State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

ESSAY 2POVERTY, TRAUMA & THEMENTAL HEALTH OF BLACK YOUTHAlisha Moreland-Capuia, MDExecutive Director, Oregon Health & Science UniversityAvel Gordly Center for HealingYou see a profound visceral reactionin the Black community when youmention the name Trayvon Martin. Thiscase affirmed for many that peopleof color will always carry the burden of others’suspicion—a heavy burden to bear. Even morerecent are the cases of Michael Brown and EricGarner, unarmed Black men who still could notsave their own lives. Recalling these examplesincites fear. The unconscious message is: I am notsafe even when I am in a position of completesurrender; and further: I am a target by the verynature of an immutable characteristic—the colorof my skin.Poverty in the Black community is equallyvisceral. Children whose parents live in poverty,or who have experienced severe economiclosses, are more likely to have higher rates ofdepression, anxiety and antisocial behaviors.This fear is equally real for young women whoface the trauma of domestic violence or wholack access to reproductive services. 3Poverty and the persistent presence of fearand anxiety are traumatic. Trauma is causedby exposure to events that shatter one’s senseof security and make one feel helpless andvulnerable in a dangerous world—experienceslike poverty, police brutality, bullying anddomestic violence. Black, Native Americanand Hispanic youth have disproportionatelymore negative interactions with the police,which heighten fear, create mistrust and havea profound impact on the psyche of youth ofcolor. 4 Understanding the effect of trauma onindividuals and communities can shape policiesand practice for educators, law enforcementand healthcare and service providers. Beingtrauma-informed lets us look at what’shappened to people instead of what’s wrongwith them. It builds empathy.For health, human service systems, schools,foster care and juvenile justice to becometrauma-informed means that every part of theorganization, management and service deliveryis assessed and modified to include a basicunderstanding of how trauma impacts the livesof individuals. It recognizes that traditionalapproaches may exacerbate trauma. Beingtrauma-informed means being compassionate andculturally responsive, seeing one as human, notjust a color or socioeconomic status.SOLUTIONSThe social service systems that serve boys,young men and their families are fragmented,exist in silos, do not share a commonknowledge base or language, compete fordiminishing resources and are chronicallystressed. When boys and men of color20