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Oakland Frontline Healers Launches Black Mental Health Initiative

“There are few places for Black folks to go when they’re in crisis, and available services are hard to access. When in crisis, people must trust the person offering assistance, and in the Black community its usually a person who doesn’t look like them. Despite best of intentions, not everyone can relate to our experience with America,” says Dr. Tony Jackson of Pranamind and President of the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists.

Published

4 years ago

April 15, 2022

Oakland Post

Dr. Noha Aboelata of ROOTS and Dr. Tony Jackson of Pranamind and President of the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists.

Black Mental Health: Part 1

By Tanya Dennis

April 2020, Oakland Black nonprofits and medical doctors formed a collaborative organization entitled Oakland Frontline Healers (OFH) to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its detrimental effects in the Black community. Oakland Frontline Healers ran toward the problem, providing PPE, testing, vaccines and services. Committed to providing the best knowledge and service, OFH member Umoja Health stopped giving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine because of its lack of efficacy after 60 days.

“We are unapologetically Black in all that we do,” says Daryle Allums, founder of OFH. “We are from the hood and for the hood, committed to healing our people during stressful times and hardships.”

As Oakland Frontline Healer members distributed food, housing vouchers, COVID-19 home test kits and other living essentials, reports of escalating violence and mental health episodes caused members to assess their next frontline mission. Black Mental Health won overwhelmingly.

“We got youngsters out here wilding out, and we can’t let the police be the only solution,” says Allums, adding that “We’re also addressing violence. Soon Oakland will see more of Adamika Village and Men of Influence’s Credible Messengers patrolling the flatlands.”

OFH members have been meeting with the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists, and with the aid of Dr. Noha Aboelata of ROOTS, are creating holistic approaches to bringing solid, ethnically sensitive mental health services with fast response. As usual, securing funding is the number one obstacle, number two is finding enough qualified practioners. Dr Aboelata mused that “Developing a training program for more Black service providers is something we must consider.”

OFH hopes to establish two African American healing hubs, in West and East Oakland. They are also working on a larger center that will take years because of its complexity and scope, being led by the Association of Black Psychologists. The Black Mental Health Coalition project will address needs of people not on the County of Alameda’s radar.

“Currently the only place the County offers mental evaluations is in Santa Rita jail, and to be seen by a therapist, your illness must be severe. That profile misses 75% of Black people that could use some help with their stress or crisis. Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome is real, and COVID-19 has exacerbated the problem,” says, Tanya Dennis, lead facilitator of OFH.

“There’s unspent money at the State and County level, and Federal money is also available,” says Dennis. “We’re approaching these agencies for funding, but our first step is getting community support. Black folks can do that by telling us what they need.”

Dennis is requesting the public go to the OFH website and fill out their Black Mind survey, so leaders know what authentic, relevant service looks like. When the coalition presents to the County, State and Feds the Black collective voice must be heard. United, African Americans can get what has so long been denied, mental health care culturally sensitive and restorative.

Go to Oaklandfrontlinehealers.org to take the survey and opportunity to tell your story.

Interview with Karyn Tribble, Alameda County Behavorial Health and Dr. Noha Aboelata

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.