| Community-based human service organizations (CBHSOs) are uniquely situated to serve those with the greatest needs. African American CBHSOs represent an abundance of untapped and/or underutilized resources that may assist in strengthening individuals, families, and communities. Identifying and understanding core organizational premises, principles, practices, and capacity-building issues of such organizations represents a potential means to improve their work and sustain their existence.;Research in the area of human service delivery indicates that services to African American youth and families are most effective when they are culturally appropriate and delivered in a culturally sensitive manner. For African American youth and families in the 21st century, it is important to be able to successfully maneuver multiple cultural environments; however, organizations that focus on and program to strengthen a positive awareness and internalization of African-centered cultural perspectives may strengthen the level of resiliency to improve the ability of African Americans to increase prospects for overall health and well-being.;This multi-site case study research explored the organizational premises, principles, and practices of four grassroots African American human service organizations (HSOs) providing youth and family services to Wichita, Kansas' African American community to better understand how their premises, principles, and practices manifest in organizational structure and properties and related capacity-building needs. The study explored the relationship between culturally organized thought and organizational practice, both formal and informal, and focused on (a) identifying community-based ethnic human service organizations that have as part of their mission the support and strengthening of African American youth and families; (b) analyzing those organizations through the eyes of organizational leaders and stakeholders, to assess organizational premises, principles, and practices that may be unique to an ethnic-appropriate focus and which are designed to generate effective programming for the constituency served; and (c) determining significant capacity issues that may impact long-term sustainability.;Key words. Community-based human service organizations, African American, African American youth and families. |
