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11 - Critical School Mental Health Praxis (CrSMHP)

A Framework for Change

from Part II - International Social Justice Issues That Have an Impact on Children and Young People

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2020

By
Jennifer Ulie-Wells ,
Katherine Richardson Bruna  and
Carrie Romo
Edited by
Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers ,
Aradhana Bela Sood  and
Mark D. Weist
Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers
Affiliation:
Rutgers University, New Jersey
Aradhana Bela Sood
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Mark D. Weist
Affiliation:
University of South Carolina
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Summary

There is a lack of critical research addressing racism as a dynamic of mental health in schools. In the critical view, US schools mirror a social system built on an ideology of white supremacy; the US school system may perpetuate racial trauma for students of color. Teachers who demonstrate culturally competent identities in practice have important roles to play in counteracting racial trauma and promoting the mental health of students of color. Extending critical race theory and relational cultural theory, this chapter proposes a new framework for understanding cultural competence at the intersection of racism and mental health, Critical School Mental Health Praxis (CrSMHP). CrSMHP challenges models of resiliency that put the onus on the victim to overcome circumstances. It instead targets the root cause of the traumas, oppressive social systems, and their perpetuation in schools. Cultural competence in CrSMHP focuses on dismantling oppressive systems through systematic critical reflection and practice. In proposing CrSMHP, we suggest specific recommendations for professionals as a method for improving the mental wellness of underserved and underrepresented populations.

Keywords

mental healthschool mental healthracial traumacritical race theoryrelational cultural theoryracismcritical school mental health praxiseducation
Type
Chapter
Information
Social Justice for Children and Young People
International Perspectives
 , pp. 175 - 193
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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