Practice Innovations, Vol 9(1), Mar 2024, 39-50; doi:10.1037/pri0000222
Racial stress and trauma (RST) represent an increasing risk for mental health sequelae for people of color. There exists a need to enhance training for mental health providers (MHPs) in best practices concerning RST. To meet this need, this article describes the design of the Addressing Racial Stress and Trauma (ARST) workshop, which integrates principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and multicultural therapy. The ARST provides guidance to MHPs utilizing evidence-based trauma-focused cognitive behavioral protocols and skills such as: (a) identifying relevant cultural factors related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and RST; (b) assessing the presence of RST in the context of posttraumatic stress; and (c) using specific strategies for integrating cultural sensitivity into the treatment of PTSD and RST. The ARST workshop provides educational content that can be tailored to setting or population in an initial 2-hr format, health professions students took part in ARST, tailored to a university counseling setting. A pilot evaluation of pre–post training data showed: (a) multicultural attitudes were positively affected, (b) factual knowledge improved, and (c) pre–post shifts in intent to apply training content to practice emerged. These early outcomes are particularly valuable given the early career stage of trainees; provision of training for culturally competence, especially during the early stages of one’s clinical career, may have positive impacts on use of such skills and client experience. The ARST workshop adds to an emerging literature attending to the impact of racism through first-line evidence-based trauma-focused therapies. Implications and future directions for training, practice, and ARST development are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)