A Flexible Treatment Planning Model for Racism-Related Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults

Racism-related stress (RRS) is commonly experienced by adolescents and young adults (AYA) of color and is associated with deleterious psychological outcomes. Unfortunately, RRS may not be addressed or targeted within their treatments due to a myriad of reasons, including clinician discomfort with broaching the subject of RRS or low confidence in their ability to therapeutically address RRS. In effort to improve culturally responsive services offered to AYA of color, this article introduces the Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Healing Unifying Principles (or REACH UP) model—a framework intended to help clinicians conceptualize the impacts of disclosed RRS and then flexibly adapt their treatment plans to target RRS in ways that promote AYA empowerment.