reACTion

The reACTion program works to promote Black Youth Mental Health in Louisiana by addressing the ways in which social, political, and economic systems shape behaviors and access to resources for Black youth. reACTion is a demonstration project designed to reduce suicidality and improve the mental health outcomes of Black youth in New Orleans by assessing and communicating recommendations for implementing high-impact policies in schools, the juvenile legal system, and in social services settings. This work is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

 
 
 

In Louisiana:

  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24 (CDC, 2019)

  • Black students had the highest rates of suicidal ideation and attempts among Louisiana high school students (CDC, 2019)

In New Orleans and across the U.S., policies exist in the education, juvenile legal, and social services settings that are aimed at supporting Black youth mental health (BYMH); but, these policies leave a lot of room for assessment and improvement. Over the course of a three-year demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we will bring together youth Policy Advisory Fellows, Core Implementation Partners (CIPs), and a diverse Advisory Council (AC) to identify and assess existing policies in education, the juvenile legal system, and the social services sector that impact the mental health and wellbeing of Black youth.

According to our Founder Dr. Shervington,

“Black youth experience disproportionate mental health conditions due to racially biased environmental factors, not due to biologic predisposition. This grant will help us better understand how to disrupt these socially constructed factors, in addition to providing culturally resonant and compassionate psychosocial supports for Black youth and their families. It is time that we come together as a city to show youth that they matter, and that we care.”

By the Fall of 2023,

together, IWES staff, youth Policy Advisory Fellows, caregivers, CIPs, and the AC will identify and assess 1-3 policies related to improving BYMH.

By the Winter of 2024,

supported by IWES staff, youth Policy Advisory Fellows, caregivers, CIPs, and the AC, 1 to 3 sites will be identified to implement the selected policy, a policy which will support protective factors associated with BYMH, and reduce unintended negative effects on BYMH in New Orleans.

In the Fall of 2025,

we will publicly share data and findings from this work with folks that may be interested in using learnings from this project to inform their service delivery, program development, and/or policy-making.

“I feel the highest contributing factors

to these issues [suicide, substance abuse and depression] are poverty. Poverty has deep psychological impacts on everyone, and I feel like for some people it heightens their need for escapes through suicide or substance abuse. Organizations should try to consider some way of meeting more youth, especially teens, with programming on an individual level. Older teens especially need a lot of support, because a lot is lost when teens are afraid to express themselves.”

— Ekundayo Akinlana, high school senior and former IWES youth intern

 

In New Orleans:

  • IWES’ school-based Emotional Wellness Screener found that 12% of the youth surveyed since 2012—the majority of whom are Black—endorsed suicidal ideation, which underscores the need for impactful policies to address this issue.

 
 

Policy Advisory Fellows

Learn more about the youth leaders supporting this important work at the button below.

 

Check Out Highlights from our reACTion Kickoff Event!

On May 20th, 2023, we hosted reACTion, our first major event since the pandemic. This event was a day celebrating New Orleans youth, free & open to the public, geared towards young people, but all were welcome!

The event featured: youth-led conversations on the intersection of mental health with the arts, reproductive justice, & safety; food trucks (Original Thought NOLA and Taceaux Loceaux) & snowballs; live music (DJ ANTWIGADEE!, glbl wrmng, Black Magic Music Group) ; films; massage, acupuncture & henna; raffles & giveaways; and a special edition of BElite Collective's Radical Freedom Dream workshop!

Our amazing community partners include: The Movement, NOLAHYPE, Girls Rock New Orleans, Liberty's Kitchen, Café Reconcile, RealNameCampaign, and JPNSI is a Community Land Trust. You can visit IWES’ reACTion! Resource page here on our site to learn more about our partners. Thank you for your commitment to sharing important resources that can be found within the vibrant New Orleans community. Your involvement and collaboration have been instrumental in creating a memorable and impactful experience for our young people!

 
 

The Bounce Back Collective is an 8-month-long project to support resilience in children and youth by thoughtfully engaging the community with arts and intergenerational dialogue for transformative healing. Funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, this project was selected from a pool of over 500 nationwide Resilience Challenge applicants. IWES joins 14 other finalists in this challenge and will compete to showcase community-led solutions to support resilience in children and youth.

 
 

From Fall 2023 to Spring 2024 IWES is offering free teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) workshops for local youth-serving organizations. tMHFA teaches teens in grades 10-12, or ages 15-18, how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers.

There is an urgent need to address the intensifying youth mental health crisis across the nation. To address this crisis in Louisiana, click the link below to learn more about and/or sign up for a workshop.



 
 

To get in contact with reACTion, please email Meagan.