title: Adolescent pregnancy: the perspective of the sisterhood of black single mothers.
abstract: The Sisterhood of Black Single Mothers Inc. (The Sisterhood) is an organization which exemplifies the considerable potential of community members united for a common good. The Sisterhood began eleven years ago under the leadership of Ms. Daphne Busby. The objective of the Sisterhood is "salvation of a generation subject to insensitivity and misunderstanding--through helping families, especially those headed by women and adolescent women--to establish a new and positive mind set." The Sisterhood regards individuals and social phenomenon as parts of a complex and dynamic whole and uses a positive approach to assessment of situations. Therefore, adolescents who come to the Sisterhood already parents, as well as those who may become parents in their formative years, are provided programming appropriate to their overall needs. They are given opportunities for help in such areas as: securing medical care, public assistance, counseling, housing and financial assistance. Outreach to other significant persons in the life of these adolescents includes intervention with the service providers with whom they come in contact (doctors, teachers, social workers etc.). In addition to addressing the practical needs of adolescents who come to the Sisterhood, positive examples of healthy ways of relating to others and presentation of a system of values consonant with self and family development are provided. Examples are: the Youth Awareness Project (YAP) which deals with concerns of young people as a specific group. The program's focus is bringing young people together who are growing in positive ways and encouraging continuation of that growth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012736:Sex Education; D012847:Single Person / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D012946:Social Welfare; D012951:Socialization