Current Research Projects
Trauma, Identity & Radical Hope Study (with Goal Getters Program)
The goal of this project is three-pronged:
- Assess the current strengths and needs of the Goal Getters program, a violence intervention and academic retention program for Black males in local high schools
- Identify the anticipated needs for the development of a trauma-informed mental health component to address the negative effects of violence exposure via a needs assessment
- Develop and test a, trauma-informed component of the Goal Getters Program that addresses the effects of recurrent community violence exposure and engagement among Black and/or African American male high school students through the development of a healing practice centered on radical hope using an identity-based (i.e., racial identity, gender expression) approach
4 Us All Project - Trauma Intervention Development Study
The 4 Us All Project aims to address mental health disparities affecting Black youth via a community-university collaboration by developing a model for implementation and evaluation of a trauma-focused, culturally informed school-based mental health intervention.
The project has two central aims:
The project has two central aims:
- Identify and amend practices that may reinforce structural racism and negatively impact Black students’ mental health
- Implement a school-based mental health intervention to address the impact of racial and violent trauma on Black middle youth
- Establish an implementation model to guide school-based intervention implementation for Black youth experiencing trauma due to racism and violence
Black Male Youth Trauma Meta-Analysis
The purpose of this study is to provide a conceptual and statistical integration of the research literature examining the impact of psychological trauma exposure on the emotional and behavioral problems of African American male youth residing in low-income, urban settings.