What Is the Community Health Equity Alliance (CHEA)?
The Community Health Equity Alliance is an initiative that prioritizes community-informed solutions that address serious mental illness care at the state and local levels in select geographies. The Alliance brings together thought leaders of state and local organizations in the areas of mental health advocacy, faith, civic and healthcare professional services. Our aim is to improve the trusted delivery and pursuit of equitable mental health care for Black/African ancestry adults in the United States.
Did you know?
- Black adults are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress than white adults
- More than half (~57%) of US adults with any mental illness do not receive treatment – this unmet need is greater for communities of color
- Only 1 in 3 Black adults in need of mental health treatment receive it
Why is CHEA Important?
Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of gender, geography, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, or other aspects of identity. Black/African ancestry adults with lived experience are likely to have less access to culturally appropriate mental health care and are more likely to receive poorer quality care when treated, due to racism and historic systemic disparities.
Our Collaborators
The Community Health Equity Alliance brought together state and local mental health stakeholders in these sites:
CHEA Sites
Expansion Sites 2025
- Georgia*
- Houston, Texas*
- Los Angeles, California*
- North Carolina*
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Pennsylvania
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Ohio
- Southern Nevada
- *Legacy Sites
- Northern Virginia
- New Jersey
- Indiana
- Tennessee
A Shared Urgency: Join the Crisis Can’t Wait Campaign
The mental health crisis in Black and African Ancestry communities across the country demands our immediate attention. Too often, access to quality care is delayed until a crisis point is reached, and the consequences can be devastating. That’s why NAMI’s Community Health Equity Alliance (CHEA) launched the Crisis Can’t Wait campaign, and we need your help.
Join us in creating a shared sense of urgency to reduce mental health crises. We believe that proactive, culturally competent care can make a monumental difference and prevent crises before they start.
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Please know you are not alone.
If you are in crisis and need to talk to someone, immediate help is available.
Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Help is available, 24/7.
Find more community resources here.