Applying Theater-Based Training Methods to Address Anti-Black Racism in Community-Based Mental Health Services: A Pilot Feasibility Study

The present study investigated the acceptability, feasibility, and potential effectiveness of using theater as an interdisciplinary tool to train mental health clinicians to discuss race and racism with Black youth clients. The training was developed using findings from a statewide survey of clinicians’ perceived barriers and facilitators to discussing race and racism. Development survey data were analyzed to generate didactic content that addressed common misperceptions and to develop scripted performances of interactions between a therapist and two Black youth clients. Mental health clinicians and clinical supervisors (N = 23) from community mental health organizations viewed and responded to the videos of the scripted scenes before the training. Black clinician collaborators co-presented didactic information and facilitated small-group breakouts. Trained actors improvised participant suggestions in the large group, and breakouts allowed for debriefing, discussing, and practicing through improvisation with actors. The training was evaluated with a pre- and posttraining survey. Training significantly improved multicultural counseling self-efficacy (measured by the Multicultural Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale—Racial Diversity form; t[13] = –5.83, p < .001), decreased concerns about counseling Black clients (measured by the Concerns About Counseling Racial Minority Clients scale; t[13] = 7.05, p < .001), and improved intentions to discuss race and racism with Black clients specifically, t(13) = –6.11, p < .001, as well as all clients of color, t(13) = –3.16, p = .008. Qualitative and quantitative measures converged to suggest that the training was highly acceptable (M = 4.7, SD = 0.6) and appropriate (M = 4.7, SD = 0.6). We end with clinical implications.