AAKOMA Research Overview
AAKOMA believes that to meet the mental health needs of Youth and Young Adults of Color, we need to operate at three levels – raising consciousness among individuals, providing accessible tools for ongoing management, and changing systems to receive youth and provide better care. In the area of research, The AAKOMA Project’s work directly targets three key populations – Youth and Young Adults of Color, their communities, and relevant system actors.
AAKOMA seeks to influence researchers, research institutions, and associations to ensure that research is generated. AAKOMA aims to use the research and evidence to influence federal and state agencies as well as policymakers. Therefore, about 30% of our overall effort focuses on CHANGING SYSTEMS acknowledging that systems are built to respond to the needs of Youth and Young Adults of Color and their communities by creating a sufficient research and evidence base (grounded in culturally relevant outcomes and methods) that inform policy and practice.
