RBYMH began as a three-year initiative, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. 

The grant for the initiative was prompted by a rise in Black youth suicide rates. Research shows that the suicide death rate among Black youth is increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group. The Congressional Black Caucus established an Emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health in an effort to determine the causes and potential solutions to this crisis. The group released the following report detailing their work: Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America.

The Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health Initiative exists to improve Black youth mental health; design a process that positions Black youth and communities to be at the center and forefront of policy development; and implement a “mental health in all policies” approach. 

After the first three years of this work, we received five additional years of funding from the Minnesota Department of Health to continue our work using the Communities that Care model. This model gives us the opportunity to dive deep into the risk factors that contribute to the above-mentioned issues in our community, and then saturate young people with the protective factors that prevent them.