Healing Interpersonal & Racial Trauma for Black Youth and Families
Instructor: Dr. Isha W. Metzger
This training explores the profound impact of interpersonal trauma on Black youth, with a focus on the compounding stress of race-related experiences such as microaggressions and vicarious trauma. Participants will engage with the latest research and practice innovations aimed at healing both interpersonal and racial trauma, particularly within community-based service settings such as Children’s Advocacy Centers, hospitals, schools, and social services.
The training will examine how racial stress and trauma influence mental health, behavioral, and academic outcomes, often being overlooked in conventional trauma treatment frameworks. Participants will explore evidence-based trauma treatment strategies proven effective for Black youth and families while emphasizing the need for culturally informed practices. Special attention will be given to integrating cultural strengths and protective factors, such as racial socialization, to promote resilience, coping, and improved treatment engagement.
Key topics include:
Identifying trauma and traumatic stress symptoms in Black youth
Understanding the effects of racial stress and trauma on mental and behavioral health
Exploring barriers and facilitators to service engagement for Black clients
Leveraging racial socialization as a protective factor
The session will combine research insights with practical applications, equipping participants with strategies for culturally affirming and effective trauma care for Black youth and families.
Learners will be able to:
Describe the impact of interpersonal and racial stress and trauma on Black youth’s mental and behavioral health
Describe the results of research on systemic, institutional, and individual barriers/facilitators to increasing service utilization for Black clients
Describe racial socialization as a protective factor in treatment outcomes
CE Hours: 1.5
