Fuerte: An evaluation of a school-based prevention program targeting newcomer Latinx youth at risk for traumatic stress and related disorders. 

Principal Investigator: William Martinez, PhD

The Fuerte program has been implemented within the San Francisco Unified School District in 10 middle and high schools over the past 2 years and served over 100 youth. It is administered within schools in collaboration with SFUSD Wellness Centers, Department of Public Health partners, and community-based behavioral health organizations. While the program is informed by evidence-based practices, no formal evaluation of program outcomes has taken place. The program is currently funded through a Mental Health Services Act Innovations Fund grant through the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission to undertake a comprehension evaluation of the program, as well as to adapt it to other immigrant groups. The aims of the program include: 1) a randomized control trial examining health literacy, service linkage, academic, and social-emotional outcomes; 2) creation of a "playbook" based on state-of-the-art frameworks for cultural adaptations of existing prevention and interventions programs; 3) adaptation of the program to other groups of newcomer immigrant populations (e.g., MENA); and 4) an evaluation of systems-level implementation to create a framework for implementation in other counties in California.