“You don’t have to graduate to be compassionate and to know, understand, and empathize with a young person,” said Yearwood. “I think people don’t use their human side or childlike selves enough to relate to [to young people]. People always think I did not have this shared experience with this young person, so I cannot relate to it. But if you really just get over it and dig a little deeper, you’ll find that you have so much insight to offer to young people experiencing traumatic childhood experiences. “
Yearwood worked with Dr. Lauren Shure of Barry University to create the curriculum for the interactive program. Shure is the program’s premier mental health specialist and is recognized by Yearwood as a “critical anchor” to the program’s success. The couple initially piloted the program in Miami, Florida for two years before officially launching it in July in two New York juvenile detention centers for young men – the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center in the Bronx and the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn. The program is mostly remote so it didn’t have to be adjusted to comply with the COVID-19 protocols. Although the curriculum is not gender specific, Yearwood was particularly passionate about working with young men.
“When I think of organizations that really work for young people, they often focus on young girls,” said Yearwood. “It was really great to have a moment to really focus on young men. I don’t think we give young men enough credit for their openness and their ability to be tender and vulnerable when given space. ”
Any program in juvenile detention centers must first be approved by the administrators. Fortunately for Yearwood, she had an acquaintance in a detention center who had read the book and advocated the program to be implemented. Once the program is complete, the facilities will lease the program for one year. Yearwood staff will then receive on-site training on the material in the book and how to navigate the discussions.
“I am training them in the program so they can begin to understand and prepare for the changes and changes these young people are facing as they read this book,” said Yearwood. “The program will make them introspective and make them think about their past and future. Both can be very difficult and intense, especially for a young person who is still navigating and learning who they are.”
Once the program has been picked up at a location, participation is required. The program only accepts 30 participants per 10-week cycle, and approximately three to four cycles can be completed over a one-year period. Students read chapters weekly and answer questions and prompts at the end of each section of the book. The questions and prompts address topics related to family relationships, forgiveness, self-esteem, and self-image. Although she’s not in the room during the discussions, Yearwood still finds a way to connect with the teenagers. Participants will be shown a video from Yearwood that will answer each of the questions in the book, telling them about themselves and their personal experiences.
“I wanted to make sure I had a program that wouldn’t just give these kids a book and say, ‘They’ll go ahead and get the read they need,” said Yearwood. “When we know about self-employment, we know we will do it if we can avoid it. That’s why you have people in their thirties, forties and fifties who are still having problems that they had when they were 15 years old. “
The answers to the questions about the workbook are sent to the mentors on the Yearwood team, who ponder the answers and write back a letter of what they interpreted from the answers in this chapter. With youth counselors often dealing with heavy workloads overseeing hundreds of children at one time, Yearwood wanted to make sure that their program participants received more personalized attention. The program provides a mentor for every three participants so that each teenager can receive personal feedback and attention throughout the program.
“[The mentor’s response] could be something like, ‘What’s up, Tommy? I loved the way you talked about yourself as you described yourself as brilliant and bright. I used to have a hard time finding positive words for myself, ”said Yearwood. “They’ll also give them some advice and encouragement to keep going through the week.”
Mentoring is one of the key aspects of the program, helping teenagers gain support as they learn more about themselves and their ambitions. Each mentor is reviewed and trained by Yearwood’s Team Team Ohhh. Mentors are carefully selected based on their background and matched with an inmate of the same race so that they can better relate to the youth’s experience.
“When children can see themselves in you and relate to you, they can expand themselves,” said Yearwood.
If a mentor suspects that their mentee may need additional help based on their responses, they will allow some time to speak to a mental health specialist who can address their needs. The team’s mental health specialists also collect data on how each teen responds to each chapter to improve the effectiveness of the program and provide more detailed feedback at the end of the 10 weeks.
So far, the program is only offered in two juvenile detention centers in New York. However, Yearwood’s goal for 2021 is to implement the program in at least six prisons. Their long-term goal is to expand it to every school and juvenile detention center in the country. In the meantime, she has some advice for young people who are feeling thrown aside or in trouble:
“Adversity gives birth to legends,” said Yearwood. “Be as brave as you can and don’t ask permission to be great.”
Carolyn Copeland is an editor and reporter for Prisma. It deals with racial justice and culture. Follow her on Twitter @Carolyn_Copes.
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