Recorded presentation

Michael Lindsey, PhD, MPH¹, Alan Green, PhD², and Duane Thomas, PhD¹. (1) WK Kellogg Foundation Community Health Scholar, Johns Hopkins University, 1712 Bradmoore Drive, Forestville, MD 20747, (410) 502-8067, mlindsey13@yahoo.com, (2) Department of Counseling, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, 105 Whitehead Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218

High rates of academic failure and conduct problems are concerns disproportionately experienced by African American adolescent males. Moreover, this population may be among the most underserved with respect to mental health services. This presentation will describe the feasibility of partnering with key community stakeholders (parents, youth, school personnel, community-based organizations) to develop a psychoeducational intervention for African American male adolescents. A central feature of the intervention was developing the youths’ critical consciousness regarding societal factors (i.e., racism, oppression) that impact their daily experiences, attitudes, and behaviors. Feedback from community advisory groups, as well as research on best practices with high-risk African-American adolescent males and their caregivers, informed the specific focus of the intervention. Preliminary outcomes (i.e., increased critical consciousness, improved school engagement, and decreased interpersonal violence) indicate that community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodology is particularly useful in developing an intervention for high-risk youth within a community-based setting. The development of a parenting component to the intervention using CBPR principles to ensure the maintenance and generalizeability of treatment gains for youth across settings will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participants will be able to

• identify an approach for developing a partnership between university researchers and community-based organizations to meet the mental health needs of urban, high-risk youth;
• describe a preventive-intervention strategy to work effectively with multiple systems impacting youth’s lives.

Keywords: Mental Health, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Johns Hopkins University; The Door, a community-based organization serving youth in East Baltimore
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation