Intervention and/or Curriculum
Peer Support Groups
You’re Not Alone (Y.N.A.) fellowship is a pinnacle piece to bridging trust and inspiring youth advocacy and will serve as the initial base for the intervention effort. The Y.N.A. fellowship will establish the platform for the intervention in offering initial group fellowship, and then offering one-to-one certified peer support and group certified peer support. Group discussion topics cover Anger and stress Management through breathing exercises and activities, Introduction to mediation through viewing and discussing (6) part documentary on Headspace, how to identify emotions, how to empathize with others, and Vision Boards. Groups are held for one-hour sessions. Frequency is based on site and agreement. Example, school sites like Holub receive (6) sessions, bi-weekly through the academic calendar. College sites will receive bi- weekly sessions through various activities and events based on student leaders/peers program calendar.
- Peers are certified through a partnered Peer academy where selected interns or community members participant in a three-part training course to become Mental Health & Recovery Peer Support Specialist certified through the state of Texas.
- Part 1: Core Training
- Part 2: Main training
- Part 3: Participant complete field hours needed for certification completion.
- Locations: Y.N.A fellowship is established at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and will offer peer support at Texas Southern University and Jarvis Christian College. Future sites will include Huston Tillotson, Paul Quinn College, Prairie View A&M University, St. Philip’s College, Southwestern Christian College, Texas College, and Wiley College.
- The foundation will also continue to collaborate and host mentoring sessions along with African American Youth Harvest Foundation. Peer mentoring is the same as peer support 1:1 model for youth.
Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Events
The Foundation will unite community members, and particularly young people and their families, to peer led mental health awareness events out in the community annually.
- Locations: Celebration of mental health awareness event in May, the community BBQ wellness event at Norman Sims and the Community Block Party at the Heights Community; the Minority Mental Health Rally—in July, and a suicide prevention event in September.
Barrier Breakerz Sports
The Foundation will sponsor this initiative for youth who are 12 years of age to provide a positive outlet through active engagement and sporting. This initiative will provide a culture of support where players interact with peers and connect through team building and social engagement; coaches on the teams will have peer certification and mental health awareness knowledge. Players will have the option to participate in group check-ins and mindful stress management activities led by certified peer specialists. Group check ins for our Barrier Breaker curriculum consist of 30 min sessions weekly where participants engage in anxiety management practices such as breathing exercises and family building through parent involved activities such as playing ‘Ask, Listen, Speak’ family support card game.
- Location: Pure Ambition Gym
Ages
- 6 to 17, 18 to 25
Population Served
Proposed
- Adolescents to young adults who are typically disenfranchised in access to critical supports in mental health, substance use, and social determinants of health.
FY24 Q1
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
- Adolescents to young adults who are typically disenfranchised in access to critical supports in mental health, substance use, and social determinants of health.
FY24 Q2 & FY24 Q3
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
City or Counties Served: Travis County (Huston-Tillotson, Pure Ambition, AAYHF), Harris County (Holub, Jr. Gents, Texas Southern University), and Wood County (Jarvis Christian University)
Region: Region 7 (additionally Regions 2,3,5,6)
