Integrating Wellness into Black Male Initiative Programs

Abstract:Even though Black Male Initiative (BMI) programs have found ways to positively influence the academic and psychosocial outcomes of Black men attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWI), Black college men remain at high risk for psychological distress. Current research addressing the need for BMI programs to incorporate wellness and mental health considerations in their work with Black male students is lacking. With attention to student well-being growing on college campuses, BMIs are challenged to develop more holistic programming to raise awareness of the importance of wellness in the Black male college experience. Attention is given to Hettler’s six-dimension wellness model, and recommendations are made for integrating it into BMI programs.