New report from Northwest Credible Messengers highlights success of the Community Reinvestment Program
Barber and beauty shops have always played a pivotal role in community care for communities of color, and especially in Black communities. These sacred spaces are a necessary space for joy, refuge and connection. In collaboration with the Community Reinvestment Program (CRP) and leaders across the state, Northwest Credible Messengers (NWCM) helped build a peer support training program for barber and beauty professionals. The program, designed by and for barbers, demonstrates the power of community care and direct action.
From May 2024 to June 2025, the Barber and Beauty Shop Behavioral Health Project helped build a safer, stronger Washington for Black and brown communities by:
- Reaching over 3,000 individuals in King, Pierce, Clark, Yakima, Snohomish and Spokane Counties
- Certifying 116 peer counselors with the ability to serve individuals statewide
- Delivering over 1,000 client sessions monthly by the end of the program
- Providing youth with hands-on experience in practical skills and exposure to peer support pathways
- Diversifying Washington’s behavioral health workforce by credentialing individuals from historically excluded communities
“Peer counseling has been a powerful journey for me,” shared a participant in the program. “I’m proud to be part of something that truly impacts lives and continues to uplift our community. This was a beautiful project!”
Thanks to the success of the Barber and Beauty Shop Behavioral Health Project, Washington has more behavior health resources led by and for communities of color. The formally trained peer navigators connect people to healthcare, substance use support, job training and much more. Their work is reducing stigma by guiding individuals with trust and compassion.
Commerce wants to take this opportunity to thank all of the barbers, beauticians, community hubs and local community leadership for their amazing partnership over the last two years. CRP and NWCM could not have done this work without your time and support.
To learn more, read Northwest Credible Messenger’s report about the work and how the program impacted communities in Washington.
This story is part of a series sharing impacts of the Community Reinvestment Project’s (CRP) initial funding from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025.
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