DSW Showcase Student Presentation

Linda Mason

MSW, LMSW, LSSW

Healing in Context: Culturally Responsive Approaches to Traumatic Grief in Adolescents of Color

Concentration - Clinical Social Work

Abstract

By their teenage years, numerous adolescents had experienced substantial losses. In particular, adolescents of color may encounter multiple deaths of loved ones. In addition to grief, childhood adversities can influence how adolescents of color navigate bereavement. These losses, combined with historical trauma, may induce psychological stress in adolescents of color, rendering them more vulnerable to mental illnesses that persist throughout adulthood. Therapeutic techniques have been established based on Western civilization. These interventions fail to acknowledge cultural influences on the grieving process, potentially hindering individuals from developing effective coping strategies to manage grief. Social work practitioners must incorporate cultural adaptations to treat this population effectively. Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCT-A) are two theoretical frameworks that have informed the development of communal support to treat traumatic grief among adolescents of color. These frameworks enable the articulation of adolescents’ narratives of historical trauma congruent with the grieving process with backing from the community in addition to mental health treatment. Modifications in the treatment of traumatic grief for adolescents of color could prevent the development of mental illnesses.

Biography

Linda Mason graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2009 with a master's degree in social work and is currently a doctoral candidate specializing in clinical social work at the University of Kentucky. Linda currently serves as a school social worker with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), where she has been employed for over 15 years. During her tenure at MNPS, Linda has encountered several young individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to a tragic event while also grappling with significant adversities in their childhood. Rebuilding resilience following numerous losses has been difficult, especially within minority populations. Many therapeutic modalities neglect to account for the cultural influence on the healing process throughout the grief period. This capstone's focus was influenced by recollecting numerous young individuals' narratives of bereavement from urban settings. The objective arose to identify therapeutic interventions designed explicitly for minority adolescents who endure traumatic grief while simultaneously encountering ongoing childhood adversity.
Linda desires to facilitate the development of individuals through the counseling process. The holistic approach can be accomplished by assisting individuals in uncovering and comprehending their inner strengths. Once discovery has taken place, healing can begin. Linda's experience encompasses private practice therapy, working with women suffering from substance abuse, aiding victims of domestic violence, and providing crisis intervention.