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mental health access Wisconsin Ranked 23 of 51

Black mental health access in Wisconsin

57.60

% of Black adults with unmet need

57.6% of Black adults in Wisconsin who experienced a past-year mental health need reported not receiving the treatment they needed (SAMHSA NSDUH).

US national average: 55.20 % of Black adults with unmet need

Primary source: SAMHSA NSDUH + HRSA NHSC

What this means for Black residents of Wisconsin

That figure tracks roughly the US national average of 55.2 % with unmet need, though the underlying trend and drivers are state-specific.

Black adults are less likely than white adults to receive mental health treatment when they have a diagnosable condition — a gap that reflects cost, stigma, and the severe underrepresentation of Black mental health professionals (under 5% of US psychologists identify as Black, per APA workforce data). In Wisconsin, the state-actionable levers are workforce pipeline investment (HBCU-based graduate training partnerships), expansion of 988 Crisis Lifeline state coordination, and telehealth parity laws that let Black patients connect with Black therapists across state lines under Medicaid.

The figures on this page are drawn from SAMHSA NSDUH + HRSA NHSC, which is the canonical public dataset for this indicator. See the References section below for supporting citations from MMWR, NEJM, and JAMA where the underlying drivers have been studied.

Policy actions

Wisconsin residents can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by call, text, or chat 24/7 — free and confidential. The state's behavioral health system is monitored by SAMHSA's state profile, available via samhsa.gov/data.

Where to get help in Wisconsin

References & primary sources

  1. Primary dataset: SAMHSA NSDUH + HRSA NHSC
  2. SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Annual State Tables.
  3. Alegría M et al. Disparity in depression treatment among racial/ethnic groups. Psychiatr Serv. 2008.

Data refreshed:

Where to go next

A number changes nothing on its own. These are the Wisconsin pages that act on it.

Find a Black doctor in Wisconsin Our directory of Black clinicians, filtered by specialty, insurance, and city. 176 community health centers in Wisconsin Sliding-scale fees, uninsured welcome. Compare services and hours before you call. Medicaid in Wisconsin Who qualifies, how to apply, and what the program covers. Wisconsin county by county The statewide number hides the counties carrying it. See where you live.

States ranked next to Wisconsin on mental health access

More Black health data for Wisconsin

Maternal mortality Infant mortality Cardiovascular mortality Diabetes prevalence Breast cancer mortality Prostate cancer mortality Life expectancy Uninsured rate Medicaid coverage

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