Addressing Mental Health in African American Job Training Adolescents and Young Adults

This project's focus is twofold—to change the culture of an employment training program for
adolescents and young adults (Youth Opportunities, or "YO") to more fully address the many
mental health issues faced by its participants and to expand and improve the quantity and
quality of mental health services for YO members. Four project components have been
carefully selected to address the mental health issues of YO members: (1) Mental health
education/training for YO staff and peer leaders, (2) Mental health education activities for
YO members, (3) mental health screening on all newly enrolling YO members, and (4)
comprehensive mental health services for YO members. These project components will be
implemented at the HEBCAC YO Program (subsequently referred to as "Eastside" YO), with the
Westside YO Program initially participating as a control site. Researchers at the Johns
Hopkins University Center for Adolescent Health, led by Dr. Darius Tandon of the Department
of Pediatrics, will conduct the research examining the effectiveness of these mental health
services and supports.

There are four project objectives. First, the proposed activities will increase YO members'
knowledge of mental health resources and decrease stigma associated with seeking mental
health services. Second, the investigators will see an increase in YO members' receipt of
needed mental health services. Third, the investigators will see improvement in YO members'
mental health. Fourth, as a result of their improved mental health, YO members will more
actively engage in YO program activities and achieve more key program milestones (e.g., GED
completion). These objectives are sequential, with later objectives predicated on the
achievement of earlier ones.