critical race theory an effective framework for social work research

• Tools and Resources
• Customer Services
• Addictions and Substance Use
• Administration and Management
• Aging and Older Adults
• Biographies
• Children and Adolescents
• Clinical and Direct Practice
• Couples and Families
• Criminal Justice
• Disabilities
• Ethics and Values
• Gender and Sexuality
• Health Care and Illness
• Human Behavior
• International and Global Issues
• Macro Practice
• Mental and Behavioral Health
• Policy and Advocacy
• Populations and Practice Settings
• Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
• Religion and Spirituality
• Research and Evidence-Based Practice
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Work Profession
• Share This Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Article contents

Critical race theory.

• V. Thandi Sulé V. Thandi Sulé Oakland University Organizational Leadership Rochester Michigan 48309-4401 United States
• https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1329
• Published online: 30 April 2020

Critical race theory (CRT) is a framework that unapologetically asserts how and why race matters in the maintenance of U.S. policies and practices. In doing so, CRT counters discourse that situates discrimination and disparities within the realm of individual behaviors or psychological deficits. Therefore, racism is seen for what it is—a willful, institutionalized, and dehumanizing way of being. Though racism prevailed as the quintessential problem of the 20 th century, the 21st century has revealed that the color line remains remarkably undisturbed. Whether one is focusing on housing, education, employment, wealth, health, safety, or justice, racial disparities and inequities exist to the disadvantage of racially minoritized people. Born out of discontent for legal remedies for inequality, CRT speaks to the universal way that racism immobilizes minoritized people—thereby providing an almost unwavering advantage to white people. This review provides an overview of the tenets of CRT and how those tenets connect with social work values and practice.

• Critical race theory
• discrimination
• intersectionality
• white privilege
• structural racism
• social work practice

You do not currently have access to this article

Please login to access the full content.

Access to the full content requires a subscription

Printed from Encyclopedia of Social Work. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a single article for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 07 May 2024

• Cookie Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Legal Notice
• Accessibility
• [66.249.64.20|185.39.149.46]
• 185.39.149.46

Character limit 500 /500

CRITICAL RACE SCHOLARS IN SOCIAL WORK

*resolution: in defense of critical race theory in social work, critical race scholars in social work (crssw) unanimously passed by the crssw steering committee on october 31, 2022.

WHEREAS state legislative proposals are being introduced across the United States that target academic discussions of racism and related issues in American history in schools, colleges, and universities under the guise of banning “critical race theory;”

WHEREAS all social work faculty have a responsibility to advocate for curriculum at their colleges and universities and in their classrooms that accurately represents the oppression experienced by clients and communities to enhance the training of future social workers; 

WHEREAS the National Association of Social Workers mandates social workers not to stand by in the face of racism and oppression, and social work programs are mandated by their accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education, to explicitly tackle issues of racism and oppression; 

WHEREAS attacks on curricula and pedagogies addressing histories and legacies of gendered antiblack chattel slavery, segregation/U.S. apartheid, genocidal conquest and colonization, heteronormativity, patriarchy, and other oppressive power relations attempt to repress and intimidate educators, undermining their freedom to explore a wide variety of topics based on a rigorous approach to social and historical knowledge and the development of essential critical thinking skills; 

WHEREAS education about systemic, historical forms of oppressive violence and power relations based on race, gender, sexuality, ability, religion, citizenship, and other social/cultural/political identities is inseparable from the active and engaged pursuit of knowledge and social work practice in the 21st century and is a basic pedagogical responsibility to students and multiple communities; 

WHEREAS CRSSW stands firm in its mission and will continue to advance knowledge, action, and dialogue and support efforts to integrate critical race theory into social work education and practice;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CRSSW resolutely rejects any attempts by bodies external to college and university faculty to restrict or dictate college and university curriculum on any matter, including matters related to racial, gender, and social justice, and firmly opposes encroachment on faculty authority by legislatures, boards of trustees, and similar or analogous bodies;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that CRSSW stands with our K-12 colleagues throughout the U.S. who may be affected by anti-CRT legislation when they seek to teach truthfully in U.S. history, civics, literature, and other courses;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that CRSSW calls on relevant college and university administrators, including provosts, presidents, and chancellors, to affirm that they reject any attempts by bodies external to the faculty to restrict or dictate college and university curriculum on any matter, including matters related to racial, gender, and social justice, and that they will vehemently oppose encroachment on faculty authority by legislatures, boards of trustees, and similar or analogous bodies.

In Solidarity, 

Critical Race Scholars in Social Work Steering Committee

*Adapted by and with permission from American Studies Association Resolution

Critical Race Scholars in Social Work  is a space for social workers to actively engage in the praxis of Critical Race Theory (CRT).  The Critical Race Scholars in Social Work (CRSSW) collective was formed to provide a space for social work faculty, students, and practitioners to engage in the praxis of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Originating in legal studies, CRT has provided a relevant, social justice-oriented framework for research, theory, pedagogy, and practice in social work. Members of CRSSW center race in their work, consider intersectionality of oppression, embrace counter-narratives and develop innovative methods for self-critique, empowerment, and community building to inspire and facilitate social change and transformative justice.

Crt in social work.

Originating in legal studies, Critical Race Theory (CRT) centers race in the analyses of societal institutions and social problems. CRT has become prominent in Education and Public Health and is now gaining steam in Social Work.

As a field with a commitment to equity and social justice, Social Work is poised to become a leader in CRT as it pertains to social problems, liberatory practice, anti-racism, and student-centered pedagogy.

Thank you for a GREAT 2022 Convening. We look forward to seeing you in 2024!

2022 convening.

The Long Game: Healing and resistance through joy, perseverance, and community.

November 4th & 5th

10:30am - 2:30 pm PDT

Keynote speaker, Dr. Monique Constance-Huggins

The Critical Race Scholars in Social Work’s (CRSSW) 3rd Annual Convening will be held virtually on November 4-5, 2022 from 10:30 am-2:30 pm PDT. This year’s theme, Staying in the Game Through Collective Resistance and Healing, is a call for social workers and like-minded folks to share space, build community, and celebrate the work being done in our communities. 

Keynote speaker, Dr. Monique Constance-Huggins, is a trailblazer and leader who has written foundational pieces in critical race theory’s application to social work. She continues to stay true to advancing critical race theory in social work and we are excited to hear her speak to the convening theme.  

One of the commonly asked questions about critical race theory is: “what does it look like in practice?” The panel will explore how three amazing praxitioners embody CRT in their practice even without explicitly naming it in their work. They will share themes that inform their work and how they operate from a different framework that is traditionally taught. This is an opportunity to celebrate the work they are doing and to learn and grow together all while making the connection to the critical race tenets.

• Search Menu
• Advance articles
• Author Guidelines
• Submission Site
• About Social Work
• About the National Association of Social Workers
• Editorial Board
• Advertising and Corporate Services
• Journals Career Network
• Self-Archiving Policy
• Dispatch Dates
• Journals on Oxford Academic
• Books on Oxford Academic

• < Previous

Counternarratives: An Antiracist Approach in Social Work Education, Practice, and Research

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Julie Berrett-Abebe, Sarah C Reed, Stephanie Burrell Storms, Counternarratives: An Antiracist Approach in Social Work Education, Practice, and Research, Social Work , Volume 68, Issue 2, April 2023, Pages 122–130, https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swad009

• Permissions Icon Permissions

Given renewed attention to racial equity in the social work profession, the authors suggest the use of counternarratives, an established tool of critical race theory, as an accessible method to challenge racism and examine privilege in social work education, practice, and research. Counternarratives use the technique of storytelling to elevate the lived experiences of marginalized individuals and communities and invite the listener into critical reflection about dominant, privileged discourses. The ultimate goal of counternarratives is the achievement of racial equity. The authors provide context about how counternarratives can align with social work education, practice, and research, and then use specific, illustrative examples from their own work to bring this method and its application to life. The authors also share their own processes of reflection and dialogue across disciplines and social locations in the use of counternarratives. The reflections of an experienced social justice educator provide additional insights on the use of counternarratives in the field of social work.

Email alerts

Citing articles via.

• Recommend to your Library

Affiliations

• Online ISSN 1545-6846
• Print ISSN 0037-8046
• Copyright © 2024 National Association of Social Workers
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

• ScholarWorks

ScholarWorks > HHS > Social Work > JSSW > Vol. 49 > Iss. 1 (2022)

Applying Critical Race Theory and Risk and Resilience Theory to the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Theoretical Frameworks for Social Workers

Christopher Thyberg , University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Follow Christina Newhill , University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Follow

Critical Race Theory, risk and resilience theory, school social work, school-to-prison pipeline

Social workers are essential stakeholders in the mounting efforts to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. This article presents a theoretical framework integrating Critical Race Theory and Risk and Resilience Theory as a tool for social workers and other school-based social service providers seeking to create meaningful change to school discipline policies. In this article, we apply the theories to expand the understanding of the school-to-prison pipeline and why it has persisted, compare and contrast each theory’s relative strengths and limitations, and conclude with implications for social workers, counselors, and social service providers at the practice, policy, and research levels.

Recommended Citation

Thyberg, Christopher and Newhill, Christina (2022) "Applying Critical Race Theory and Risk and Resilience Theory to the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Theoretical Frameworks for Social Workers," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare : Vol. 49: Iss. 1, Article 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4520 Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol49/iss1/5

Off-campus users:

You may need to log in to your campus proxy before being granted access to the full-text above.

Since March 23, 2022

Included in

Educational Psychology Commons , Social Work Commons , Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons

• Journal Home
• About This Journal
• Editorial Board
• Call for Papers
• Submit Article
• Most Popular Papers
• Receive Email Notices or RSS

Special Issues:

• Anti-Trans Policies and Social Work Education
• Digital Social Work: Challenges, Trends and Best Practices
• Structural Competency
• Social Investments, Asset Building, and Social Development—the State of the Art: A Special Issue in Honor of James Midgley

Advanced Search

ISSN: 0191-5096

ScholarWorks | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

2 Chapter 2: Grounding Theories, Frameworks, & Models

Who is someone in your life or in popular culture that intrigues, inspires, or enrages you?

Stop and think of someone.

I’m thinking of my friend Jeremy…like, why is he like that?

Perhaps you have a friend who seems to “have it all together” or a parent who perpetually seems to be “falling apart”. Maybe a partner in work or in love sees life quite differently from you in terms of food, fashion, time, and communication. Meanwhile, there is a celebrity or political leader with whom you feel perfectly in sync. What are the forces that shape who we become in the world and what in the world can we do to make this place hospitable to the many expressions of humanity that exist here? Theories, models,  and frameworks give us the foundations upon which we can layer new knowledge as we build structures of our understanding in our minds, bodies, and communities. In this chapter, you are receiving some major building blocks available  to anchor your understanding of human diversity and social justice.

Guiding Frameworks

Five models/frameworks will guide the rest of this text. They include the Tripartite Model of Personal Identity, Counterintuitive Solidarity, Cultural Humility, and Intersectionality. See definitions for these terms below.

• Tripartite Model of Personal Identity :  The first guiding framework comes from Doctors Derald Wing Sue, Mikal Rasheed, and Janice Rasheed who have developed a model birthed from an (unspecified) Asian axiom that all people are in some regards “like all other people”, “like no other people”, and “like some other people” (Sue, Rasheed, & Rasheed, 2015)).. The visual depiction below further illustrates the ways that all of us are defined as unique individuals, as members of broader group identities, and by virtue of universal human experiences.

• Example:  Paola and Sophia are identical twin sisters, however, due to unequal placental sharing in utero Paola received fewer nutrients than her twin and was subsequently born at a birth weight that required immediate and ongoing medical supervision and intervention apart from the family, while Sophia was able to stay with their parents for the first week of her life. Even two humans that share DNA immediately found themselves with different access to resources based on their situatedness in their external environments (Individual). Both girls are Mexican American and will be shaped by shared food, rituals, and religious experiences over the course of their lives. This shaping will be different than if they had been born into a different ethnic identity (Group). Throughout all of their shaping, each woman will experience grief over limitations and losses because limitations and loss are fundamental aspects of the human condition (Universal). 
• Example:  John Robert is a fifty-year-old man who has recently learned that his 20-year-old daughter Evie is bisexual and that people often discount her sexual identity as a phase or “attempt to get attention”. There was a time in J.R.’s life when he believed that bisexuality was a myth but after reading, watching, and listening to many stories of queer individuals, he understood that 1.) when someone shares the truth about their sexual identity it is important to assume that they are the expert of their own bodies, 2.) that they might feel scared to share for fear of judgment/loss and 3.) that it is best not to suggest that someone who is bisexual just forget or abandon their attraction for individuals of the same sex and/or gender. Because John Robert trusted the voices of queer people in his life and in the content he consumed, he was able to tell his daughter that he loved her, accepted her,  and appreciated her vulnerability to share something so personal with him. 
• Cultural Humility:   a lifelong process of critical self-reflection whereby an individual not only learns about another’s culture but rather starts with an examination of their own beliefs and cultural identities. Additionally, cultural humility requires mitigating power imbalances and ensuring institutional accountability.  Watch the story of the development of this term below (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia,1998).

Students often express curiosity about how to establish the practice of cultural humility in everyday existence. The 7E model (Fisher, 2021)  offers a set of overlapping multi-directional experiences that encourage lifelong critical self-reflection, as well as opportunities for challenging power differentials in communities, as well as holding institutions accountable for their actions (and inaction). The following image and description of the model are excerpted from An Experiential Model for Cultivating Cultural Humility and Embodying Antiracist Action In and Outside the Social Work Classroom  (Fisher, 2021).

“Introduction & Structure”

The  7E model for Cultural Humility and Antioppressive Action  moves from intrapersonal work connected to the “lifelong learning and critical self-reflection” tenet of cultural humility and moves increasingly into interpersonal and institutional level action in keeping with the tenets of “challenging power imbalances” and “holding institutions accountable”   (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998 p.118).

Step-based models can easily become cemented in individual minds and collective consciousness as linear, hierarchical, and static—a very western, “objective” manner of engaging information when in truth, much of life and learning tend to be interconnected, dynamic, and cyclical (if any structurally reliable pattern exists at all). For that reason, the 7E model uses the word “experience” rather than “step” to describe states of awareness and action. Experiences sometimes happen in the order described, and at other times they happen concurrently or partially concurrently.

“Encounter” Experiences: Exposure & Engaging

Encounter experiences are any experiences (whether incidental or intentional) in which an individual has occasion to observe, consume, or participate in an activity that is foreign to their own intersectional identities and experiences. An easy way to identify such experiences is to consider what you are reading, watching, listening to and/or attending.

Reflective Experiences: Examining & Evaluating

Reflective Experiences can happen before, during, or after Encounter Experiences and are characterized by examining thoughts, feelings, and actions in anticipation of, or in response to, engaging with new people, content, and/or experiences. Initially, “examination” is meant to be practiced as a non-judgmental self-observation, simply noticing changes in the three b’s “body” (ex: sweat, tears), “brain” (ex: judgments, defense mechanisms) and “behavior” (ex: yelling, leaving).

Interventive Experiences: Enacting & Educating

While Encounter and Reflective experiences primarily help students develop the “lifelong learning” and “critical self-reflection” tenets of cultural humility, interventive experiences move into the more actively antiracist tenets of challenging power imbalances and holding institutions accountable. Educating & enacting change means practicing microresistance in interpersonal relationships and macroresistance strategies when the systems and institutions of which we are a part are guilty of dominant-group supremacy in policies, procedures, or practices.

Maintenance Experience: Evolving

Any model must have a maintenance mechanism and any antiracist model must honor the requirement to evolve because systems will always continue to find ways to evade and pervert justice. Truly humble and anti-racist activists must be agile enough to take in new data, learn fresh terminology, and employ emergent strategies.”

Take a Break, and then begin again…

Critical Theories

Critical Race Theory:   intellectual and social movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the  p remise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color. Critical race theorists hold that  r acism is inherent in the law and legal institutions of the United States insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans. Critical race theorists are generally dedicated to applying their understanding of the institutional or structural nature of racism to the concrete (if distant) goal of eliminating all race-based and other unjust hierarchies. (Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2022)

Social Work Researcher Ashley Daftary (2020) describes 8 tenets of critical race theory as summarized below. Examples included are from this text’s author, not Daftary:

• Example: Disproportionate sentences for crack and powder cocaine result in more and longer sentences for Black individuals than their White counterparts despite legislation passed to try and remedy the laws that make such unfair sentencing possible. Justice Action Network , 2022)
• Example: The “one drop rule” was a metric used in the American South to determine how much African American blood was required for someone to be deemed a person of color ( PBS , 2014)
• Example: In 2020 amidst racial reckonings and reawakenings many companies developed merchandise with BLM-related messaging. This created profit opportunities and potentially positive advertising for these companies at a moment when many desired to show alignment with the so-called BIPOC communities.
• Example: Some textbooks describe slavery as indentured servitude and emphasize positive relationships between slaveholders and enslaved people rather than accurately portraying the atrocities of slavery.
• Example:  A community health center has a panel about mental health and prioritizes inviting Black and Latino psychologists and social workers rather than exclusively white practitioners. This results in showcasing different approaches, aesthetics, terminology, tone, and case studies than would have otherwise been highlighted.
• Critique of Classical Liberalism: This critique suggests that traditional legal scholarship has believed in color-blind approaches rather than making race a central component of legal decision-making.
• Example:  a trans black woman whose highest education is 10th grade has different health outcomes than a biracial CIS black man with advanced degrees from Harvard and Yale.

Related critical theories include LatCrit, AsianCrit,  QueerCrit, FemCrit & QuanCrit studying the embedded systemic policies and processes related to Latinx identities, AAPI identities, queer identities, women, and research respectively. Baylor readers find critical research here . Others see your instructor’s LMS for more articles.

Intersectionality

As discussed in Chapter 1, Intersectionality is

“the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or  intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups to produce and sustain complex inequities. Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the theory of intersectionality in a paper for the University of Chicago Legal Forum (Crenshaw, 1989), the idea that when it comes to thinking about how inequalities persist, categories like gender, race, and class are best understood as overlapping and mutually constitutive rather than isolated and distinct” (Grzanka et al., 2017, 2020). If you have not already, watch Dr. Crenshaw discuss and describe intersectionality below !

More Reading, Watching and Listening:

Daftary, A. M. H. (2018). Critical race theory: An effective framework for social work research. Journal of Ethnic &

Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 29(9), 439-454.  https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2018.1534223

Fisher, K. (2021).  An experiential model for cultivating cultural humility and embodying antiracist action in and  outside the social work classroom . Advances in Social Work 21(2/3), 690-707. https://doi.org/10.18060/24184

Human Diversity and Social Justice in Social Work Practice Copyright © by Kerri Fisher. All Rights Reserved.

Share This Book

Social Work

• Critical Race Theory Readings

Children and Youth

Clinical and medical, teaching and learning.

• Books & Video
• Community Resources
• Policy Resources
• Practice Resources
• Research Tools
• Social Media: Twitter and Podcasts

“Critical Race Theory in Social Work Education: A Framework for Addressing Racial Disparities | Critical Social Work - University of Windsor.” Accessed April 24, 2019.  http://www1.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/criticalracetheoryinsocialworkeducation .

Kolivoski, Karen M., Addie Weaver, and Monique Constance-Huggins. “Critical Race Theory: Opportunities for Application in Social Work Practice and Policy.”  Families in Society  95, no. 4 (October 1, 2014): 269–76.  https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.2014.95.36 .

Mays, Jennifer M. “Feminist Disability Theory: Domestic Violence against Women with a Disability.”  Disability & Society  21, no. 2 (March 1, 2006): 147–58.  https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590500498077 .

McPhail, Beverly A. “Questioning Gender and Sexuality Binaries.”  Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services  17, no. 1 (June 1, 2004): 3–21.  https://doi.org/10.1300/J041v17n01_02 .

Park, Yoosun. “Culture as Deficit: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Concept of Culture in Contemporary Social Work Discourse.”  Journal of Sociology , n.d., 25.  https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol32/iss3/3/ .

Ansloos, Jeffrey Paul.  The Medicine of Peace: Indigenous Youth Decolonizing Healing and Resisting Violence . Halifax ; Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2017.  http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/record=b23935881~S1 .

Ashley, Wendy, and Jodi Constantine Brown. “Attachment THAIRapy: A Culturally Relevant Treatment Paradigm for African American Foster Youth.”  Journal of Black Studies  46, no. 6 (September 1, 2015): 587–604.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934715590406 .

Briggs, Harold Eugene, and Bowen McBeath. “Infusing Culture into Practice: Developing and Implementing Evidence-Based Mental Health Services for African American Foster Youth.”  Child Welfare  89, no. 1 (February 1, 2010): 31–60.  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=48082437&site=ehost-live .

Edwards, Frank. “Saving Children, Controlling Families: Punishment, Redistribution, and Child Protection.”  American Sociological Review  81, no. 3 (June 1, 2016): 575–95.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122416638652 .

Elliott, Sinikka, and Megan Reid. “Low-Income Black Mothers Parenting Adolescents in the Mass Incarceration Era: The Long Reach of Criminalization.”  American Sociological Review  84, no. 2 (April 1, 2019): 197–219.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122419833386 .

Roberts, Dorothy E.  Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare . New York: Basic Books, 2001.  http://site.ebrary.com/lib/berkeley/Doc?id=10364685 .

Sapiro, Beth, this link will open in a new window Link to external site, and Alison Ward. “Marginalized Youth, Mental Health, and Connection with Others: A Review of the Literature.”  Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal: C & A; New York , July 2019, 1–15.  http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.berkeley.edu/10.1007/s10560-019-00628-5 .

Thira, Darien. “Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention: A Post-Colonial Community-Based Approach.”  International Journal of Child, Youth & Family Studies; Victoria  5, no. 1 (2014): 158–79.  http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.berkeley.edu/10.18357/ijcyfs.thirad.512014 .

Whitbeck, Les B., Melissa L. Walls, and Kelley J. Sittner Hartshorn.  Indigenous Adolescent Development: Psychological, Social and Historical Contexts . Explorations in Developmental Psychology 2. New York: Routledge, 2014.  http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/record=b21241940~S1 .

Atkins, Rebecca, and Alicia Oglesby.  Interrupting Racism: Equity and Social Justice in School Counseling . New York, NY: Routledge, 2019.

Duran, Eduardo, and Bonnie Duran.  Native American Postcolonial Psychology . SUNY Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995.

Fayed, Sadeem T., Alexandra King, Malcolm King, Chris Macklin, Jessica Demeria, Norma Rabbitskin, Bonnie Healy, and Stewart Gonzales (Sempulyan). “In the Eyes of Indigenous People in Canada: Exposing the Underlying Colonial Etiology of Hepatitis C and the Imperative for Trauma-Informed Care.”  Canadian Liver Journal , October 3, 2018.  https://doi.org/10.3138/canlivj.2018-0009 .

Ford, C. L. “Public Health Critical Race Praxis: An Introduction, an Intervention, and Three Points for Consideration.”  Wisconsin Law Review , no. 3 (2016): 477–91.  https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1kh2x0fn .

Griffith, Ezra E. H., Billy E. Jones, Altha J. Stewart, and American Psychiatric Association Publishing, eds.  Black Mental Health: Patients, Providers, and Systems . Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2019.

Handbook of Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Sexual and Gender Minorities . Oxford University Press. Accessed May 1, 2019.  https://www.oxfordclinicalpsych.com/view/10.1093/med-psych/9780190669300.001.0001/med-9780190669300 .

Howard, Stephenie, and this link will open in a new window Link to external site. “The Black Perspective in Clinical Social Work.”  Clinical Social Work Journal; New York , June 2018, 1–8.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10615-018-0663-8 .

Iwamasa, Gayle, and Pamela A. Hays, eds.  Culturally Responsive Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Practice and Supervision . Second edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2019.  http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/record=b24818426~S1 .

Maschi, Tina, Judy Baer, and Sandra  G. Turner. “The Psychological Goods on Clinical Social Work: A Content Analysis of the Clinical Social Work and Social Justice Literature.”  Journal of Social Work Practice  25, no. 02 (June 1, 2011): 233–53.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2010.544847 .

Mena, Jasmine, and Kathryn Qunia, eds.  Integrating Multiculturalism and Intersectionality Into the Psychology Curriculum: Strategies for Instructors . 1 edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2019.  https://libproxy.berkeley.edu/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.apa.org%2Fbooks%2F2019-20157-000 .

Sociocultural Issues in Psychiatry: A Casebook and Curriculum . Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2019.

Stewart, Suzanne L., Roy Moodley, and Ashley Hyatt, eds.  Indigenous Cultures and Mental Health Counselling: Four Directions for Integration with Counselling Psychology . Explorations in Mental Health Series. New York: Routledge, 2017.

Swenson, Carol R. “Clinical Social Work’s Contribution to a Social Justice Perspective.”  Social Work  43, no. 6 (November 1, 1998): 527–37.  https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/43.6.527 .

Varghese, Rani. “Teaching to Transform? Addressing Race and Racism in the Teaching of Clinical Social Work Practice.”  Journal of Social Work Education  52, no. sup1 (July 13, 2016): S134–47.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1174646 .

Witko, Tawa M., ed.  Mental Health Care for Urban Indians: Clinical Insights from Native Practitioners . 1st ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2006.

Davitt, Joan K., Emily Greenfield, Amanda Lehning, and Andrew Scharlach. “Challenges to Engaging Diverse Participants in Community-Based Aging in Place Initiatives.”  Journal of Community Practice  25, no. 3–4 (October 2, 2017): 325–43.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2017.1354346 .

Duntley-Matos, Roxanna, Victoria Arteaga, Angel García, Rafael Arellano, Roberto Garza, and Robert M. Ortega. “‘We Always Say: And Then Came The Water…’1 Flint’s Emergent Latinx Capacity Building Journey During the Government-Induced Lead Crisis.”  Journal of Community Practice  25, no. 3–4 (October 2, 2017): 365–90.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2017.1384422 .

Matthew, Rebecca A., Lucy Willms, Alison Voravudhi, Julie Smithwick, Porter Jennings, and Yolanda Machado-Escudero. “Advocates for Community Health and Social Justice: A Case Example of a Multisystemic Promotores Organization in South Carolina.”  Journal of Community Practice  25, no. 3–4 (October 2, 2017): 344–64.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2017.1359720 .

Mizrahi, Terry, and Jessica Greenawalt. “Gender Differences and Intersectionality in Community Organizing.”  Journal of Community Practice  25, no. 3–4 (October 2, 2017): 432–63.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2017.1356784 .

Weng, Suzie S., and Paul G. Clark. “In Pursuit of Social Justice: Emic and Etic Perspectives of Social Service Providers.”  Journal of Community Practice  25, no. 3–4 (October 2, 2017): 287–308.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2017.1347118 .

Abrams, Laura S., and Jené A. Moio. “Critical Race Theory and the Cultural Competence Dilemma in Social Work Education.”  Journal of Social Work Education  45, no. 2 (April 1, 2009): 245–61.  https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2009.200700109 .

Daniel, CarolAnn. “Outsiders-within: Critical Race Theory, Graduate Education and Barriers to Professionalization.”  Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare  34 (2007): 25–42.  https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/jrlsasw34&i=24 .

Herz, Marcus, and Thomas Johansson. “‘Doing’ Social Work: Critical Considerations on Theory and Practice in Social Work.”  Advances in Social Work  13, no. 3 (June 26, 2012): 527–40.  https://doi.org/10.18060/1976 .

Masocha, Shepard. “Reframing Black Social Work Students’ Experiences of Teaching and Learning.”  Social Work Education  34, no. 6 (August 18, 2015): 636–49.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2015.1046429 .

Mclaughlin, Kenneth. “From Ridicule to Institutionalization: Anti-Oppression, the State and Social Work.”  Critical Social Policy  25, no. 3 (August 1, 2005): 283–305.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0261018305054072 .

Ortiz, Larry, and Jayshree Jani. “Critical Race Theory: A Transformational Model for Teaching Diversity.”  Journal of Social Work Education  46, no. 2 (May 15, 2010): 175–93.  https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2010.200900070 .

Poole, Jennifer M. “Critical Race Theory in Social Work Education: A Framework for Addressing Racial Disparities” 13, no. 2 (2012): 16.

Salas, Lorraine Moya, Soma Sen, and Elizabeth Segal. “Critical Theory: Pathway from Dichotomous to Integrated Social Work Practice.”  Families in Society  91, no. 1 (January 2010): 91–96.  https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.3961 .

Tisman, Alexander, and Daniel Clarendon. “Racism and Social Work: A Model Syllabus for Graduate-Level Teaching.”  Journal of Teaching in Social Work  38, no. 2 (March 15, 2018): 111–36.  https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2018.1442384 .

———. “Transformation In Action: Approaches to Incorporating Race and Racism into Clinical Social Work Practice & Curriculum,” 2013.  https://doi.org/10.7275/hkpq-a240 .

A huge thank you to Susan Edwards, Social Work Librarian at UC Berkeley, for sharing all these wonderful resources.

• << Previous: Articles & eJournals
• Next: Books & Video >>
• Last Updated: Apr 22, 2024 10:45 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/hsl/socialwork

Be boundless

1959 NE Pacific Street | T334 Health Sciences Building | Box 357155 | Seattle, WA 98195-7155 | 206-543-3390

© 2024 University of Washington | Seattle, WA

Advertisement

Substance Abuse Treatment, Critical Race Theory, and Counter-Storytelling, for the Black Emerging Adult Male

• Published: 06 April 2023
• Volume 11 , pages 1067–1076, ( 2024 )

Cite this article

• Tempestt Williams   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1469-048X 1  

334 Accesses

2 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Black-emerging adult males face many barriers to the effective engagement in substance abuse treatment including stigma, lack of access to resources, and engagement with the criminal justice system. This case study introduces a group therapy and counter-storytelling intervention to understand and effectively mitigate some of these barriers. Counter-storytelling, derived from critical race theory (CRT) framework, focuses on marginalized individuals sharing how various aspects of society impact them, which is often different from the majority narrative. Through this intervention, Black-emerging adult males discussed the challenges they face when engaging in treatment, coping skills for barriers they face, and overcoming stigma of substance abuse recovery. Using a group therapy and counter-storytelling intervention, clinicians can begin to suspend how they traditionally think about treatment for Black-emerging adult males and engage in more effective practices to support this population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Mass Trauma in the African American Community: Using Multiculturalism to Build Resilient Systems

“bullets have no names”: a qualitative exploration of community trauma among black and latinx youth.

Deconstructing the Trauma-Altered Identity of Black Men

Alegria M, Carson NJ, Goncalves M, Keefe K. Disparities in treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders for ethnic/racial minority youth. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2011;50(1):22–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2010.10.005 .

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Baškarada S. Qualitative case study guidelines. Qual Rep. (2014); 19 1.  https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1008

Brook DW. Introduction to the special issue on group therapy and substance abuse. Int J Group Psychother. 2001;51(1):5–10. https://doi.org/10.1521/ijgp.51.1.5.49731 .

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Burlew K, McCuistian C, Szapocznik J. Racial/ethnic equity in substance use treatment research: the way forward. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2021;16(1):1–50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-021-00256-4 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Csete J. Criminal justice barriers to treatment of opioid use disorders in the United States: the need for public health advocacy. Am J Public Health (1971). 2019;109(3):419–22. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304852 .

Daftary A. Critical race theory: an effective framework for social work research. J Ethn Cult Divers Soc Work. 2020;29(6):439–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2018.1534223 .

DeVance Taliaferro J, Casstevens WJ, DeCuir Gunby JT. Working with African American clients using narrative therapy: an operational citizenship and critical race theory framework. Int J Narrat Ther Community Work. (2013);34–45

Dodge K, Krantz B, Kenny P, Suciu G. Substance abuse treatment modalities and outcomes in a naturalistic setting. Addict Disord Treat. 2013;12(2):76–90. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADT.0b013e31825a4006 .

Dogan J, Stevens-Watkins D, Knighton J, Wheeler P, Hargons C. Perceived need for drug treatment among African American male drug-using prisoners. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2021;120:108–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108166 .

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Ellison TL, Solomon M. Counter-storytelling vs. deficit thinking around African American children and families, digital literacies, race, and the digital divide. Res Teach English. (2019);53(3) 223–244. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26802740

Ezhumalai S, Muralidhar D, Dhanasekarapandian R, Nikketha BS. Group interventions. Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S514–21. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_42_18 .

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Greenfield BL, Roos C, Hagler KJ, Stein E, Bowen S, Witkiewitz KA. Race/ethnicity and racial group composition moderate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based relapse prevention for substance use disorder. Addictive Behaviors. 2018;81:96–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.02.010 .

Guerrero EG, Marsh JC, Cao D, Shin H, Andrews C. Gender disparities in utilization and outcome of comprehensive substance abuse treatment among racial/ethnic groups. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2014;46(5):584–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2013.12.008 .

Gwathney AN. Offsetting racial divides: adolescent African American males & restorative justice practices. Clin Soc Work J. 2021;49(3):346–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-021-00794-z .

Hadland SE, Yule AM, Levy SJ, Hallett E, Silverstein M, Bagley SM. Evidence-based treatment of young adults with substance use disorders. Am Acad Pediatrics (AAP). 2021. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-023523d .

Harvey LM, Fan W, Cano MÁ, Vaughan EL, Arbona C, Essa S, Sanchez H, de Dios MA. Psychosocial intervention utilization and substance abuse treatment outcomes in a multisite sample of individuals who use opioids. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2020;112:68–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.01.016 .

Heale R, Twycross A. What is a case study? Evid Based Nurs. 2018;21(1):7–8. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2017-102845 .

Hughes-Hassell S. Multicultural young adult literature as a form of counter-storytelling. Library Quarterly (Chicago). 2013;83(3):212–28. https://doi.org/10.1086/670696 .

James K, Jordan A. The opioid crisis in Black communities. J Law Med Ethics. 2018;46(2):404–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073110518782949 .

Jia Y. The historical development and related research exploration of focus brief group therapy. Front Soc Sci Technol. 2021;3(3):1. https://doi.org/10.25236/FSST.2021.030301 .

Kogan SM, Cho J, Brody GH, Beach SRH. Pathways linking marijuana use to substance use problems among emerging adults: a prospective analysis of young Black men. Addict Behav. 2017;72:86–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.03.027 .

Kolivoski KM, Weaver A, Constance-Huggins M. Critical race theory: opportunities for application in social work practice and policy. Fam Soc. 2014;95(4):269–76. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.2014.95.36 .

Liebling EJ, Yedinak JL, Green TC, Hadland SE, Clark MA, Marshall BDL. Access to substance use treatment among young adults who use prescription opioids non-medically. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-016-0082-1 .

Lo Coco G, Melchiori F, Oieni V, Infurna MR, Strauss B, Schwartze D, Rosendahl J, Gullo S. Group treatment for substance use disorder in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2019;99:104–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2019.01.016 .

Mark TL, Hinde JM, Barnosky A, Joshi V, Padwa H, Treiman K. Is implementation of ASAM-based addiction treatment assessments associated with improved 30-day retention and substance use? Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2021;226:108868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108868 .

Marsh JC, Cao D, Guerrero E, Shin H-C. Need-service matching in substance abuse treatment: racial/ethnic differences. Eval Program Plan. 2009;32(1):43–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2008.09.003 .

Mereish EH, Bradford JB. Intersecting identities and substance use problems: sexual orientation, gender, race, and lifetime substance use problems. J Stud on Alcohol Drugs. 2014;75(1):179–88. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2014.75.179 .

Rasheed JM, Rasheed MN. Group work with African American men. Social Work Practice with African American men: The invisible presence (pp.89–122) (1999). SAGE Publications. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/lib/rutgers-ebooks/reader.action?docID=996501

Segal B. Conducting drug abuse research with minority populations : advances and issues. 1st ed. Routledge Press; 2018.

Book   Google Scholar  

Sahker, Pro G, Sakata M, Furukawa TA. Substance use improvement depends on race/ethnicity: outpatient treatment disparities observed in a large US national sample. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2020;213:108087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108087 .

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021, July 16). Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS): 2019 Admission to and Discharge from Publicly- Funded Substance Use Treatment. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/treatment-episode-data-set-teds-2019-admissions

Sussman S, Arnett JJ. Emerging adulthood: developmental period facilitative of the addictions. Eval Health Prof. 2014;37(2):147–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278714521812 .

Trahan DP Jr, Lemberger ME. Critical race theory as a decisional framework for the ethical counseling of African American clients. Couns Values. 2014;59(1):112–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-007X.2014.00045.x .

Verissimo ADO, Grella CE. Influence of gender and race/ethnicity on perceived barriers to help-seeking for alcohol or drug problems. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2017;75:54–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2016.12.013 .

Webb CP, Huecker M, Shreffler J, McKinley BS, Khan AM, Shaw I. Racial disparities in linkage to care among patients with substance use disorders. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2022;137:1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108691 .

Wendt DC, Gone JP. Group therapy for substance use disorders: a survey of clinician practices. J Groups Addict Recover. 2017;12(4):243–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/1556035X.2017.1348280 .

Wood D, Crapnell T, Lau L, Bennett A, Lotstein D, Ferris M, Kuo A. Emerging adulthood as a critical stage in the life course. Springer International Publishing . 123–143 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47143-3_7

Yalom I, Leszcz M. The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books; 2020.

Google Scholar  

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

Tempestt Williams

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

This manuscript was completed in totality by the one identified author.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tempestt Williams .

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval.

Not applicable.

Consent to Participate

Consent to publish, conflict of interest.

This author declares no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Group Critical Race Theory Handout

Overview of critical race theory for our group.

Critical race theory (CRT): This framework was developed to demonstrate how current power structures reinforce racism and the marginalization of people of color. It also provides effective ways to change the culture we currently operate in to be more inclusive of people of color. We will use this framework throughout our group sessions. The five basic tenets for CRT are as follows:

Racism as ordinary: Racism is ordinary and embedded into the lived experiences of people of color. Racism is also deeply embedded into society and American culture making it invisible to many people who do not experience it.

The critique of liberalism: A colorblind society is often promoted in a liberalist world view. This is problematic as it only examined overt racism and does not address all forms or racism and discrimination. CRT emphasizes that this approach will not discontinue white privilege and actualize the change that needs to occur in our society.

Whiteness as ultimate property: There is power in Whiteness that is vastly different from other marginalized individuals with respect to various social, culture, political and economic privileges. Whiteness as ultimate property determines who has access to resources and that changes as the value of property does.

Interest convergence: The majority race benefits from racism and thus they control change and progression of marginalized groups of people. The White majority has the power to support progress only if it will benefit them in some way.

Unique voices of color: Knowledge is gained from people of color sharing their lived experiences. This is done through methods such as counter-storytelling, family history, narratives etc.

This information is derived from the following source:

Kolivoski, K. M., Weaver, A., & Constance-Huggins, M. (2014). Critical race theory: Opportunities for application in social work practice and policy. Families in Society, 95(4), 269–276. 10.1606/1044-3894.2014.95.36.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Williams, T. Substance Abuse Treatment, Critical Race Theory, and Counter-Storytelling, for the Black Emerging Adult Male. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 11 , 1067–1076 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-023-01586-6

Download citation

Received : 28 December 2022

Revised : 21 March 2023

Accepted : 31 March 2023

Published : 06 April 2023

Issue Date : April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-023-01586-6

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Black emerging adult males
• Counter-storytelling
• Critical race theory
• Group therapy
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research