Document Type
Portfolio
Publication Date
2023
Abstract
Goal Statement: The goal of this Social Change Portfolio is to create a prevention program that could be utilized by the counselor for Black youth in Oakland, California who have experienced adverse childhood experience (ACEs) in order to strengthen protective factors in Black youth, thus preventing future behavioral, mental, physical health, and downstream consequences (Bhushan et al., 2020).
Significant Findings: The population of focus are Black Youths, which are affected by ACES at disproportionate rates (Bhushan et al., 2020). According to the 2020 California Surgeon General’s Report, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is a health crisis; more than 6 out of 10 individuals in California have experienced at least one ACEs (Bhushan et al., 2020). Further, studies have yielded a strong correlation between ACEs and nine out of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States along with its effects on an individual’s health and community (Bhushan et al., 2020). Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment option for youths who have experienced trauma such as those in ACEs (Metzger et al., 2023). Integrating racial socialization (RS) into TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment option that incorporates the youth’s culture and has yielded an increase in treatment relevance and completion by Black youths experiencing various forms of trauma (Metzger et al., 2023).
Strategies: Strategies for guiding professionals in addressing the problem are the following: (1) Prevention through raising awareness in Oakland, CA of what ACEs is, its effects, treatment, and preventive measures, which can include providing flyers with resources located on them (Bhushan et al., 2020). (2) Licensed Professions Counselors collaborating with school counselors and school administrators to implement Racial socialization (RS) integrated in TF-CBT in schools located in high violence, poverty locations in Black youth noted as experiencing an ACEs in Oakland, CA (Metzger et al., 2023). (3) Provide screening for ACEs in Black youth in Oakland, CA in the preconception, prenatal, and postnatal periods (Bhushan et al., 2020). (4) Volunteering at Rise East, a Community Based Organization (CBO) aimed at prioritizing Black children’s well-bring and success through the provision of opportunities, support, and resources (Rise East, 2023). (5) Connecting caregivers to economic supports such as tax credit programs, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), workforce development programs, and high-quality child care, which is proven to lower stress in caregivers, a risk factor for several ACEs (Bhushan et al., 2020).
