Black Lives Matter

Counseling & Educational Support Services joins with the KUMC community in expressing our grief, sorrow, and compassion to all those who have been impacted by the race-based tragedies that have been occurring across our nation. We are appalled and outraged by the racist killings of recent months and stand in solidarity with our Black and African American community. These tragedies reflect a longstanding and entrenched history of structural and systemic injustice and violence, and we stand against racism and hate in all forms. Our staff are committed to taking action to address systemic oppression, racism, and discrimination in our community.  As a department and members of the KUMC community, we are deliberately challenging our own personal and professional biases and we are committed to the work of anti-racism.

As mental health clinicians, we understand that oppressive and harmful systems have a direct impact on mental well-being. In the aftermath of experiencing or witnessing racial injustice and violence, we can experience a range of feelings and emotions, such as shock, fear, sadness, anger, grief, helplessness and/or guilt. As a service, we are committed to providing affirming and racial trauma-informed care for all of our students and residents who have been directly or vicariously impacted by trauma.

We encourage you to contact our office if you (or someone you know) would like support with coping and healing. Counselors are available for appointments.

Sincerely,

Larry Long, PhD, Assistant Vice Chancellor/Director/Psychologist

Resources related to Healing and Understanding Racial Trauma, and Ally Development

​Self-Care for Racial Trauma and Stress:

• Coping with Violence, Trauma and Tragedy (JED Foundation)
• Community Healing Network: Healing in the Face of Racial Trauma
• Digital Self-care for Black individuals Coping with Trauma
• Black Lives Matter Meditation for Healing Racial Trauma
• Radical Self-Care in the Face of Mounting Racial Stress
• 44 Black Mental Health Support Resources
• Tips For Self-Care: When Police Brutality Has You Questioning Humanity and Social Media Is Enough
• Proactive Coping with Racism
• Emotionally Restorative Self-Care for People of Color
• The Road to Resilience
• Self-Care for People of Color After Emotional and Psychological trauma
• Black Lives Matter - Healing Action Toolkit (compiled by KUMC Student Diversity Council)

Understanding Racial Trauma:

• Psychological Toll of Racism
• Coping While Black: A Season of Traumatic News Takes a Psychological Toll
• Impact of Racial Trauma on African Americans
• Healing through Social Justice Resources
• Social and Behavioral Determinants of Toxic Stress

Ally Development:

• Being a Co-Conspirator (Bettina Love explains Ally vs. Co-Conspirator with Racial Justice)
• Understanding Systemic Racism
• Understand your own biases by taking an implicit bias test. Dialogue about your results with someone you care about and can encourage you to challenge these biases: implicit.harvard.edu
• How to Confront your Implicit Bias
• Anti-Racism Resources
• 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice
• Understanding White Privilege
• The Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture
• #StayWoke staywoke.org surveys your strengths and interests to connect you with activism opportunities.
• How to be an Anti-Racism Activist
• Advice for White Individuals Following a Shooting of a Black Individual
• Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism
• How White People can be Allies
• A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources
• Being African American and LGBTQ: An Introduction (HRC)
• Teaching and Discussion resources about Ferguson, Black Lives Matter, Racism
• Teaching about Ferguson, Do's and Don'ts