The BIPOC Mental Health Directory

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities have long lacked dedicated mental and behavioral health resources. Before 2021, no local resource listed providers in Cincinnati who self-identify as BIPOC. CEC addressed this need by launching Greater Cincinnati's first BIPOC Mental and Behavioral Health Provider Directory in 2021. Community members have since used the directory more than 500 times across more than 40 neighborhoods.

Addressing barriers to mental health care is a collaborative effort. In 2024, CEC convened a coalition of BIPOC mental health providers and community members, whose recommendations shaped the next directory. Beginning with the 2024–2025 edition, the directory expanded to include health care and medication management providers, life coaches, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) providers, peer support and addiction recovery specialists, and therapists and counselors.

We believe community-driven initiatives should live not within one organization but within the community they serve. The 2026–2027 directory is the last that CEC will lead. Our community partner, Black Women Cultivating Change, will carry the directory forward.