Understanding and Addressing Racial Trauma in Behavioral Health

Course overview

Behavioral health professionals are trained to provide competent, effective, compassionate services. However, most have not been adequately educated on the impacts of racial discrimination, systemic oppression, and historical trauma, nor their profound implications for clinical practice. Traditional models of psychology have not recognized racism as a source of chronic stress and trauma. This course will move beyond a discussion of diversity and cultural competence by exploring current research and best practices for identifying implicit bias, understanding cultural contexts, and effectively addressing racial trauma with clients. This course assumes the learner has a basic knowledge of trauma, its characteristics, and diagnostic criteria for related disorders.