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Study Period: September 2022 -
September 2025

Black Youth Mental Health Initiative

Funded by the Office of Minority Health | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In 2022, the University of Nevada, Reno was honored to be one of just eight recipients nationwide to receive funding from the National Office of Minority Health to “demonstrate policy effectiveness to promote Black youth mental health initiatives.”

The Black Youth Mental Health Project is a youth- centered program that seeks to empower Black and LGBTQ+ youth aged 12-17 to become advocates for comprehensive, culturally competent mental health policies through a combination of in -person and online training, where participants gain critical in- sights into the legislative process, learn how to effectively advocate for change, and build valuable leadership skills.

The Problem

The following factors contribute to disparities in mental health outcomes for Black and LGBTQ+ youth:

  • Higher rates of stigma within communities regarding mental health treatment
  • Limited access to culturally competent mental health providers
  • Disproportionate exposure to socioeconomic stressors
  • Underrepresentation in policy discussions impacting youth mental health

The Solution

The project team successfully completed a comprehensive range of training sessions, outreach initiatives, and the establishment of the Black Youth Advisory Council, all aimed at enhancing mental health awareness and support for Black youth. As a result, there have been significant strides in fostering community engagement and empowerment towards creating policy change.

The Results

Outreach

Black youth from various areas of the state, representing a range of social identities and economic backgrounds. Collaborative partners played a crucial role in these outreach efforts, specifically targeting Black youth who identify as LGBTQ+ and those from historically underserved communities. Interested youth applied and were accepted to become members of the Black Youth Advisory Council, enhancing their involvement and influence within the program.

Advocacy and Policy Curriculum- Online Version

To foster sustainability and expand training opportunities for youth, an online curriculum featuring several interactive modules was developed. This self-paced training leverages engaging technology to captivate young learners, equipping them with essential knowledge about policy and empowering them to become effective youth advocates.

Youth Policy Forum: Members of our youth advisory board led a meeting with community leaders to discuss pending policy and to prepare for the 83rd Nevada legislative session.
Days at the Legislature: Children’s Health Week at the Legislature & Public Health Day at the Legislature
Creation of a curriculum for Youth service providers: https://learn.makinghealthhappen.org/#/online-courses/4cc8cb4c-c9e9-4760-a75d-7c543e396e53

Project Team
Liz Amaya-Fernandez, MPH
CC Balderas, MPH(c), CHW
Project Deliverables
Course: Youth Advocacy: Promoting Equity for Black and LGBTQ+ Youth
Youth Training Promotional Website
Final Project Evaluation Report, September 2025

Quotes

If I could change any policy, I’d make sure every kid gets a good education. Education is super important because it helps kids learn and have better futures. By making sure all kids can go to good schools, we can help everyone have more chances in life and make the world a better place.

– anonymous

I would change policies that limit access to mental health resources in schools, as providing comprehensive mental health support is crucial for students’ well-being and academic success. Ensuring that all students have access to counseling and emotional support can help address issues early and improve overall school environments.

– anonymous

I enjoyed the breadth of knowledge it provided. I feel that the structure did a great job of showing how the information presented was put into real-world context through the interviews that were included throughout the modules. Sometimes, talking about these concepts can feel very abstract and theoretical, but the interviews helped ground the knowledge and show that there are real ways to make this work tangible and impactful.

– anonymous

I have struggled with mental health that was deemed as non-existent and or not cared for. When my counselor told me about the program, I was very excited- my eyes lit up and I saw this as a chance to show others they aren’t alone and help show that just because we are black/person we aren’t invisible and have emotions and insecurities.

– anonymous

People [made] jokes about me being bisexual…A lot of my friends weren’t comfortable with going to school because they were being judged every day and had, like their stuff, taken, and destroyed in front of everyone, and the school didn’t do anything until like months later…a lot of us just didn’t even feel comfortable like being ourselves at school.

– anonymous

I think [mental health needs of black youth are at an all-time high. It’sbalways been taboo in the black family and community to discuss a loved one suffering from mental health problems. So it didn’t get discussed. Just got dismissed. There are not enough mental health counselors who look like these Black kids, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles. So they tend to not want to engage in what’s really going on.

– anonymous

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