Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities of Childhood Trauma, Grief, and Loss: Considerations for Mental Health and...

Racial and ethnic disparities of childhood trauma, grief, and loss exposure highlight the need to create equitable mental health services. The authors consider sociopolitical issues (i.e. US immigration, systemic anti-Blackness, and natural disasters) disproportionately impacting the mental health of racial and ethnic minoritized children and adolescents. Given the high rates of trauma and loss experienced among these school-age children, it is important that schools are adequately prepared to address these experiences. In order to achieve this goal, it is crucial to advocate for mental health and educational policies that can advance school mental health service delivery through equitable design and implementation. Targeted federal, state, and local school-based trauma, grief, and loss programming efforts are considered. The authors encourage mental health service providers, advocates, and policymakers to review provisions introduced in California Legislative Assembly Bill (AB) 2366 Pupil Health: Trauma, Grief, and Loss Pilot Program, along with this article's policy and funding considerations for implementing trauma, grief, and loss services in school districts.