James Humphrey Jr. Foundation (JHJF) Context:

 

The James Humphrey Jr. Foundation (JHJF) is committed to promoting mental health wellness and academic success among undergraduate college youth from historically marginalized communities. As a 501(c)(3) organization, our mission is to support BIPOC youth in achieving their college degrees, pursuing their post-collegiate aspirations, and thriving in their mental health and well-being. JHJF fulfills this mission by collaborating with local colleges and universities to provide mental health counseling, mission-driven mentorship coaching, and tuition support to BIPOC students during their undergraduate years.

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Research shows that BIPOC college students face disparities in four key areas: 1) access to and utilization of mental health services, 2) academic achievement and retention, 3) lack of mentorship opportunities, and 4) financial burdens. These disparities are compounded by deficiencies in social determinants of health, affecting their academic success, social-emotional well-being, physical health, and post-college aspirations. The JHJF addresses these challenges through its M4 (mental health therapeutic counseling, mentorship coaching, monetary tuition assistance, and mission-driven goal setting) collegiate program, which integrates mental health therapeutic counseling, mentorship coaching, monetary tuition assistance, and mission-driven goal setting.

 

The JHJ Foundation M4 program centers around the unique needs of BIPOC students who often face systemic barriers and cultural stigma around accessing support. This program takes the fiscal and coordination burden of identifying service providers off the student by offering these services in a combined program free of charge, allowing them to focus on their studies with wraparound support from licensed therapists, professional mentors, and other community-based supports.

 

The program is overseen by a Community of Practice (CoP) coalition consisting of representatives from mental health, social services, and community-based service organizations. This coalition acts as a steering committee and meets monthly to plan activities that dismantle inequities impacting BIPOC students.

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Currently, the JHJ Foundation is testing the acceptability of its M4 program which is currently under pilot study at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.  We have conducted an initial focus group and two surveys.  We will conduct 2-3 more surveys and a closing focus group.

Selected to participate in S4A's RWJF Policy Fellow Workshop in Washington, D.C.

 

I want to thank Systems For Action (S4A), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Systems Alignment Innovation Hub (SAIH) for the opportunity to attend the policy workshop and Capitol Hill visit in Washington, DC, this past June. I found the preparation leading up to the policy workshop and Hill visits very helpful and impactful. 

 

The process started with policy preparation webinar sessions, which led me to reach out to establish meetings with my federal representative and senator. Policy Workshop participants were provided support from professionals from MetGroup to help us to develop our one-pagers that we would use as a "leave-behind" for legislators after our meetings. I was connected with Beth Strachan of MetGroup who was a fantastic asset in helping me to develop two one-pagers. She helped to make my one-pagers more concise to grab the attention of the legislator and to get right to the issue and the ask.  At the policy workshop and day of prep, we heard from legislative experts and had mock interview sessions with RWJF Health Policy Fellow alumni. I learned a lot from my mock interview session with Wendi Gosliner . She and the fellow grantees helped us to remember to be ourselves and to include our personal story and our personal connection to the issue and the ask. It was also helpful to observe the mock interviews from my fellow grantees who were being coached by Sheldon Fields. Sheldon was very engaging and he gave impactful suggestions based on his experience with legislators as a health policy fellow. I also enjoyed the fellowship and engagement with fellow EGBG grantees between our meetings.

 

Due to the preparation of mock interview day, I felt much more confident during my legislative meetings on the Hill the next day. My teammate and I had the opportunity to meet Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma in a "Java with James" meet and greet event (pictured above). Many Oklahomans filled his office to meet with him. We got to introduce ourselves and tell him what brought us there. We then met with his aide where we talked about our research and how the senator might be able to help us with our initiative. The Lankford staff were very friendly, warm, engaging, and hospitable.

 

After that meeting, we requested an intern to escort us to the House of Representatives to meet with Representative Tom Cole's aide. This was something that we learned to ask for during the policy preparation day. We were able to ride the underground tram that connects the Senate chamber to the House of Representatives. The representative meeting was more direct and concise but still productive. Both of the aides we met with were responsive by email after our visit, offering resources and invitations to keep in touch.

 

This is just the beginning of my legislative advocacy journey. I will continue my advocacy by applying what I learned from the policy workshop and Hill visits when I meet with my state Senator in a few weeks, and when I travel back to DC with my district’s superintendent and fellow board members to discuss the impact that shortages in special education and mental health funding has on school districts and families. This experience has also motivated me to attend the Academy Health Policy event in October. 

 

I am very grateful to S4A, RWJF, and SAIH for providing such a great opportunity to advocate for our research initiatives and for equipping us with the knowledge and skills to make a lasting impact for the people we serve through our community-based organizations.

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Grantee Feature by Tori Collier