Earlier today, Besa Gordon made her weekly stop by Good Day Seattle and caught up with Erin Mayovsky. This week, she shined a spotlight on a project that’s transforming local communities: the Northwest Credible Messenger’s Barber & Beauty Shop Behavioral Health Project in partnership with the Community Reinvestment Project and the Washington State Department of Commerce. 

Besa introduced viewers to an initiative where barbers, stylists, and other trusted community figures are trained to become wellness advocates and peer counselors. This program equips them with the skills to support mental health, prevent violence, and guide folks through life’s challenges — all within the familiar space of a salon or barbershop.

“It’s like having a life coach… who also does your hair,” Besa explained, highlighting how this unique approach strengthens community trust.

The impact is already visible. Participants in the program shared how the training has empowered them to ask better questions, build individual service plans, and provide meaningful support. One participant mentioned how the training would “impact violence in our communities by intervention, but also by understanding the things our people navigate.”

Besa emphasized why this program is so essential: “Sometimes when you get a new therapist, you’re like… do I even want to tell you my business? But I already go to my beautician. I already go to my barber. So if they say, ‘Here’s a resource,’ I’m gonna believe them.”

Besa even mentioned that the program goes beyond barbers and beauticians, spotlighting trusted community members who are already doing the work.

“One of my good friends, Monika C Mathews, went through the program — she’s the owner of QueenCare, a dope place you can go to for skin products, and you can also get massages… It’s more than just beauticians and barbers — they’re tapping in with people we already go to, already know, already love, and already trust.”

The initiative is funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce, and the Northwest Credible Messenger has partners that support the program all over the state, like Innovative Change Makers.

To learn more about the program, visit: www.NorthwestCredibleMessenger.org 

See the full segment on Back2Besa this weekend on FOX 13 Seattle this Saturday at 10:30 pm and catch the replay Sunday at 10 am on FOX 13 +.

Here’s to lifting each other up — one haircut at a time.