By Robert Hood

A series of events were held at UC San Francisco this past spring for Black birth workers.

The events were developed by EMBRACE, a clinical program providing Black mothers and Black pregnant people with opportunities to receive prenatal care from an intentional angle of racial consciousness. The events were designed to provide healing support for the healers.

Dr. Andrea Jackson and Markita Mays, LCSW, have been intentional in creating a program infrastructure that provides Black mothers and Black pregnant people an opportunity to receive prenatal care from an intentional angle of racial consciousness. The EMBRACE team hosts quarterly Soul Care Communions for Black Birth Workers at UCSF, that provide healing support for the healers.

"The work of reproductive and racial justice takes an emotional, physical, and mental toll, especially for race-concordant providers where often the veil is very thin," Jackson said. "The risk of provider burnout and turnover is very high. EMBRACE (as an intervention and program) is deliberate in creating an infrastructure that dismantles oppressive practices, expectations and demands of Black birth workers. We uplift healing for the healer. SOUL CARE Communions allow for connection, fellowship, and wellness to mitigate isolation and booster the pipeline and retention of Black birth workers at UCSF."

Mays said each Soul Care Communion was led by a Black wellness practitioner who integrated Afro-indigenous spiritual rituals and mindfulness practices, provided psychoeducation on cultural trauma and collective grief, and emphasized the use of storytelling in small breakout groups to reflect impact on their work.

EMBRACE also hosted one in-person gathering during the visit of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to UCSF

"The overall energy and feedback provided by attendees is that they felt seen, cared for, and they requested more times throughout the year to gather in community," said Mays.

Supporting Black-owned businesses such as Cupcakin’, Miss Ollies, Red Bay Coffee and Marcus Books was made possible with the assistance of the Wellness & Community team through a Community Well-being Grant.

<p>The Soul Care Communion was one of nine projects supporting the health and wellbeing of the UCSF community chosen to receive a grant and there were 310 applications received in the latest round of Community Wellbeing Grants.

Clinical social worker Glamarys Acevedo said one of the biggest challenges was scheduling events to accommodate the various participants. "Many of our participants are labor and delivery nurses and residents and their schedules make it difficult for them to participate in gatherings."

Jackson said there is a need for more spaces for Black faculty, staff, and students to truly experience a culture of wellness and to have their well-being supported at UCSF. "A sustainable funding model is needed to continue to host Soul Care events for UCSF Black workers," she said.