DENVER, Colo — Getting your hair done can be a relaxing and even therapeutic experience. That's one reason why a program in the Denver metro called Project HairCare saw the opportunity to train barbers and stylists to help customers work through mental health challenges.
For 34 years, Hair Works off of Colorado Boulevard has been a staple in the community.
"This is a safe place for the Black community," said owner and stylist Tracy Moore. "We can talk about any and everything in here, and we do. I mean, it doesn't matter. It can be politics — even though we're not supposed to — religion, family issues that people are going through."
For those in the African-American community, the hair salon or barbershop is a place where you share the best moments in life and sometimes the darkest ones as well.
"It’s hard for people to express themselves, but when you're here, you can express yourself easily, and there's a no-judgment zone," Moore said.
Dr. Terri Richardson of the Colorado Black Health Collaborative said the foundation of Project HairCare started off as a program to check blood pressure and educate the Black community on their health.
That work caught the attention of someone in the community.
"Dr. Alex Reed at the University of Colorado spotted our program because he had an idea about starting a mental health-type program for the shops, and so he reached out and asked about our program," said Dr. Richardson. "And from there, we partnered and developed a program where our stylists and barbers are trained on mental health concerns and given tools."
People in the program go through a certification process that includes four sessions on how to spot and help those dealing with mental health issues.
"Having them learn about some of the more common mental health conditions, like depression, anxiety, just stress in general, stress of doing it, America, you know? So they learn, and we actually have professional therapists that are working with us. They're the ones that deliver the information, but it's really a conversational program."
Project HairCare is currently spread across at least 16 barbershops and salons in the Denver metro area. The goal is simple: to make sure those who typically would not seek help have at least the resources to get help.
The stylist and barbers additionally receive training to help customers lower their stress through breathing exercises and more. The women in the shop feel Project HairCare is a game-changer for the Black community and even their loved ones not in the shop.
"So mental health has meant something personal to me, because, you know, my son has challenges, and so he goes to a member of our team, and he expresses himself where he couldn't feel comfortable expressing himself, maybe to myself or to his dad," Moore said.
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