Incorporating Race-based Stress Into the Discussion About ACEs

In this course, Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji (Ph.D., Director of the Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit, Xavier University of Louisiana) delves into the question of how ongoing historical trauma and race-based stress impact on multiple domains of life of marginalised clients. There is a tendency of institutions and health and education professionals to ignore increasing numbers of studies showing the links between continuous traumatic stress and both physical and mental wellbeing. Marginalised individuals typically lack access to institutional resources, and assessments are often based on what is normal for middle-class Whites. West-Olatunji shows how professionals can get over their discomfort with talking about the issue and engage social justice interventions that make a difference at the system level where the problem is based.