'Wraparound Support' Meets Black and Hispanic Girls' Overlooked Mental Health Needs

Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students (TRAILS) provides a group environment for students experiencing mental health issues to discuss their feelings and find a sense of community among their peers facing similar concerns. This school-based program makes care more accessible for students as it brings it directly to the classroom for free. Since beginning in 2013, TRAILS has been implemented in 700 schools throughout the state.

Working on Womanhood (WOW) works to build confidence, self-awareness, community and healthy coping mechanisms among Black and Latina girls in sixth to twelfth grade. WOW offers easily accessible group therapy in schools and is led by Black and Latinx social workers who can provide culturally relevant care to youth in need. WOW serves 350 students in one school district and surveys show that participants are less depressed and anxious and exhibit more self-confidence.

Kokhanyi, ya zhyvu! (Beloved, I Live!) is a free, community-run support program for widows and partners of fallen soldiers. The program combines structured group therapy with physical and ritual activities. Small groups of eight women meet weekly for eight weeks, participating in therapy sessions followed by activities like yoga, archery and art therapy, all led by women with similar lived experiences. Since its launch, 56 women have completed the program.

Nuci’s Space aims to prevent suicide by providing a safe space for people of all ages, particularly youth, to connect and play music. They also offer affordable practice spaces and mental and physical health care services for participants, including affordable counseling.

A partnership between Hazel Health and the local school district is bridging the gap between students and mental and physical healthcare by providing therapy and telehealth resources before, during and after the school day. Care is provided without any necessary out-of-pocket costs and from November 2023 to June 2024, Hazel Health provided 630 therapy sessions to students across 25 schools.

“Chill Rooms,” offer students a place where they can go and talk to “chill therapists” when they’re feeling anxious, stressed or just need a minute to reset during the school day. Some schools have even partnered with other organizations to offer creative forms of mental health care, like equine therapy. In the Northgate School District, the graduation rate has increased by 11% since incorporating Chill Rooms.

The Friends Advocacy for Mental Health Initiative (FAM) spreads awareness of the importance of mental health. It works to bring services like counseling and support groups to rural communities and schools. The Initiative’s Adolescents Save Haven Club hosts monthly sessions in secondary schools across the country, helping guide youth on their mental health journey, and has since helped over 300 students.

Black parents are at greater risk of experiencing serious complications during pregnancy and childbirth, which is why preserving Black birth care, like doulas, is so important to preventing unnecessary deaths and medical interventions. The doula community is growing and there’s currently a push among local doulas and providers to grow the network of doulas of color to increase the accessibility of relevant and representative birth care.

The Iowa Black Doula Collective trains doulas to help educate and advocate for Black women during pregnancy and childbirth. Research shows women who work with doulas are less likely to have low birth-weight babies and experience birth complications. Since forming in 2020, the Collective has raised over $200,000 and trained 64 Black doulas.

ACCESS Open Minds connects youth and young adults to mental health support, including therapists, caseworkers and peer navigators to help them get the care they need. One of ACCESS’s main goals is to bridge the gap between the complexities of the mental health care system and the community. By creating these youth wellness hubs and connecting people with the appropriate services, ACCESS has decreased the number of hospitalizations and emergency room visits and increased the number of people getting mental health care.