Community mental health treatment and support services. - the youth leadership program for the center for urban transformation (cut) aims to provide nonconventional, nonclinical, developmentally…

Community mental health treatment and support services. - the youth leadership program for the center for urban transformation (cut) aims to provide nonconventional, nonclinical, developmentally appropriate mental health supports to youth and young adults between the ages of 12 to 24, and their families. Cut's targeted area will be the fifth ward community which is one of houston's oldest and currently most impoverished neighborhoods with a demographic make-up of approximately 50% black and 50% latinx that continues to suffer from toxic physical and emotional environments. Our efforts to provide non-traditional MH services respond to the national trends of increased suicides and homicides for youth 10 to 17, especially black and latinx males (https://WWW.ojjdp.GOV/ojstatbb). To address these trends, the center for urban transformation has entered into a partnership agreement with baylor college of medicine teen health clinic (bthc) to provide behavioral clinical supports to the youths and young adults of fifth ward. Through this amazing partnership, adolescents and young adults will be provided with healthcare and social services to keep them in school and out of the criminal justice system. This is achieved by building the skills they need to make healthy life choices. All these programs are at no cost to the students. The target population will be engaged by using client-driven program development, implementation, and evaluation, including the use of peer mentors and development of a youth council. Outreach to the disciplinary alternative education program (daep) and other area middle and high schools will occur and be further facilitated under this proposal. Service gaps include lack of youth voice to self-determine, limited pro-social experiences outside of school, and limited ability to engage in greater community opportunities or career opportunities not well-seen in fifth ward. Service gaps result in lack of adult-guidance, mentorship, and individualized educational support. Behavioral health interventions are stigmatized and there are high barriers to healthcare access, especially prevention services. Nutrition is undermined as fifth ward is a 'food desert' with no large food chain presence and lack of support for local farmers and entrepreneurs interested in providing healthy food options. The priority population cut focuses is transition age youth and young adults (YYA), 12 to 24, and their families (biological or of choice). Special focus would be placed on the YYA with school discipline, and/or juvenile justice involvement. Poverty, low education, low employment, housing instability, and nutritional deprivation, all of which have long-term effects on health, wellness, and longevity, are just a few of the toxic characteristics plaguing the YYA of fifth ward. The program intends to provide direct behavioral health supports to 240 households between september 30, 2022, and september 29, 2023, with an additional 100 youths/young adults who will be exposed to the supports and activities of the program but who will not be directly served by case management. Research shows that supporting students' overall health, including social and emotional development, has a positive impact on school performance and on their lives outside of school. Meeting YYA's household basic needs will not only help mitigate trauma and scarcity but will increase YYA's participation and retention.