Addressing Mental Health With Innovation, Education

"They're getting stipends and they're going to workshops and they're like, 'OK, this is pretty cool.' But then after a while they're telling stories, they're making friends, they're getting down to mental health, trauma, adverse childhood experiences, drug abuse, substance use, all kinds of family issues, depression, they're just talking about some very serious subjects that they have not had a chance to speak about, especially in a virtual environment with only males of color."

Those are the words of Kristene Smith, founder and director of Brother Be Well, a California nonprofit that's been reaching boys and men of color with mental health and wellness information via its blog, podcasts, videos, and more.

"As far as the impact on the young men of color who may be coming into one of our summer sessions or something like that, we ask for their feedback and in some cases, it's been really life-altering for some of them," Smith tells the Orange County Register.

"They signed up not really knowing much about Brother Be Well.

They're getting stipends and they're going to workshops and they're like, 'OK, this is pretty cool.' But

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