Member Alexandra
MemberForum Replies Created
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Thank you for posing this question!
I believe mental wellness can be seen as a privilege for some because of some of the things you outlined. Mental wellness is something that needs to be actively worked on, and if someone isn’t able to work on it because of their life circumstances then the ability to work on one’s mental health can be seen as a privilege.
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Too often the health concerns black youth face are underestimated because of implicit bias that black people are innately able to withstand more. In addition, anti-black racism has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and anger, which inevitably leads to varying mental health consequences. The poor experiences many black youth face in the healthcare system coupled with mental health services not being being restricted to those with certain income levels limit the care black youth face in the health care system.
These topics are discussed in YouthREX’s Centering Black Youth Wellbeing Certificate in Module 2, Lesson 3.
https://learn.youthrex.com/courses/abr-critical-practice-for-centering-black-youth-wellbeing
Shervin Assari also deeply explores these topics in, “Perceived Discrimination among Black Youth: An 18-Year Longitudinal StudyPerceived Discrimination among Black Youth:
An 18-Year Longitudinal Study”. -
YouthREX’s Knowledge Hub page has a fact sheet that may be helpful. It gives advice on how to possibly broach the topic of the intersectional identities of black youth and their experiences.
https://youthrex.com/factsheet/ten-tips-for-putting-intersectionality-into-practice/
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I think it would be great for schools to partner with Black communities and resources centered around Black youth. It would be ideal if schools had groups dedicated to Black youth where they can be provided resources and support, as well as a place to voice their opinions.
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It is still a problem because systematic racism still exists. Remember the anti-racism protests happening during the pandemic? I was there and there were 1000s of supporters trying to fight against police brutality and violence against Black individuals. I also see racism in schools. The conversation of racism is far from over as there are deep roots that need to be addressed first.
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I think we all need to work together with our services – this would include police services, community resources such as Why Not City Youth Missions etc, and on top of that, actually listening to the voices of Black youths. There is no greater feedback than the group that is affected. So providing a way for them to provide their feedback and include them would be ideal.
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After completing module 4.1, I am left with a question that I thought might be helpful to bring to this wonderful group.
When discussing different identities of privilege, mental wellness was listed. My understanding of mental wellness in relation to privilege is that it could be correlated to other areas of privilege, or mental health concerns can be a risk of not having certain privileges and facing difficult life experiences as a result of barriers existing when not identifying with privileged identities , but I am having a difficult time understanding how it is an area of privilege on it’s own.
As mental wellness is something that you need to actively work on, and something that is ever changing and influenced, I have never considered it to be a privileged identity.
I am looking forward to hearing different perspectives and understandings.
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It would be a dream to have programs that include the voice of Black youth from beginning to end. Include their voices when we are in the process of identifying the needs, and let’s not interpret what they are trying to say. Have that voice be the driving force. Have young people decide what they require of the adults present (if any), what will make the spaces where the programs take place affirming to their identities and lived experiences. Who is it that they need in those spaces. Have them lead the outcomes and goals, and have them evaluate the effectiveness of what was been co-created. Only then, in my opinion, would we authentically know if we are being responsive, and not just responsible.
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Research is pivotal in understanding what is taking place within the organizations we are part of. I do think that research needs to include the voices of young people, rather than the perceptions of adults, who may often not be Black, and may be in serving professions. Research that asks the very questions that may challenge biases, and that directly asks about the lived experiences of Black individuals within the systems we work in, without the alteration of language to continue protecting Eurocentric and racist ways of practicing and existing. Research that holds organizations accountable and opens the way for transformation.
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Your comment about Canada being open to multiculturalism resonates with me. I naively believed that Canada was not a racist place to live. How could I say that when I didn’t truly know the systemic oppression and racism black people experience. This course has taught me so much and made me realize I have so much to learn.
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Ever find an awesome measurement tool (e.g., validated survey), but it was not developed with a youth audience in mind? In this document created by the European Commission, the authors discuss how to adapt any type of document to be youth-friendly (including evaluation-specific documents)! There are even recommendations for making documents accessible for youth with a disability as well.
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We’re really looking forward to welcoming you to our Critical Youth Mentorship Teach-In on Monday. (Haven’t registered yet? No worries! You can still sign-up online.)
Get to know our amazing keynote speakers, Dr. Jean Rhodes and Larissa Crawford, before the event.
In this blogpost (from The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring), Jean explores mentoring in the context of inequality, injustice, and a global pandemic: “As long as mentors can generalize their concern for their one mentee to a concern for children in similar situations, programs have an important role in both bridging gaps in mental health services and catalyzing authentic action and reform.”
And in this video (produced by FLARE), Larissa discusses the importance of having mentors that look like you: “I was at a ceremony and it was told to me by an Anishinaabe woman to approach mentorship relationships by first figuring out what you could do for them. And when I first started offering before asking anything, that’s when I started establishing the most meaningful long-term mentorship relationships that I got.”
Jean, Larissa, and youth programs from across Ontario will be sharing their critical youth mentorship strategies and best practices. What are yours? We’d love to hear from you!
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How does racism affect black youth from accessing health care and what are some strategies we can use to address and challenge these barriers in our system
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How do you go from moving evaluation being the “downer” of your organizational meetings to being the “fun” part? In this short blog post by Dr. Joanna Prout (lead evaluator for the National Center for School Mental Health), two simple tricks are provided to leverage data visualization in your next evaluation meeting.
Link: Using Data Visualization to Boost Engagement in School Mental Health Evaluation (ncs3.org)
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“To build a good mentoring relationship, just work on getting to know one another.”
In a Q&A with former YouthREX Coop student and NOISE alumnae (2012 – 2013), Maria Gabriela Umana-Peraza reflects on her experiences of mentoring within the NOISE program, and how it emphasized multidirectional learning and accountability among all participants. You can read the full blog post here: https://bit.ly/3tWcZsk
I appreciated how Maria illustrated the need for a mentor to affirm their young mentee, in order to prove the mentor is in it for the long-run and invested in their success as well as their challenges. I also resonated with Maria’s response to what she learned from younger youth:
“Youth want people to look up to and be comfortable with. Youth want people to trust and know they can count on you when they are down because of a situation that they may be experiencing at such a young age.”
This furthers show how relationship building with youth constitutes a dynamic approach built on empathy, respect and structure. In a recent study by MENTOR Canada, they outline the best strategies and practices for mentorship. According to this study, it’s best not to walk into the relationship wanting to change or “improve” your mentee as a
person. Make sure to follow your mentee’s lead throughout
your time together, but especially as you set the
tone for your new relationship. -
Personnellement, je vais profiter du mois de l’Histoire des noirs pour lancer un petit groupe consultatif auprès les jeunes noirs de mon école. Je vais les appuyer dans ce qu’ils voudront faire comme action au sein de l’école mais aussi de notre petite communauté.
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How can we expand our understandings of youth mentorship in ways that centre the strengths and voices of young people, promote intergenerational and multidirectional learning, and advance social justice?
Dive into this topic in our upcoming teach-in featuring keynotes by Dr. Jean Rhodes and Larissa Crawford, panels of youth programs sharing critical mentorship practices, and spoken word performances. We’ll be co-hosting the talk with MENTOR Canada in celebration of National Mentoring Month. Join us in this two-part event and explore inclusive, equitable, and meaningful approaches to youth mentorship.
Date: Jan 31 | 11am-3:30pm
REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/critical-youth-mentorship-a-youth-work-teach-in-registration-244711146627
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Il important de leur donner une voix réelle et de la prendre en considération. Je crois qu’en établissant de petits groupes d’élèves dans les école où ils se sentiront écouter, où on donnera une valeur à leur façon de penser, on pourra plus concrètement agir auprès de ces jeunes et ainsi changer tranquillement les choses.
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Absolument, merci pour le partage.
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Je crois que la recherche est un bon reflet de la réalité mais elle est trop peu vulgarisée et partagée. Il important de partager ce qui a été découvert et le partager à plus de gens possible afin d’avoir un impact concret dans la lutte contre le racisme anti-noir.
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Oui, il est important que l’apprentissage informe la pratique.
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Research findings can be used to illustrate the challenges black youth and their families face due to anti-black racism, which helps in combatting the viewpoints that minimize the impact of anti-black racism. However, to pro-actively assist black youth in their growth and development the research must be used to understand what kind of assistance institutions need to provide black youth and their families to counteract systemic oppression.
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A healing-centered approach to addressing trauma requires a different question that moves beyond “what happened to you” to “what’s right with you” and views those exposed to trauma as agents in the creation of their own well-being rather than victims of traumatic events. https://ginwright.medium.com/the-future-of-healing-shifting-from-trauma-informed-care-to-healing-centered-engagement-634f557ce69c and the work of Brother Angel Acosta have been helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCE7MYoidOM
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I have to agree with April. I think facilitating opportunities for those within educational organizations to understand the theoretical underpinnings of oppression, and the history of Anti-Black Racism in Canada will create a shift. Beginning conversations early: ensuring that secondary school is not the first place where students can openly share their experiences, or where the conversation of Anti-Black Racism takes place. Having spaces where young people and staff alike, can safely share their experiences of oppression within a large organization, without the fear of being reprimended.
Within the scope of my work, I am working towards ensuring that the conversations about Black History do not vanish as March approaches. But rather, brainstorming ways to involve young people in how we continue to celebrate Black History all-year-round. Personally, I have committed to engaging with the current literature on what Black youth experience in educational settings, and the roles Child and Youth Workers have to play in their experiences. Lots of more learning to do, and lots of unlearning as well.
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I absolutely agree that anti-Black racism continues to exist in Ontario because of the desire to hold on to the idealistic notion of being a multicultural safe haven, and for the constant denial of the existence of racism. It has been made invisible in that for some, including myself, this may be the first time truly comprehending Black History in Canada. This lack of awareness had lead to practices that are inherently flawed and racist, by the mere fact that they ignore what has been taking place historically – the oppression of Black individuals.
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I agree. The institutions use to come up with plans to address anti-black racism in schools. But we need to ask the black youth in our schools and actively listen to what they have to say. We need to stop being afraid that the conversations will get emotionally charged and applaud when they do. Only then are we truly hearing the voice of black youth. Listening is the first step, taking action is the next one. Listen to and implement the suggestions the black youth have. Only then will we see transformation in our schools that supports black youth.
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So well said. The research exists. We need to challenge institutions that put up barriers to change and say that we need to collect data. The data, the research exists. We need to be open to accepting it, taking responsibility for our actions in perpetuating the issues and then, not stop there, actively make change.
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I agree. Engaging in critical reflexive practice daily will be an important step for me. Asking myself at the end of each day, what have I done to better the lives of the black students and/or families I am supporting.
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Je suis d’accord avec vous. Le racisme est encore bien présent en Ontario. Le suprématisme blanc est encore bien ancré dans les traditions et la transmission des savoirs sans personne ne se questionne vraiment. Il est temps de voir les choses autrement et surtout vivre les choses autrement. Cela passe en grand partie par l’éducation qui permettra de défaire ces schémas.
