Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies

EARTH is a peer-led community-based mental health intervention that will promote emotional resiliency among at-risk African-American youth. Through a series of media and community events, adolescents will gain problem-solving and coping skills to help manage post-Katrina psychological distress. The project will train a core group of peer leaders who will serve to reduce mental health stigma and recruit and engage their peers. The creative arts (music, dance, visual and language) will be used as the primary medium for emotional teching. Adolescents displaying moderate to severe symptoms of distress will undergo psychiatric assessment and will be referred to a more intense level of care.

Peer Advocates from the MAP Program were chosen to participate in EARTH. To further develop their leadership and media skills, as well as to strengthen their emotional awareness and resiliency, the training sessions are broadcast on New Orleans Access Television (NOA-TV) on a show called Youth Voices. The broadcasts are an outlet for the youth to reach their peers and serve as a vehicle to spread the message that mental health is vital for the development of youth in our communitites. View the show’s intro below…

Youth Voices Intro