Supporting the mental health of Black, Indigenous, and youth of Color is not only necessary—it’s deeply important work that sits at the intersection of biblical justice, faith, and community care. This full-day training is designed for youth workers, educators, faith leaders, and community advocates who want to deepen their understanding and practice of culturally responsive care for BIPoC youth navigating mental health challenges.
Participants will engage in interactive learning, reflection, and skill-building to explore how systemic injustice, cultural identity, and personal experiences shape the mental health realities of young people. Through activities like spectrum discussions, case studies, mindfulness exercises, and small-group dialogues, we will unpack how mental health is expressed across cultures and how youth distress is often misunderstood or overlooked.
Topics include:
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Understanding youth mental health terms and trends
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Exploring how racial trauma, oppression, and identity impact mental wellness
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Learning to recognize and respond to signs of distress with cultural humility
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Practicing responses using tools from Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
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Reflecting on personal and collective sustainability in youth work
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Navigating the intersection of faith and mental health
This session centers the wisdom and lived experience of communities of color while equipping participants with tools to create safer, more supportive spaces for youth. Together, we’ll explore what it means to care deeply—for others and ourselves—in ways that are just, sustainable, and grounded in community.
All are welcome. No prior mental health training required.
Samuel Carrasco, BSW
Samuel Carrasco is a 25-year-old Mexican and Black man from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a fourth-generation agent of change, with a desire to live within the intersection of Christianity, race, and mental health.
He's lived in the Pacific Northwest for the last three years, and in Portland, Oregon, for the last nine months. Currently, he works at REAP Inc. as the Black Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator, partnering with the Oregon Health Authority and Multnomah County to combat Black youth suicide rates in the state of Oregon. He leads a coalition of nine students, ranging from high school sophomores to juniors in college. Additionally, he coordinates a statewide coalition of eight adults, from faith leaders to state officials.
Tatiana Nguyen, MSW
Tatiana is a Portland State University and FIFSW at University of Toronto alumni with years of diverse experience providing direct services to children, youth, and families. Her social work experience comes from work across multiple sectors in both the US and Canada, including early childhood, youth houselessness, foster care, supported employment, public education, and behavioral health.
A social worker by education, Tatiana possesses a commitment and passion for equity and social justice and the transformation of system-to-prison pipelines that disproportionately impact young people of color through an ethic rooted in community and restorative practice. As a training facilitator, Tatiana merges both her clinical and macro-systems approaches to bridge gaps in understanding youth mental health and share best practices for more culturally responsive and trauma informed youth advocacy and empowerment.
