Aakoma Project Inc

THE AAKOMA PROJECT WORKS TO ADDRESS THE UNMET MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF INTERSECTIONAL YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS OF COLOR (INCLUDING LGBTQ YOUTH AND THOSE WITH DISABILITIES). WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE EVERY CHILD, TEEN, AND YOUNG ADULT (INCLUSIVE OF ALL POINTS OF DIVERSITY) FEELS THE FREEDOM TO LIVE UNAPOLOGETICALLY AND AUTHENTICALLY WITHIN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS THEM TO RISE AND THRIVE.

RAISING CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG INDIVIDUALS: AAKOMA HAS EXPANDED OUR MESSAGING FOR BIPOC YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES ON MENTAL HEALTH. IN 2021, HAD A (A) 250% INCREASE IN SOCIAL MEDIA POST IMPRESSIONS ABOUT BIPOC AND MARGINALIZED YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH INCLUDING TREATMENT ENGAGEMENT (I.E. HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIORS) AND STIGMA REDUCTION, (B) A 98% INCREASE IN FOLLOWERS ACROSS OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES, INCLUDING A 10 FOLD INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF LIKES" GENERATED ACROSS OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES, AND (C) A 93% INCREASE IN OUR "REACH" ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THE PRIMARY AGE OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS SHIFTED FROM PRIMARILY ADULTS TO OLDER TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS AGES 18 44. WE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OUR MEDIA PRESENCE FOCUSED ON OUR RESEARCH AND OUTREACH IN YOUTH OF COLOR MENTAL HEALTH. IN 2020, AAKOMA AND DR. ALFIEE APPEARED IN AN AVERAGE OF 3 MEDIA HITS (DEFINED AS A MENTION IN ANY PRINT, TELEVISION OR DIGITAL MEDIA PLATFORM) PER MONTH. IN 2021, THE NUMBER OF MEDIA HITS QUADRUPLED TO 12 PER MONTH INCLUDING AAKOMA'S FEATURE ON THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH AND THE 2021 I'M LISTENING BROADCAST WITH CARSON DALY BROADCAST TO 500+ RADIO STATIONS IN OVER 200 MARKETS AS WELL AS THE AUDACY RADIO APP REACHING THOUSANDS MORE. AS WELL, DR. ALFIEE AND AAKOMA HAVE BEEN FEATURED AND/OR CITED IN BET, MSNBC, CNN, FORTUNE MAGAZINE, THE HUFFINGTON POST, AND ONLINE PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING REFINERY29, SHAPE MAGAZINE, THECANDIDLY, KAISER HEALTH NEWS, CNN AND SELF-MAGAZINE AMONG MANY OTHERS.

EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH ACCESSIBLE TOOLS FOR ONGOING MENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT: AAKOMA WORKS WITH FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS (E.G., SCHOOL COUNSELORS, COACHES, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, POLICE OFFICERS) THAT ENGAGE WITH YOUTH OF COLOR DIRECTLY. WE ALSO EDUCATE THE BROADER POPULATION TO INFLUENCE STAKEHOLDERS THAT MAY LEAD OR WORK AT ORGANIZATIONS SERVING YOUTH OF COLOR. WE PROVIDE CULTURALLY RELEVANT, PRACTICAL, AND ACTIONABLE TOOLS FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT OF COLOR MENTAL HEALTH. FOR EXAMPLE, WE PROVIDE TRAININGS FOR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, FAITH COMMUNITIES AND OTHER SIMILAR ENTITIES. IN 2021, VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS HAVE SOUGHT OUR SERVICES, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION, THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH, THE AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH ASSOCIATION AND THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, AMONG OTHERS. AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AAKOMA COORDINATED OVER 425 HOURS OF FREE MENTAL HEALTHCARE (VIA OUR NATIONAL PROVIDER NETWORK REFERRAL SERVICE) TO BIPOC YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AGES 12-30. WE PROVIDED 2.5 TIMES MORE CLINICAL REFERRALS IN 2021 AS WE DID IN 2020, REACHING PEOPLE OF COLOR IN 41 OUT OF 52 STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES. OUR WORK ALSO REACHES INDIVIDUALS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL VIS OUR ACTIVITIES LIKE TEACHING VIRTUAL MINDFULNESS MEDITATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR, CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH MENTORS FROM OUR NETWORK, AND PROVIDING LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS.

CHANGING SYSTEMS TO PROMOTE YOUTH WELLBEING AND PROVIDE BETTER CARE: AAKOMA LEADS IN THE PRODUCTION OF RIGOROUS, CULTURALLY-RELEVANT SCIENCE AT THE INTERSECTION OF TRADITIONAL CLINICAL RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGED RESEARCH. WE WORK TO ENSURE THAT RESEARCHERS, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, AND ASSOCIATIONS RECOGNIZE AND PRIORITIZE DATA AND STUDIES THAT FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF THE WIDEST RANGE OF YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS POSSIBLE. WE USE OUR RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE TO EDUCATE AND GUIDE POLICY MAKERS, THOUGHT LEADERS, PEER NONPROFITS, AND OTHERS TO BUILD AND SUPPORT EQUITABLE SYSTEMS CHANGE. IN 2021, AAKOMA PROVIDED STRATEGIC SUPPORT AT THE INTERSECTION OF JUSTICE EQUITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (JEDI) FOR OVER 25 ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE FIRST 3.5 QUARTERS. SPECIFICALLY, WE FIELDED OVER 100 REQUESTS FOR OUR EXPERTISE AND SUPPORTED 27 ORGANIZATIONS WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE, TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS. SOME OF THE ORGS WE SERVED INCLUDE THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION, META (FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM), MTV, VIACOM, THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LOCAL CHURCHES, COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEMS, LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS OF VARIED SIZES AND MANY MORE. WE SAW A FULL 100% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INQUIRES FOR OUR SERVICES IN 2021 COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN 2020.