New Emory Partnership Announced to Educate and Improve Access to Care for Atlanta-area Minorities with Diabetes

AADE, Emory University and Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute Partner to Educate and Improve Access to Care for Atlanta-area Minorities with Diabetes


/PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) today announced the launch of an Atlanta-based program aimed at improving self-management of diabetes among minority populations. In partnership with Emory University's Latino Diabetes Education Program and the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute, the program aims to advance diabetes education in Hispanic and African American populations and to improve clinical and behavioral outcomes. The announcement was made at the Association's annual meeting.

The program will be offered in the Chamblee neighborhood, which is served by the North DeKalb Health Clinic. The clinic is part of the satellite neighborhood network of clinics of Grady Health System in the Metro Atlanta area. Emory's Latino Diabetes Education Program is already serving the Latino community in this area, and will partner with Grady and AADE to implement this minority-specific model.

The "Increasing Access to Diabetes Self-Management Education as a Means of Decreasing Health Disparities in Minority Populations" project aims to:

-- Ensure high quality and culturally appropriate services for people
with diabetes by involving different members of the disease management
team including: physicians, educators, health promoters/community
health workers and other health care professionals.
-- Teach the basics of diabetes self management to populations often
lacking in education and community-focused support.
-- Build upon local program capacity to achieve desired clinical and
behavioral outcomes.

Individuals from minority communities that participate in this program will receive support and tools that will empower them to:

-- Improve their health and clinical outcomes.
-- Change behaviors, set goals and gain problem solving and healthy
coping skills.
-- Learn how to navigate the health care system to increase adherence to
evidence-based guidelines and reduce high-cost emergency department
utilization.

"This program is unique in that it promotes a team approach to diabetes care. Each member of the team -- physician, diabetes educator and community health worker -- supports and builds upon one another's work," said AADE President Marcia Draheim, RN, CDE. "Success will be measured by many factors including clinical improvements, behavioral outcomes, participation and patient satisfaction with the program."

Emory University School of Medicine and Grady Health System have been serving Latinos with diabetes through the Emory Latino Diabetes Education Program. "The program started over three years ago and has reached more than 750 Latinos with diabetes and their families," said Amparo Gonzalez, RN, CDE, director of the program. "This grant offers the opportunity to apply the successes and experiences that the Emory Latino Diabetes Education has had had with Latino community to the African American community."

The program is sponsored through a grant from the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute.

Facts about Diabetes in Minority Populations

Diabetes disproportionately affects minority individuals, who comprise a significant segment of the U.S. population. For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos represent the United States' largest minority group making up 14.8% of the population or 43 million people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
-- Non-Hispanic whites: 14.9 million, or 9.8% of all non-Hispanic whites
aged 20 years or older, have diabetes.
-- Non-Hispanic blacks: 3.7 million, or 14.7% of all non-Hispanic blacks
aged 20 years or older, have diabetes.

Moreover, health disparities are increasing in the U.S. Individuals in African American and Hispanic neighborhoods, in particular, face many barriers to achieving successful self-management of their diabetes. These barriers are attributable to structural factors (e.g., lack of sidewalks or access to food stores with affordable produce) as well as the cultural, socio-economic, and literacy characteristics of the people living there.

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Less Than a Year After CDC Announced the U.S. HIV Epidemic Is Much Larger Than Previously Thought, Public's Sense of Urgency Is Down

Less Than a Year After CDC Announced the U.S. HIV Epidemic Is Much Larger Than Previously Thought, Public's Sense of Urgency Is Down, Even Among Some Higher Risk Groups


/PRNewswire/ -- Less than a year after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recalculated the size of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and announced that there were 40 percent more new HIV infections each year than previously believed, a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that Americans' sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS as a national health problem has fallen dramatically and their concern about HIV as a personal risk has also declined, even among some groups at higher risk.

Key findings of the survey include:

-- The share of Americans naming HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health
problem facing the nation dropped precipitously from 44 percent in
1995 to 17 percent in 2006 and to six percent now.
-- CDC estimates that HIV rates are seven times higher among African
Americans and three times higher among Latinos compared to whites.
While these groups are more likely than whites to see HIV/AIDS as an
urgent problem, fewer say it is a "more urgent" problem for their
community now than in 2006 (declining from 23% to 17% of all adults,
49% to 40% of African Americans, and 46% to 35% of Latinos).
-- The share of those ages 18-29 who say they are personally very
concerned about becoming infected with HIV declined from 30 percent in
1997 to 17 percent today; personal concern among young African
Americans declined from 54 percent to 40 percent over the same time
period.
-- More than half (53%) of non-elderly adults say they have been tested
for HIV, including 19 percent who say they were tested in the past
year. Testing is most common among adults under the age of 30, with
three in ten young adults and nearly half (47%) of young African
Americans reporting having been tested in the past year. However,
reported testing rates for all these groups have not changed much in
the past decade.


"Many indicators of urgency and concern are moving in the wrong direction, including for higher risk groups," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman. "The survey underscores the need for a new focus on domestic HIV," he added.

At a time when there have been calls for increased attention to the domestic HIV/AIDS crisis including the recent Obama administration announcement of the five year public awareness campaign, Act Against AIDS, the survey also finds public support for more spending.

Half of the public thinks that the federal government is spending too little on domestic HIV/AIDS, while just five percent say it spends too much. More than a third (36%) of Americans say they have personally donated money to an HIV/AIDS-related charity, including nearly half (45%) of African Americans, and there is confidence that new efforts in prevention will make a difference.

While down somewhat from 2006, public support for continued or increased government spending on HIV/AIDS is notable considering the current economic recession and a decline in reported visibility of the domestic epidemic. The share saying they have heard, seen, or read "a lot" or "some" about the problem of HIV/AIDS in the U.S. in the past year declined from 70 percent in 2004 to 45 percent in 2009, and the share that saw "a lot" was cut in half for not only the general public, but also among African Americans and Latinos.

Despite a polarizing debate in recent years about such issues as abstinence and condoms, six in ten Americans believe that spending more money on HIV prevention in the U.S. will lead to meaningful progress, and about half believe the same about spending on treatment.

Some Signs of Progress, But Misconceptions And Stigma Remain

The survey indicates some signs that HIV/AIDS in the U.S. may carry less stigma than in the past. For instance, there has been a slow and steady increase since the late 1990s in the share of people who say they would be very comfortable with a coworker who has HIV/AIDS (44% now, up from 32% in 1997). However, stigmatizing attitudes towards people with HIV have not gone away; fully half (51%) of the public says they would be uncomfortable having their food prepared by someone who is HIV positive.

Misconceptions may be a factor in stigma, and several remain when it comes to correct information about HIV transmission. One-third (34%) of Americans incorrectly believe or are unsure whether HIV can be transmitted by one of the following actions: sharing a drinking glass (27%), touching a toilet seat (17%), or swimming in a pool with an HIV positive person (14%).

Confusion about HIV transmission may contribute to discomfort around those who are HIV positive. People who harbor misconceptions about transmission are more likely to say they would be uncomfortable working with someone with HIV (43% versus 13% who correctly answered questions about transmission) and more likely to be uncomfortable having their food prepared by an HIV positive person (71% compared to 40%).

A significant share of the public also harbors misconceptions about prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Nearly one in five (18%) do not know there is no cure for AIDS and about one-quarter (27%) believe or are unsure whether former professional basketball player Magic Johnson has been cured of AIDS. Additionally, a quarter (24%) believe or are unsure whether there is a vaccine available to prevent HIV infection. Many of these misconceptions are more common in the African American community, including that Magic Johnson has been cured (37% of African Americans think he has been cured or are unsure), that there is a vaccine available to prevent infection (36%), and that there are drugs available that can cure HIV and AIDS (30%).

Methodology

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted January 26 through March 8, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 2,554 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (N=1,951) and cell phone (N=603, including 214 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The survey includes oversamples of African American and Latino respondents as well as respondents ages 18-29. Results for all groups have been weighted to reflect their actual distribution in the nation. The margin of sampling error for the overall survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points, for whites it is plus or minus 4 percentage points, for African Americans it is plus or minus 5 percentage points, and for Latinos it is plus or minus 6 percentage points. For results based on other subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher.

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The Tubman Museum Creates State-of-the-Art Classroom with $150,000 Grant from AT&T

The AT&T Foundation, the philanthropy arm of AT&T*, has awarded a $150,000 grant to the Tubman African American Museum to create a new classroom which will utilize the latest technology to extend the Museum’s educational outreach both inside and outside of the facility. When the new 49,000 square-foot museum on Cherry Street is completed, all of the equipment and technology featured in the AT&T classroom will be transferred to the new classrooms.

The Tubman African American Museum is an internationally recognized institution and an important cultural and educational resource for the area. Educating people about African American art, history, culture and the promotion of harmony among all races is the mission of the Museum. In pursuit of this mission, the Tubman Museum offers a diverse spectrum of educational programs, including Children in the Arts after-school and weekend classes; student workshops for third and fifth graders in language and math; and the state’s only African American Heritage Summer Camps for youth, ages 7 to 12.

The grant will be used to join and convert two upstairs exhibit galleries into one large Art, History, and Technology Classroom where students, teachers, and museum educators can utilize on-site laptop computers, wireless internet access, multi-media projectors and screens, digital video cameras and video editing equipment and software to create a fully-immersive exploration of the importance and impact of African American art, history, and culture.

The Tubman Museum is working closely with the IT professionals and educators of the Bibb County school system, along with the school systems of Monroe and Houston, to ensure that the most appropriate software and hardware is being selected for this high technology classroom. Formed by the Tubman Museum, this Technology Committee is made up of six IT Professionals representing over 90 years of combined experience in the field of computer technology and communications. Members of this committee include Josh Epps, Director of Information Technology with Fickling & Company and Chair of the committee, Rob Betzel, President of Infinity Network Solutions, Thane Good, Director of Field Services with Cox Communications, Julie Christopher, Chief Information Officer with the Bibb County Board of Education, Wally Reeves, Technology Director with the Houston County Board of Education, and Neil Rigole, Director of Instructional Technology with the Monroe County Board of Education.

The new technology will not only enable Tubman to enhance current educational offerings within the museum setting, but will also allow the Museum to introduce a critical new element to its educational programming-distance learning. Distance learning will enable the Museum to expand its audience, bringing the museum culture and the benefits of an arts education to students and teachers throughout Middle Georgia and the state of Georgia.

“This announcement is the perfect example of our community coming together to make education the top priority. The funding that AT&T is putting into this high technology classroom is wonderful news! Bibb County School District became involved in this project by helping the Tubman to identify the best educational tools that will compliment those that students use in the school classroom and at the museum. This new classroom is a wonderful learning environment that will benefit our community,” stated Sharon Patterson, Superintendent for the Bibb County School System.

“We’re respectful and supportive of our own diverse workforce, and we’ve invested to create programs to support diversity in our customers and partners. We will continue to invest time, talent and resources to strengthen our communities by supporting underserved populations and promoting education programs that create economic opportunity”, said Terry Smith, AT&T Regional Manager-Regulatory and External Affairs –Georgia.

“This generous gift from the AT&T Foundation will not only help us create a much needed, state-of-the art classroom space in our current facility where students both onsite and through distance learning can learn more about African American art, history, and culture, but it will also help us transition this high-tech educational equipment and capabilities to even larger classrooms when we open our new, 49,000 square-foot museum. This grant is a gift that will keep on giving, helping us to dramatically expand the impact, outreach, and unique educational offerings of the Tubman African American Museum”, shared Dr. Andy Ambrose, Executive Director for the Tubman Museum.

“This announcement is great news for the Tubman African American Museum,” said Chambliss. “This facility serves the community as an educational and cultural resource, not only for Macon, but the entire state. I’m pleased to offer my support for the Tubman Museum as it continues to provide additional opportunities to study and explore African American art, history and culture,” shared Senator Saxby Chambliss.

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February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Public Health is urging Georgia’s African-American population to get tested for HIV and know their status on February 7: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). While they make up only 30 percent of the state’s population, African-Americans accounted for 78 percent of the HIV cases diagnosed and 71 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS in 2007.

“While National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is specific to the African-American community, we encourage each individual who does not know their status to go out and get tested,” said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health (DPH). “The HIV/AIDS epidemic still remains a crisis for the African-American community, especially in Georgia. However, we can help reduce this burden by promoting the importance of early detection and ensuring that those who are infected get the necessary treatment.”

The African-American population accounts for more than 49 percent of the nation’s AIDS cases but make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African-American women aged 25 to 34, and the second leading cause of death for African-American men aged 35 to 44. Early testing and diagnosis, as well as disease management, are critical to help reduce the burden HIV/AIDS has on the African-American community.

Individuals should also take precautions to help reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS. To decrease the chances of becoming infected with the disease, the Division of Public Health recommends the following:

Abstain from sex unless in a relationship with only one person whose HIV status is known to you.
If you have, or plan to have, more than one sex partner, use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
Do not inject illicit drugs. If you do, use only clean needles and syringes and never share them or use others.
In 2007, DPH received more than $1.9 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase testing and early diagnosis of HIV among African-Americans. With the CDC’s awards, the agency was able to increase HIV testing and counseling primarily in clinical settings such as emergency rooms and federally qualified health centers. From 2003 to 2008, HIV counseling and testing numbers among Georgians have increased an average of 15 percent per year.

Last year, DPH launched a social marketing campaign called “HERstory” specifically targeting HIV prevention, HIV counseling and testing, and treatment services for African-American women in Georgia. In addition, DPH supports a number of evidence-based, behavioral interventions throughout the state that target other high risk populations, including African-American MSM (men who have sex with men).

For more information about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Georgia, please call (800) 257-9769 or visit online http://health.state.ga.us/epi/hivaids.

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William H. Scott Exhibition Opens Jan. 23 at Emory

An exhibition on the papers and personal effects of an African American leader who brought early attention to the issue of civil rights will open at Emory University’s Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library (MARBL) Friday, Jan. 23.

"Slave, Soldier, Citizen: The Journey of William Henry Scott," an exhibition by Randall K. Burkett, curator of African American Collections, will be in display in MARBL Jan. 23-Aug. 8. A public opening and reception is scheduled 1:30-3:30 p.m. in MARBL.

Following the opening will be an address by Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP, at 4 p.m. in Cannon Chapel, part of the King Week celebration at Emory Jan. 19-27.

Witnessed Civil War

Scott (1848-1910) grew up in Virginia in his master’s house and didn’t realize he was a slave until he was eight years old. He immediately began plotting his escape and found an opportunity in 1862, when Union troops moved into the area. Major Loring Muzzey of the 12th Massachusetts Regiment was looking for a bright young slave to educate, and he and the regiment took Scott under their wing. Scott spent three and a half years as Muzzey’s aide-de-camp, witnessing some of the worst battles of the Civil War.

Scott became a teacher, owned a bookstore in Washington, D.C., and was ordained a Baptist minister. Politically active throughout his adult life, he founded the Massachusetts Racial Protective League in 1896 and was one of the 29 original members of the Niagara Movement, the predecessor of the NAACP.

"As a teacher, historian, preacher and political activist, he was a fearless advocate for full citizenship rights at a time when, increasingly, those rights were being crushed by Northern indifference and Southern intransigence," says Burkett.

Highlights

The exhibition encompasses photographs, sermon manuscripts, broadsides and pamphlets documenting all aspects of Scott’s life, including

A sword Scott snatched from a dead Confederate officer during a lull in the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Recordings of Scott’s sermons read by the Rev. C. T. Vivian, one of Atlanta’s eminent civil rights leaders.
Tintypes and photographs including a portrait of Muzzey, a photo of young Scott in his Union uniform and many family portraits.

Scott’s achievements came to light when one of Burkett’s students in Massachusetts wrote his senior thesis about the original members of the Niagara Movement and located Scott’s grandson, Henry T. Scott. The grandson bequeathed the family papers to Burkett with the request that his grandfather’s story be brought to public attention.

The exhibition is free and open to the public during normal library hours. MARBL is located on the 10th floor of the Woodruff Library on the Emory University campus, 540 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, marbl@emory.edu, 404-727-6887. Cannon Chapel is located at 515 Kilgo Circle on the Emory campus.

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Alumna Miller Makes History in State of Georgia as Appeals Court Chief

In the chamber of the Georgia House of Representatives on January 6 – amid a sea of state dignitaries, family, friends and media – Mercer University undergraduate and law school alumna, M. Yvette Miller, was sworn in as the state’s first African-American woman chief judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals.

As chief judge of one of the busiest appellate courts in the United States, Judge Miller will be responsible for the administration on the court and will act as the head of the court for ceremonial purposes and for all communications. She will serve a two-year term.

“Yvette, your way has been made easier by those who came before you,” said former Gov. Roy Barnes, who first appointed Judge Miller to the state Court of Appeals in 1999. “It’s been a long journey, but you, Madam Chief Judge, are up to the task.”

In accepting the oath as chief judge, Judge Miller said she will focus her efforts on three areas: strengthening relationships between the three branches of state government and within the appellate court itself; maintaining the functional viability of the court amid tough economic times; and establishing an electric filing system for the state Court of Appeals.

“These are challenging times, and I plan to rise to the occasion,” Judge Miller said.

The state Court of Appeals has statewide appellate jurisdiction of all cases except those involving constitutional questions, land title disputes, the construction of wills, murder, election contests, habeas corpus, extraordinary remedies, divorce and alimony, and cases where original appellate jurisdiction lies with the superior courts. The state Court of Appeals may certify legal questions to the state Supreme Court.

“This is an absolutely wonderful day,” Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker said during his remarks. “This is a historical moment.”

Judge Miller has been re-elected statewide, without opposition, for two six-year terms. Before her appointment to the state court, Gov. Zell Miller appointed her to the state court of Fulton County, and she was re-elected as a trial judge on the state court without opposition. Previously, Judge Miller served as director and judge of the Appellate Division of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation, where she was the first woman, first African American, and youngest person ever to hold that position.

Judge Miller was born and raised in Macon. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Mercer University in 1977 and her law degree from Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law in 1980. Judge Miller also earned an LL.M. degree in litigation from Emory University School of Law and an LL.M. degree in judicial process from the University of Virginia School of Law.

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Booth Museum Celebrates the African American Experience in the West

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The largest exhibition of Western art by black artists ever assembled opens December 20 at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. "The Black West: Buffalo Soldiers, Black Cowboys and Untold Stories" features 65 works of art by 16 contemporary African American artists. Visitors to the museum can view the exhibition through March 22, 2009.

"The Black West" is an important and groundbreaking exhibition because it tells the often overlooked story of blacks in the West through the art of contemporary African American artists. In addition to the stories of black cowboys and buffalo soldiers, the art chosen for the exhibition focuses on the complete African American experience in the West, encompassing black explorers, lawmen, rodeo stars, outlaws, and women. The exhibition is co-curated by Booth Museum Executive Director, Seth Hopkins, and "Cowboy Mike" Searles, professor of history at Augusta State University.

Artists in the exhibition include: Gil Ashby (Michigan), Thomas Blackshear (Colorado), Alexander Bostic (Virginia), Eddie Dixon (Texas), Ed Dwight (Colorado), Michael Godfrey (Maryland) , Ed Hamilton (Kentucky), Dean Mitchell (Florida), Bob Snead (Texas), Ivan Stewart (Michigan), Ezra Tucker (Colorado), Bobb Vann (Arizona), Ernest Varner (Georgia), Steven Walker (Ohio), Burl Washington (Texas), and Bernard Williams (Illinois).

Throughout the run of the exhibition, the museum will offer programming on related topics including lectures by artists, writers, and historians as well as dramatic historical performances. Visit www.boothmuseum.org for a complete schedule.

In addition to the fine art on display in the "The Black West," the Booth Museum's Reel West Gallery will feature "Bronze Buckaroos: Mythic Images of the Black West." Featuring 25 vintage movie posters from the Booth Museum collection and the Ron Finley Midnight Matinee Poster Collection, this exhibition explores Hollywood's portrayals of the African American experience in the West. The museum will screen several of the movies advertised in the posters during the run of the exhibition.

For more information on the "The Black West: Buffalo Soldiers, Black Cowboys, and Untold Stories," call the Booth Museum at 770-387-1300 or visit www.boothmuseum.org.

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Alumna to Become First African-American Woman to Head Georgia Court of Appeals

Mercer University undergraduate and law school alumna, Judge M. Yvette Miller, will become the first African-American woman to hold the position of chief judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals when she is officially sworn in Jan. 6, 2009, at the Georgia State Capitol.

In October, Judge Gary Blaylock Andrews, senior judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals, made the motion that unanimously selected Judge Miller, by acclamation, as chief judge of one of the busiest appellate courts in the United States. Elected by her peers to serve a two-year term, Judge Miller will be responsible for the administration on the court and will act as the head of the court for ceremonial purposes and for all communications.

“Judge Miller stands in a long line of Mercer graduates who have distinguished themselves and their alma mater through dedicated public service to our state and nation,” said Mercer President William D. Underwood. “We are very proud of Judge Yvette Miller and her accomplishments and wish her the very best as she leads the Georgia Court of Appeals.”

First appointed to the state Court of Appeals in 1999 by Gov. Roy Barnes, Judge Miller has been re-elected statewide, without opposition, for two six-year terms. Before that appointment, Gov. Zell Miller appointed her to the state court of Fulton County, and she was re-elected as a trial judge on the state court without opposition. Previously, she served as director and judge of the Appellate Division of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation, where she was the first woman, first African American, and youngest person ever to hold that position.

“Judge Miller personifies the Mercer Lawyer in her skills as a lawyer and judge, her commitment to justice and the public good, and her dedication to her alma maters,” said Mercer Law School Dean Daisy Hurst Floyd.

“She continues to shatter glass ceilings for women and African Americans across the country. The entire Mercer University School of Law family salutes her and this extraordinary historical feat in becoming the first African-America woman chief justice of the George Court of Appeals.”

Judge Miller was born and raised in Macon. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Mercer University in 1977 and her law degree from Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law in 1980. Judge Miller also earned an LL.M. degree in litigation from Emory University School of Law and an LL.M. degree in judicial process from the University of Virginia School of Law.

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UGA Program to Deter Youth Alcohol Use Also Reduces Conduct Problems, Study Finds

A University of Georgia program designed to reduce alcohol use, drug use and risky sexual behavior in African-American youth also reduces the likelihood of engaging in conduct problems by up to 74 percent two years later, according to a new study.

The finding, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, is the latest in a series of studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the Strong African-American Families (SAAF, pronounced “safe”) Program, which is increasingly being adopted across Georgia and nationwide.

“A lot of programs show benefits in close proximity to the intervention, but many fewer—and none with African-American populations—show benefits one, two or more years after the intervention,” said study co-author Gene Brody, director of the UGA Center for Family Research, part of the UGA Institute for Behavioral Research, and Regents Professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “Previous research has shown benefits of SAAF up to six years later.”

Developed by Brody and Professor Velma McBride Murry, SAAF is based on more than 20 years of research that has identified parenting and care-giving practices that allow low-income, African-American families living in rural areas to raise children who are successful despite the challenges that stem from poverty, racism and a lack of social services. The program consists of seven weekly meetings that include concurrent, hour-long, sessions for pre-adolescent youth and their parents followed by a joint session in which the families practice the skills they’ve learned.

Rather than lecturing to participants, SAAF facilitators engage them with specially designed videos, activities and games. Parents learn how to actively monitor, communicate and emotionally support their children and adolescents. Youth learn to set goals, manage peer pressure and appreciate their parents and other adults in their lives. In the joint sessions, the parents and youth participate in activities that help strengthen their relationships and instill pride in being African American.

The average age of youth in the program is 11, Brody said, and this pre-adolescent period is a critical point in development when youth start thinking about experimenting with alcohol and other substances and become more susceptible to peer pressure.

First implemented in 2001, the SAAF program is expanding to eight Georgia counties and is being adopted by the city of Denver. Brody and his colleagues have conducted several studies that compare the outcomes of hundreds of program participants with members of a control group. The researchers have found that among program participants:

Alcohol use was reduced by 28 percent two years following the intervention and 25 percent six years later;
Sexual behavior and marijuana use decreased;
Caregiver depression was reduced;
The likelihood of youth with low self control engaging in conduct problems decreased by 74 percent two years later.

Brody points out that the SAAF program is grounded in intensive research on successful parenting, but also benefits from the input of African Americans living in the communities that the program is designed to serve.

“In every step of the development of SAAF, a focus group of African-American parents and youth was convened,” Brody said. “We would develop intervention targets with community members and, after the curriculum was written, would get additional feedback to make sure we were on the right track. It really was a partnership between the rural African-American community and our research center.”

The research was supported by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute of Mental Health.

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