WCCBT 2026 Congress

11th World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies World Congress (WCCBT)

Title: Community-Centered Approaches to Implementing Evidence-Based Interventions in Youth Mental Health

Abstract: Mental health disparities among ethnically marginalized youth in the United States remain a significant public health concern, shaped by systemic inequities that limit access to care. This panel examines how evidence-based interventions grounded in cognitive-behavioral principles, trauma-informed practices, and culturally-responsive frameworks can promote youth mental health by engaging young people, educators, and community members. Drawing from research and applied work in school and community settings, the panel will highlight how these approaches apply cognitive-behavioral principles (e.g., interconnection of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, behavioral activation, and problem-solving) to strengthen youths’ emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, and interpersonal skills: Adam Brown, Tina Xu, and Karina Gonzalez Perez (The New School) will present on the adaptation and ongoing pilot implementation of the World Health Organization’s and UNICEF’s Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions, a cognitive-behavioral-therapy-based intervention, in New York City to increase the accessibility of youth mental health services through engaging community members in intervention delivery; Janus Wong (University of Southern California) will present on the development and implementation (ongoing randomized controlled trial) of Peer Coach Training, a strengths-based intervention engaging discipline-referred middle school students as peer change agents in Los Angeles; Carlos Alvarez (Los Angeles Institute for Restorative Practices) will present on Right Brain Restorative Practices training for school staff emphasizing co-regulation, relational safety, and behavior as communication. The discussion concludes by examining facilitators and barriers to implementation, including non-specialist training and supervision, ethical considerations, community engagement, and sustainability. Collectively, the panel reframes cognitive-behavioral interventions as scalable, community-centered approaches grounded in human connection, cultural humility, and skill development to build capacity and address gaps in youth mental health services.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how community-centered cognitive-behavioral practices might address gaps in youth mental health services through capacity building.
• Explain existing research on evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral practices for reducing youth distress symptoms and behavioral challenges.
• Identify key intervention components that drive regulation, engagement, and sustained wellbeing among ethnically marginalized youth.