This article is part of a year-long series facilitated by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Social Justice Committee (SJC) highlighting the impact of health disparities on youth through a social justice lens for school psychologists. Historical and systemic racism and instructional inequities contribute to mental health…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities have faced a history of discriminatory incidents with deleterious effects on mental health and wellness. Compounded with other historically marginalized identities, LGBTQ+ people of color continue to experience disenfranchisement, inequities, and invisibility, leading to complex…

Given the unique forms of trauma that some Black and Brown youths are exposed to, and the salience of race and racial bias in discipline decision making, this article proposes that discipline interventions should be both race centered and trauma informed. Using critical race theory (CRT), trauma-informed practice literature, and restorative…

Pediatric complex care clinics offer an optimal environment for integrated behavioral health services for infants and young children with medical complexity (CMC). Integrated behavioral health providers are well positioned to provide accessible care and promote development and well-being for this population with unique psychosocial needs and…

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…

Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) consultation has gained increasing attention over the years as an effective approach to supporting young children's social-emotional development (Brennan et al., 2008; Hepburn et al., 2013). The current syndemic (the aggregation of two or more concurrent epidemics that interact synergistically to…

The issue of preschool discipline disproportionality continues to garner national attention. This paper outlines challenges associated with disproportionate disciplinary practices and specific roles for school psychologists in addressing the complex issues related to preschool discipline disproportionality.

Learning how leaders advance equity and justice can inspire, give mental models, and help create road maps. Eight years ago, Nancy Gerzon and the author researched professional learning in high-poverty schools that were narrowing the achievement gap for every demographic, which resulted in the book "Growing Into Equity" (Corwin, 2013).…

The concept of intergenerational trauma acknowledges the potential of exposure to adverse events to carry on from trauma survivors to their offspring through biological, psychological, and social pathways. In this article, the authors offer an overview of intergenerational trauma and posttraumatic growth. They offer recommendations for schools…

The emergence and global spread of COVID-19 precipitated a massive public health crisis combined with multiple incidents of racial discrimination and violence toward Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Although East Asian communities are more frequently targeted for instances of pandemic-related racial discrimination, multiple…

Racist rhetoric blaming the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAAPI) community for the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a surge of violence against the AAAPI community in the United States, including the Atlanta mass shooting on March 16, 2021. These incidents resurfaced the ongoing racism against AAAPIs that has largely been…

Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, exposing the influence of decades of policies that have under-resourced and marginalized these communities. The history of segregation and inadequate funding in education has been exacerbated by the pandemic, compounding the educational…

Youth of Color, especially those in households with low income, experience multiple stressors and trauma that affect their well-being. Few studies examine the impact of youth engagement in leadership and organizing to address systemic inequity on their mental health and well-being. In a community-based participatory action research design, three…

In this phenomenological study, the authors explored the lived experiences of 19 African American mothers raising boys and young men to understand how media exposure to community and state violence connects to the physical and mental health of these mothers. Analysis of semi-structured individual interviews revealed six themes: psychological…

Based on the public health necessity presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, most U.S. schools closed their physical spaces in March 2020. Early evidence suggests that the closing of schools and migration to online learning has had harmful effects on children's academic performance. Moreover, the health crisis has surfaced for a broader public what…