African-American youth – particularly males – face a multitude of historic and contemporary traumatic stressors that impede or obstruct holistic healthy development. These types of traumas manifest in multiple settings and points on the developmental timeline to the mental, emotional, and physical detriment of these youth. Culturally-grounded approaches to mental health services for intervention and prevention programs offer a creative framework for interrupting chronic patterns and connecting strengths-based resources in response to these youth crises. This presentation will highlight a creative culturally-rooted approach called Hip-Hop H.E.A.L.S.! that strategically uses Rap music and Hip-Hop culture to engage, illustrate, and motivate trauma-informed evidence-based practices among diverse youth, families, and communities. This presentation will focus on the use of the H3 model with African-American male adolescents as a program exemplar with implications for expanding traditional frameworks for service development and delivery.

Register for The New York Foundling & APSAC Webinar Series on Controversial Topics| Begins February 14, 2024

Register for APSAC-NY | Assessing False Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse and Issues Regarding Recantation | February 15, 2024

Register for The New York Foundling & APSAC Comprehensive Online 8-Week Course: Understanding Child Neglect & Supporting Families | Thursdays, March 7 - April 25, 2024