Supporting Black youths and centering their experiences in leading research to promote equity in mental health care in a rural NC community

The Foundation's initiative, Responding to Healthcare Consumers' Greatest Needs, was designed to ensure that health care systems' policies and practices are responsive to the needs and social contexts of the consumers and communities they serve through: (1) policy-relevant research; (2) local, grassroots advocacy; and (3) lessons spread through partnerships and strategic communications.The goal of this study is to assess mental health systems care and provide youth-led recommendations for improving care policies in their community. The study seeks to conduct interviews with youth to understand how they conceptualize health and navigate access to mental health support. These findings will be combined with information from focus groups conducted with educators and health care providers in order to develop youth-prioritized, evidence-based policy recommendations. Deliverables will include a project work plan and annual and final narrative and financial reports. The project team will also produce a public-facing product of their choice to share new knowledge that can address local health care system inequities and/or make recommendations for action toward system improvements.