In this symposium, findings from four studies will highlight the significant struggles experienced by African American adolescent males as they attempt to access mental health services and identify their strategies for coping with stress and self-destructive behaviors that contribute to ever increasing mortality and morbidity within this population. Through these findings, social work researchers and practitioners may gain a broader understanding of the contributing factors and needs of this vulnerable population and the significant barriers and obstacles that may hinder their obtaining mental health services.

The first paper, using a qualitative design, describes the experiences of African American adolescent males who have sought mental health services and their perceptions of the services and the providers of those services. African American adolescent males oftentimes seek mental health services due to chronic stressors in their environment and an inability to adaptively cope with those stressors. Those stressors and coping mechanisms will be highlighted in the second paper. The third paper examines the increasing phenomena of suicide among African American adolescent males. Finally, the fourth paper highlights how parental characteristics contribute to risk taking behavior in sexual activity among African American adolescent males. Each paper considers how social work can expand its role in addressing the mental health needs of African American adolescent males in ways to affect change at multiple levels of practice strategies, policy initiatives and directions for future research.