Communities Invested in Healthy Life Trajectories of

African American Boys

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Sonya S. Brady, PhDProject Lead Investigator

Division of Epidemiology & Community HealthUMN School of Public Health

Capetra Jolly, BASt. Paul, MN Community Coalition Leader

Tina Simpson, MD, MPHProject Co-Lead Investigator

Department of PediatricsUAB School of Medicine

Janice Phillips, BSBirmingham, AL Community Coalition Leader

C. Jason Branch, MA, LPC, NCCBirmingham, AL Community Coalition Leader

Communities Invested, Aim IAim I (Years 1-5)Build coalitions to select, refine, implement, and evaluate school-linked prevention programming for African American boys aged 8-14 years and their caregivers.

Goals1. Promote connectedness; academic

investment; and social and emotional well-being

2. Prevent or reduce externalizing symptoms and risk behavior

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Communities Invested, Aim IIAim II (Years 4-5)Conduct a pilot study to • Establish feasibility and acceptability of school-

linked prevention programming • Inform a full-scale group randomized controlled

trial

Goals1. Biannual surveys of 6th and 8th grade students2. Longitudinal evaluation of African American

families (n=30)• Baseline• Post-prevention programming• 6 month follow-up

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5 Phases of Communities That Care

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CTC Organizational Structure

Community

Key Leaders

Community Board

6 Workgroups

Facilitator/Coordinator

• Risk & Protective Factor Assessment

• Community Outreach & Public Relations

• Youth Involvement • Resource

Assessment & Evaluation

• Funding • Community Board

Maintenance

Executive Board

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Progress To DateCTC Phase I Accomplished

• Phase 1: Get Started• CTC Champions• Focus groups conducted (BHM only)• Community readiness interviews • Key Leader Orientations • Dissemination of findings

• Jolly, C., Winston III, W., Simpson, T. Y., & Brady, S. S. (2015, May). Community readiness to adopt the Communities That Care program within an urban setting. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Washington, D.C.

• Phillips JM, Dixon A, Branch CJ, Brady SS, Simpson T. Parents Speak: Issues Facing Young African American Males In Urban Communities. Journal of Adolescent Health 2015; 56(2):S102-103.

• Phillips J, Branch CJ, Simpson T. Assessing Readiness for Community-Driven Youth Prevention Program. Journal of Adolescent Health 2016; 58(2):S89-S90.

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Progress To DateCTC Phase II Nearly Accomplished

• Phase II: Organize, Introduce, and Involve• Obtain community leaders’ support• Formation of community boards

• Youth, parents, teachers, service providers, and individuals from local faith and CBOs

• Vision statement to guide prevention work • Workgroups to transform vision into action • CTC Youth Survey

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Progress To DateCTC Phase III Underway

• Phase III: Develop a Community Profile • Based on CTC Youth Survey, other public data, and

formative research, St. Paul, MN site selected factors for preventive action

• 3 target risk factors: transitions and mobility, early behavioral concerns, poor academic achievement

• 1 target outcome: emotional well-being and mental health

• Birmingham, AL site selection of factors for preventive action is underway

• Next steps at both sites• Survey local service providers

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Spring and Summer, 2016CTC Phase IV

• Phase IV: Create a Community Action Plan• Selection of evidence-based prevention

program(s)• Development of communication campaign to

reduce stigma of receiving services

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Fall, 2016 through Spring, 2018 CTC Phase V

• Phase V: Implement and Evaluate Community Action Plan• Prevention Program Implementation• Longitudinal Pilot Study

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ChallengesBoth Sites

• Adaptation of Communities that Care (CTC) to urban communities of color

• Time required from community coalition members• Length of CTC Youth Survey

St. Paul, MN• School district review of protocol• Requirement of active consent for CTC Youth Survey

Birmingham, AL• Change in school administration• IRB review of CTC Youth Survey protocol• Concern about overlapping initiatives (e.g., My

Brother’s Keeper) NIH U54MD008620

Opportunities“Tri-Relationships” Approach to Fostering

Youth Assets and Resilience

Caregivers Teachers

Community Context

Child

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