Addressing Trauma and Its Impact on Black Youth

Historic trauma, as a result of colonialism, slavery and oppression, is passed on to future generations and impacts entire communities. Efforts to address this disparity may be ineffective if there is a failure to acknowledge the impact of racism, historic and present-day, and the resulting trauma. Many individuals can also experience trauma directly or indirectly through prejudice and race-based violence.

In this 2-part training, participants will explore how outcomes for Black youth are impacted by the attitudes and beliefs of service providers and explore systemic racism and underlying barriers experienced by Black children, youth, and families. In addition, you’ll learn how to take actionable steps to address the issues and incorporate change in the workplace.

Learning Outcomes

Understand the enduring impact of colonialism, slavery and oppression on Black communities in the present day.
Recognize the longer-term impacts of trauma on health, mental health and behaviour
Identify micro-aggressions (micro-insults, micro-assaults, and micro-invalidations), how they are experienced and how they may be re-traumatizing.
Explore resilience factors and examine the adaptive coping behaviours that may be a response to trauma
Recognize power and privilege of service providers in relationship to children & youth and their families
Describe actionable steps to address issues of anti-Black racism with youth and families
Explore how to incorporate this into your work