Male mental health MHS 6900- USF
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Daryl GASTON
NOVEMBER 25, 2024.
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DR. TAORMINA - PROFESSOR
Final​​ Project
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Black Growth
Initiative
Black Father support
Program Goal
The support we provide our Black fathers who face unique challenges, including systemic barriers, societal stigmas, and the lasting effects of incarceration, poverty, and discrimination,
is a unique relationship between the counselors
and Black fathers.
Our targeted support plan will empower them to strengthen their roles in their families, build confidence, and foster personal growth while addressing social and structural obstacles.
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INTERVENTION
We will provide fathers with the tools and opportunities to foster emotional and physical
involvement in their children’s lives. Our licensed Black men's counselors will address trauma,
stress, and societal stigmas that affect their parenting and overall well-being.
Our group therapy sessions will last from six months to a year. We understand that Black fathers need support, and it is important to create a network of Black fathers to express their experiences, challenges, and success stories. Our sessions will enhance our Black fatherhood experience.
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We will build peer and community support networks for encouragement and shared experiences. We will promote a positive narrative around the role of Black fathers in their families and communities.
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Our peer support specialist will conduct meaningful workshops on how to engage masculinity and
nurturing. The workshops are designed to break down traditional norms of fatherhood.
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Our forums will be open and honest conversations about race, incarceration, and systemic barriers. Our peer-led support groups will talk about hot topics such as racism, injustice, and shared struggles.
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As part of our intervention strategy, we will incorporate Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and Natural therapy into our services. Animal-assisted intervention aims to improve a patient's social, emotional, or cognitive functioning.
Using animals for treatment has shown positive results in many cases, such as post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD), depression, anxiety, dementia, and autism. AAT can also improve many aspects of a patient's life, such as improving their overall mood or reducing feelings of isolation.(Charry-Sanchez et al., 2018).
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STAKEHOLDERS
Our stakeholders will be Black fathers, clergy, barbershop owners, business owners, and medical professionals (Black Doctors). We will establish a Community Advisory Board to act as a program advisory committee. The advisory committee will guide the curriculum for Black fathers so that it is relevant and cultural sensitive to Black father needs.
STAFFING
Our life coaches will be African American men who will provide workshops on effective communication with children, interacting with children, and showing emotional intelligence. Our staff will talk about masculinity and nurturing. The workshops will cover co-parenting skills—techniques for sharing parenting responsibilities with respect and collaboration. Lastly, our coaches will discuss conflict resolution, providing tools for navigating disagreements.
Through these workshops, we will increase father-child engagement and effective
communication; the goals would be to improve mental health and stress management among participants. The workshops will be on a need basis but will be offered monthly.
OUTCOMES
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The outcome of these workshops will be to reduce the stigma around Black fatherhood and empower Black fathers who are not taking active roles in their families and communities.
We will evaluate our services through interviews and surveys and see how black fathers are doing in the community (reintegrating). We will also host monthly group sessions with Black fathers to maintain a sense of community.
EVALUATION/ ADAPTATION
After six to twelve months, we will assess whether our clients have achieved increased confidence in fatherhood with interviews and surveys. We will also assess employment and financial stability and reunification with their children or loved ones. We will use a social support scale (SSS) to measure our clients’ perceived support. This scale will help us measure our clients; confidence with support. At the center, we aim to establish strong community networks of Black fathers supporting one another- so that they do not feel alone with the fatherhood journey.