An Introduction to Racial Trauma in Black Youth

Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 4:00-5:30 pm
via Zoom -- details to come

Registration
ISSL Members ($25 per person) • Non-Members ($30 per person)

Recently, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated the Black community was facing a “double whammy” due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent civil unrest. Additionally, research has shown that psychological distress is linked to high rates of racial trauma and has contributed to thoughts and acts of suicide for Black children. This workshop will explore the signs of distress that professionals can be aware of when engaging Black youth both in-person and in a virtual setting. Educators and mental health professionals can benefit from learning play therapy techniques to engage Black children and families in the healing process.

Participants will leave this workshop with a better understanding of how to use play therapy in virtually any setting to help Black children and families address the stress of racial trauma in America.

April Duncan (LCSW, RPT) obtained her Bachelor’s in Arts & Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia (2006), Masters of Social Work from Saint Louis University (2012) and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. She has a private practice in St. Louis and is the Co-Owner of St. Louis Play Therapy Institute, which provides play therapy trainings for educational and mental health professionals. Ms. Duncan’s current focus is on national and local workshops with educators and mental health professionals on the use of play therapy in the Black community to address the rising rates of suicide in Black youth due to racial trauma. Most recently, Ms. Duncan founded BMH Connect, a for-profit organization focusing on using play therapy to address suicide and racial trauma in Black youth.