Friday, March 14, 2025
3/14/2025
The Minnesota Department of Health, in partnership with the Brooklyn Bridge Youth Alliance, is seeking funding to identify, access and influence policies that impact Black youth mental health in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, MN. This project will be a community process to identify policies, implement policy changes in up to three settings, and evaluate the impact of those policy changes. Our mission is to support equity in the health and development of MN children and families. Social determinants of health and toxic stress negatively impact children and families. Policies and systems built on systemic oppression, without the voice or consideration of the impact on Black communities are the roots of inequities in health, including mental health and well-being. This project will demonstrate the impact of increased community capacity and policy changes directly to positive mental health outcomes. The Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth is a joint powers organization between the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center: Council, Administration, Parks and Recreation, Police; Anoka-Hennepin Schools, Brooklyn Center Community Schools, Hennepin County, Hennepin Technical College, North Hennepin Community College, Osseo Area Schools, and Robbinsdale Area Schools. Given their strategic position, youth-centered practices and implementation track record, we believe the BBAY will be an exceptional partner with MDH to implement policy change to improve Black youth mental health in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, MN. The Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health initiative will change systems and Black youth mental health outcomes by implementing a youth-centered and community-driven process to identify, analyze, implement, and evaluate specific policy changes in a range of settings. Throughout the process, Black youth will have immediate opportunities to build or enhance self-agency, critical mindedness, and connectedness, through their role as council members, evaluators, subject matter experts and demonstration project participants. Their engagement, coupled with a collaborative governance structure that includes a State Resource Team and local Advisory Council, will leverage resources across state and local sectors and accelerate effective policy identification, assessment, demonstration, evaluation and dissemination. This project will also help MDH further refine and amplify a public health approach to mental health in Minnesota for Black youth. It will provide specific policies that impact mental well-being, further define and amplify the link between equity and mental health, and highlight a community prioritization process. This supports the Children and Family Health Division and our Title V goals, and local public health efforts to address mental well-being in the Community Health Assessment/Community Health Improvement Process. It will also contribute to the Statewide Health Improvement Plan and suicide prevention work to improve well-being through local policy and systems change. This project will provide an opportunity to work closely with a community to co-create a community dialogue and prioritization process focused on mental well-being. It provides a way to closely evaluate the impact of policy changes and a community process on mental well-being. This project would increase our capacity to evaluate the impact of local and state policy changes on mental health and well-being.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).