Core Components

Becoming A Man (BAM) is a targeted school-based counselling and mentoring programme for young men in 7th-12th grade (equivalent to S2-S6, approximately aged 12-18 years), typically from at-risk communities (e.g. deprived/ under-resourced, racially segregated, or high crime communities). BAM recognises the obstacles faced by these students and provides them with a safe and supportive space where they can learn and practice social and emotional skills (including impulse control, self-regulation, social cues), and develop core values (integrity, accountability, positive anger-expression, self-determination, respect for womanhood, and visionary goal-setting). These skills and values are expected to facilitate positive development, healthy relationships, positive life choices, success in school, success in adulthood, and avoidance of the criminal justice system.

The manualised programme is delivered during the school day, typically over two school years. A BAM counsellor delivers the programme to participant groups, with 8-12 students per group. Adolescents included in the groups attend thirty lessons, each lesson delivered weekly, over one academic period (i.e. 45-70 minutes). Students are pulled from non-core lessons to attend BAM, and wherever possible, BAM is not delivered during break times or after school hours. Programme specific skills and values are developed through regular accountability check-ins (self-analysis to identify negative thoughts and behaviours), stories, movies, group exercises and role-play. Group sessions can be supplemented with individualised support (including one-to-one support and brief encounters) on an as-needed basis. BAM counsellors use a flexible, web-based case management system and basic IT equipment to support programme delivery.

Fidelity

BAM programme fidelity is ensured by implementation of the following measures:

1. Adherence to structured, manualised programme curriculum
2. Submission of monthly progress reports which are reviewed by Youth Guidance (licence-holders for the programme)
3. Provision of training and coaching to support the competencies required for programme delivery

Modifiable Components

Cultural adaptations have been made to the curriculum to support BAM delivery in the UK. Beyond this, counsellors are encouraged to adapt their clinical approach to suit the context and needs of the young people and school.

Youth Guidance USA (the BAM licensor), and Mental Health Foundation UK provide Becoming A Man (BAM) programme implementation support to organisations in the UK.

Support for Organisation / Practice

Implementation Support

Youth Guidance provides all curriculum materials and permissions to implement the BAM programme. BAM Curriculum Specialists from Youth Guidance provide training and coaching to counsellors and supervisors (usually from Mental Health Foundation) to support programme delivery within the implementing organisation. Mental Health Foundation provides support with data collection on programme delivery (including attendance, one-to-one support, and progress through curriculum), performance monitoring for BAM-specific variables, and data interpretation. Technical assistance in administrative functions to support BAM implementation (human resources, data and evaluation, fundraising, information technology) can also be provided.

Licence Requirements

Mental Health Foundation UK have the licence to deliver BAM across the UK, and organisations within the UK can access BAM via Mental Health Foundation. In situations where Mental Health Foundation cannot provide BAM to an organisation in the UK, then the organisation may seek to obtain BAM licence from Youth Guidance, USA (the programme licensor). Licences are renewed annually.

Start-up Costs

Organisations looking to deliver BAM should contact Mental Health Foundation for detailed programme implementation costs.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

BAM counsellors are required to have a psychology degree or equivalent mental health qualification (e.g. BACP, UKCP registered). They must demonstrate strong youth engagement skills and a willingness to be coached in the BAM programme delivery model. At least one practitioner delivers BAM per school. Participant-to-counsellor ratio for group delivery is 8:1.

Training Requirements

BAM Counsellors receive over 300 hours of training from a Youth Guidance curriculum/replication specialist. This training is required and is delivered concurrent to in-school BAM delivery. Access to BAM Counsellors is typically via Mental Health Foundation, but internal BAM Counsellors can be trained if the programme is managed appropriately.

Supervision Requirements

Practitioners receive weekly coaching support from a MHF supervisor to ensure they have the competencies required to deliver BAM.

Theory of Change

Becoming A Man’s (BAM) mechanism of change is embedded in the process of action and reflection. Within a safe space, the programme provides young men with opportunities to experience its core values, and reflect on these experiences. By learning, internalising and practicing these core values, the programme is expected to facilitate student’s positive development, healthy relationships, positive life choices, success in school, success in adulthood, and avoidance of the criminal justice system.

Values

Becoming A Man (BAM) is a targeted school-based counselling and mentoring programme for young men (approximately aged 12-18 years) from at-risk communities. BAM’s mechanism of change is embedded in the process of action and reflection. It teaches social and emotional skills (i.e. impulse control, emotional regulation, social cues) and core values (i.e. integrity, accountability, positive anger-expression, self-determination, respect for womanhood, and visionary goal-setting) that facilitate positive development, positive life choices, success in school and life, and avoidance of the criminal justice system.

• Does this approach align with the key values of your organisation?

Priorities

BAM is a targeted programme typically for young men from at-risk communities (including deprived/under-resourced, racially segregated, or high crime communities). This school based counselling and mentoring programme provides a safe and supportive space to help these young men to learn and practice social and emotional skills, and develop core values.

• Is supporting adolescents boys to learn and practice social and emotional skills, and develop core values a priority for your service?
• Is your service looking to deliver a programme that targets young men from disadvantaged communities?
• Is a school-based mentoring and counselling programme a priority for your service?

Existing Initiatives

• Does your organisation have existing programmes designed to facilitate positive development in young men from disadvantaged communities?
• Are there components addressed by BAM that are not met by existing programmes?
• Are the existing initiatives effective?
• Do they fit your current and anticipated future requirements?

Workforce

Access to BAM Counsellors is typically via Mental Health Foundation, but internal BAM Counsellors can be trained if the programme is managed appropriately. BAM is typically delivered by practitioners with a psychology degree or equivalent mental health qualification (e.g. BACP, UKCP registered). They must demonstrate strong youth engagement skills. Participant-to-counsellor ratio for group delivery is 8:1.

• Will your service seek to train BAM counsellors or will BAM counsellors be accessed via Mental Health Foundation?
• Does your service have practitioners with the required qualifications and skills, who are able to deliver this programme?
• How many students (does your service anticipate) will receive BAM in the first year of delivery?
• Is there sufficient staffing to deliver BAM to this number of students?

Technology Support

BAM counsellors use a flexible, web-based case management system and basic IT equipment to support programme delivery.

• Can your service provide the technology needed to support programme delivery?

Administrative Support

BAM is a school based counselling and mentoring programme. BAM is mainly delivered in group format.

• Does your organisation have a venue/space to deliver group sessions?
• Is there administrative capacity and systems for a school based intervention?

Financial Support

Organisations looking to deliver BAM should contact Mental Health Foundation for detailed programme implementation costs

Comparable Population

Becoming A Man (BAM) is a targeted programme for male students in 7th to 10th grades (approximately 12-18 years) from at-risk communities. Evidence of effectiveness comes from disadvantaged male youth, aged 12-16 years, from low-income, racially segregated, high-crime communities, in Chicago, USA.

• Is this comparable to the population your organisation would like to serve?

Desired Outcome

BAM is designed to teach young men social and emotional skills, and develop their core values. These are expected to facilitate positive development, positive life choices, success in school and life, and avoidance of the criminal justice system. Programme delivery is associated with significant improvement in school engagement, and significant reduction in violent crime arrests.

• Is teaching social and emotional skills to young men, and helping them develop core values a desired outcome for your organisation?
• Is a programme aimed at help young men make positive life choices, facilitate success in school and life, and avoid the criminal justice system a desired outcome for your service?
• Does your organisation have other initiatives in place that effectively and efficiency address the above outcomes?