Black Churches Lead Community Support: Pitt’s TRIBUTE Program Trains Congregants in Counseling

"Because I’m on the ground and in conversation with residents, what became evident to me is that mental health care is lacking in the Homewood area. This is a discussion that people of color historically haven’t talked about."

— Channing Moreland, Former Director, Pitt Community Engagement Center in Homewood

In 2021, Moreland and faculty members Laura Dietz and Quiana Golphin created TRIBUTE: Training Religious Leaders In Bereavement Counseling to Upskill Treatment Experiences. The premise is simple: relying on church leaders in Black communities will reduce the stigma associated with accessing treatment and normalize conversations about mental health.

"One thing about the Black church is that we are agents of social change because of our experience with injustice. This is not something we say — it is something we do because of lived experience. Clergy within Black churches are trusted pillars for the community and first responders to crisis, tragedies and loss in the neighborhoods they serve."

— Jonathon Counts, Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Homewood AME Zion Church Pastor

"Often, people of color want to receive mental health treatment from trained individuals rooted in their communities with shared experiences, but there's a shortage of clinicians of color in the field. TRIBUTE increases the number of people available to deliver culturally responsive counseling and increases access to mental health services."

— Laura Dietz, Associate Professor, Pitt

Graduates of the training, called Emotional Support Advocates, implement the program in their congregations under the supervision of licensed mental health providers. After four counseling sessions, individuals have the option to continue with a bereavement support group or receive assistance accessing additional mental health services at Primary Health Care Services, a federally qualified health center.