Restor(y)ing Well-Being: An Evaluation of Culturally Relevant Healing Practices for Youth of Color

Abstract Information: Flourish Agenda is working to document empirical evidence of culturally relevant healing practices (CRHP) that a variety of schools, community organizations and after school programs settings implement in order to promote dimensions of well-being for youth of color. While many of these organizations have begun to implement a variety of CRHP activities, many are still learning to apply what they have learned to foster promising practices that restore healing and well-being for youth they serve. Lessons and testimonials from young people of color, and the youth providers that serve them, will be highlighted as part of the presentation.

Relevance Statement: Given the significant ongoing trauma, stress, and dehumanization of young people of color, Culturally Relevant Healing Practices (CRHP) represent an important approach to support the well-being among young people of color. CRHP is based on the idea that cultural values, rituals, language, and sense of identity all contribute to restoring the mental and psychological well-being for youth. CRHP focuses on highlights how healing young people's lived experiences can be understood as a community response to overturning how youth of color have been racialized, criminalized, and colonized in mind, body, and spirit. The field of evaluation will benefit from gaining further empirical evidence of CRHP dimensions that are employed at youth serving organizations, and to learn more about the conditions or factors promote, or inhibit, healing and well-being among youth. Evidence of CRHP dimensions will include—but may not be limited to—transformational relationships, trust, optimism and belonging.