2015-2020. With funding from the United States Department of Justice, the Young Men’s Empowerment Collaborative (YMEC) provided counseling support to youth who were exposed to violence and trauma and school-wide supports to staff and students in West Contra Costa Unified School District. The YMEC program was led by school-based health center staff and designed to serve primarily boys and men of color ages 12-18. In partnership with the California School Based Health Alliance, our School Health Evaluation and Research team conducted an evaluation of YMEC to document the impact of 1) increased trauma screenings in schools; 2) individual and/or group counseling interventions to young men in the program; and 3) school staff training on restorative, trauma-informed practices, stress, and classroom management. Evaluation methods included tracking screenings, referrals, and participation in YMEC programming. YMEC participants also participated in post surveys.
