026 Strategic Priorities framing a "next era of impact" building on its 42-year legacy.

Name

Black Mental Health Alliance

Legal name

Black Mental Health Alliance for Education and Consultation, Inc.

Website

https://blackmentalhealth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Mental Health Alliance is a Baltimore-based nonprofit, founded in 1982, that provides culturally relevant behavioral health education, referrals, community outreach, and healing spaces for Black children, youth, adults, and families in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH), Mental Health Screening, Assessment & Referral Coordination (School-Based) (EDAKAMAN), Mental Health Counseling & Psychotherapy Services (EDALAFAB)

Keywords

• Community mental health services
• Behavioral health education
• Culturally relevant care
• Peer recovery training
• Mental health referrals

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts donations through platforms like Zeffy for their 42nd Anniversary and ongoing operations
2. Community Services: Provides behavioral health services, education programs, and community outreach - likely funded through grants and community support

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Mental Health Alliance is a nonprofit organization that delivers culturally relevant behavioral health programs to Black communities in the Baltimore region. Its core offerings include mental health education (workshops, trainings, community learning), resources and referrals (connecting individuals to culturally competent therapists), community outreach (regional partnership-driven engagement), and affirming and healing spaces for children, youth, adults, and families.

Product overview

Black Mental Health Alliance is a nonprofit organization providing culturally relevant behavioral health services rather than a software product. The organization operates as a unified service offering comprising four interconnected program services: Mental Health Education (workshops, trainings, and community learning experiences), Resources & Referrals (connecting individuals to culturally competent therapists and behavioral health providers), Community Outreach (regional engagement through partnerships with local organizations), and Affirming & Healing Spaces (safe spaces for Black children, youth, and adults). These programs collectively support behavioral health equity for children, youth, adults, and families across the Baltimore region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Education

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bowie State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to form a training institute housing the only nationally accredited Peer Recovery Coach training program along with other behavioral health industry disruptor programs.
• Community-Serving OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrengthening partnerships with community-serving organizations to advance culturally relevant care modalities that honor cultural identity, lived experience, and community voice.
• Local Organizations and Community LeaderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with local organizations, community leaders, and residents to ensure behavioral health resources are accessible, relevant, and grounded in community voice across the Baltimore region.
• Clinics and Healthcare ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrengthening partnerships with clinics and providers to advance care modalities that honor cultural identity and expand access to culturally relevant behavioral health services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Melanin & Mental Health: Connector directory helping people of color find culturally competent therapists; directly overlaps BMHA's therapist referral and resource navigation functions in the same target population.
• The Trevor Project: Nonprofit providing crisis intervention and mental health services to LGBTQ+ youth; comparable digital-first, equity-focused model with culturally competent service delivery distinct from BMHA's racial equity focus.

Direct peers

• The Loveland Foundation: Provides therapy and mental health support specifically for Black women and girls via a therapy fund and community programming; overlapping culturally relevant mental health access model with BMHA.
• Therapy for Black Girls: Provides mental health resources, podcasts, and a therapist directory geared to Black women and girls; comparable culturally competent referral and education model to BMHA's Resources & Referrals offering.
• Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: National nonprofit focused on eradicating stigma around mental health in the Black community through education, self-care, and provider access; closest direct peer in mission and target population to BMHA.
• Steve Fund: National nonprofit focused on mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color; shares target demographics and equity-driven mission with BMHA (BMHA board member Dr. Annelle Primm is its Senior Medical Director).

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: National community-based nonprofit addressing mental health needs across the full population through screening, education, and advocacy; broad incumbent overlapping BMHA's education and outreach domains.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Major membership and advocacy organization supporting community mental health providers nationwide; relevant incumbent comparator for BMHA's outreach and system-level partnership work.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Largest U.S. grassroots mental health organization offering education, support groups, and advocacy across all populations; broad incumbent where BMHA plays a culturally specific local niche.

Regional players

• Hope Health Systems, Inc. Maryland-based behavioral health provider serving diverse communities with clinical services; regional peer where BMHA's board president serves as Chief Medical Director.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/blackmentalhealthalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/blackmentalhealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/bmhaofficial
• Xx.com/BlkMentalHealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Mental Health Alliance