Barbershop to Host Mental Health Screening Event in Recognition of Juneteenth
NEW YORK (6/3/2026) – In recognition of Juneteenth, a day that commemorates freedom, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of equity, DKBmed is partnering with renowned barber educator Tyrik Jackson and Kreationz By Hand Unisex Hair Studio to host Fade Out Depression: An Alliance Between Barbers & Clinicians on June 19, 2026, at Kreationz By Hand Unisex Hair Studio, 234 West Baltimore Pike, Clifton Heights, PA 19018. This initiative is funded by an independent medical education grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
This community-based initiative will offer free mental health screenings to local residents, with participants receiving a Visa gift card upon completion. Additionally, the barber who refers the most clients for screening will have their chair rental covered for the day—further incentivizing community engagement and outreach. Screenings will be completed under the supervision of a licensed professional: clinical social workers Caroline Barnhart and Kayla Weiler, and Dr. Nathaniel Baffoe-Mensah.
Juneteenth serves as a reminder that true freedom includes access to health, wellness, and opportunity. Yet significant disparities continue to affect mental health outcomes in Black communities. Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects nearly one in ten Americans and remains the most common psychiatric condition in the United States. Black individuals often face barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care, resulting in poorer outcomes and widening health inequities.
"Juneteenth is a time to celebrate progress while recognizing the work that remains," said Tyrik Jackson, Fade Out Depression Faculty and Barber Influencer. "Mental health is a critical part of overall well-being, and everyone deserves access to support, education, and treatment. By bringing screenings directly into trusted community spaces, we're helping to break down barriers and start conversations that can save lives."
Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects nearly 1 in 10 individuals in the United States and remains the most common psychiatric condition. It significantly impairs physical and cognitive functioning and is associated with increased risk of chronic disease, poor treatment adherence, and higher healthcare utilization. Black and Hispanic populations face persistent disparities in diagnosis, access to care, and treatment outcomes—resulting in disproportionate disease burden and poorer long-term outcomes.
Barbershops have proven to be effective venues for delivering healthcare interventions, particularly among Black men in urban communities. Fade Out Depression builds on the success of previous community-focused health initiatives including Fade Out HIV, Fade Out Type 2 Diabetes, and a pilot version of Fade Out Depression in Lancaster, PA. The Philadelphia expansion aims to broaden impact across neighborhoods with high proportions of Black and Hispanic residents, where disparities in mental health care remain pronounced.
In addition to community screenings, the program seeks to establish a referral network of healthcare professionals (HCPs) dedicated to improving mental health outcomes in underserved populations. Clinicians interested in contributing to this initiative are encouraged to join the network and support ongoing education, screening, and treatment efforts. Take the CME education and join by going to MDD.DKBmed.com.
Fade Out works by educating those with access to marginzalized communities to reduce barriers to care and close practice gaps. The barber education process follows these steps:
- Identify and educate barbers on the risk of MDD and a suboptimal response to therapy.
- Recruit clinicians in those neighborhoods.
- Link barbers and clients with educated neighborhood clinicians.
- Screen identified at-risk individuals through Screening Day events at select barber shops.
- Educate clinicians about MDD risks in specific populations.
- Refer clients to area clinicians with a gift card incentive.
Clinician education is delivered to providers serving Philadelphia communities with large Black and/or Hispanic populations, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), in the identified communities. The program is available on the DKBmed platform as an enduring 60-minute webcast at MDD.DKBmed.com.
About Tyrik Jackson
Tyrik Jackson is a licensed international educator, mentor, barber, and owner of the Premier Barber Institute. Through his platform, Tyrik Jackson helps deliver education on relevant conditions that heavily affect members of racial and ethnic minority groups, such as HIV and type 2 diabetes. To learn more about Tyrik Jackson, visit his Instagram: @iamtyrikjackson
About DKBmed
DKBmed is an integrated continuing medical education company operated by an experienced team of medical education experts. DKBmed provides health care professionals with effective medical education that closes identified knowledge and practice gaps to improve patient health.Working with accredited providers and other partners, DKBmed develops innovative educational programs and quality improvement (QI) initiatives, bringing new learning methodologies to the CME landscape. DKBmed has become a leader in QI in the independent medical education space with QI projects in Pain Management, HIV, Depression, Influenza, and Diabetic Eye Disease. DKBmed was also an early adopter of case scenarios with real patients and live actors, TED/DKBmed Talks, 3D animation, webcasts, podcasts, and smart phone applications for clinicians and patients. These forward-thinking approaches enable health care professionals to learn and access educational programs in a manner that is most convenient and appropriate for them.
DKBmed’s programs are accessible through the company’s website (www.dkbmed.com). They reach more than 150,000 health care professionals in primary care and in a variety of specialties and disease states including: HIV, COVID-19, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, influenza, dermatology, retinal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, asthma, multiple sclerosis, pain management, depression and viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV) and oncology.