Racial, Ethnic, And Cultural Healing: The REACH Program

Racism-related stress can impact BIPOC in subtle and significant ways. You’ll learn to recognize what racism-related stress is, and the various ways it may be impacting your daily life.

We’ll share experiences that we have all faced, and work together to process our emotions as we unpack the impact of such stress. We’ll also talk about how racism’s influence on our communities and relationships can get in the way of achieving our own personal goals.

The REACH Program does not assume that BIPOC alone should shoulder the responsibility of simply learning to “better cope.” Rather, this program helps you process what it is like to carry this responsibility, and introduces effective resources to help you cope with the effects of racism-related stress.

Through a series of exercises designed by Dr. DeLapp, REACH participants will learn about these coping strategies in creative and engaging ways.  Together we will have opportunities to learn from one another, as Dr. DeLapp invites each participant to share their own lessons learned from personal experiences with this type of stress.

It is not enough to just know what you can do cope with racism. Empowered Decision-Making means that you are able to look at the menu of resources you have, and select the most meaningful, accessible, and appropriate response for you to use each time you are faced with racism-related stress.

You will gain valuable tools to identify the most effective coping strategy to use in a given moment, and we will practice and swap ideas on how to use these tools to manage the various impacts of racism-related stress throughout the group. Armed with new ideas for how to deal with issues ranging from microaggressions to overt prejudice, you’ll learn to put Empowered Decision-Making into action, including how to cope with the emotional distress caused by these experiences.

• 6-week cycles
• 75 minute sessions
• All groups are facilitated by Dr. Ryan DeLapp
• Each meeting features thought-provoking media, including music, spoken word poetry, movie and video clips, and engaging activities
• Exercises to introduce effective coping resources
• Sharing of participant experiences to inspire growth in Empowered Decision-Making

Participants can join as many group cycles as they would like.

The REACH Groups are for anyone who has experienced racism-related stress, and is looking for a safe and affirming space to heal from its impacts. Consider joining a REACH group if you have experienced:

• The impacts of systemic racism, which can include limited access to desired education or job opportunities, neighborhood safety, or community spaces that celebrate your race or ethnicity.
• Racial microaggressions, or being mistreated because of someone’s negative racial bias or prejudice towards you.
• Waves of hopelessness, numbness, or rage in response to repeated police shootings or acts of violence toward BIPOC.
• Intense emotions, such as anger, sadness, or anxiety, caused by experiences of racial discrimination.
• Self-doubt or feeling like an imposter within a community or environment.
• Transitioning to a new school, neighborhood, or company with less or more racial/ethnic diversity than you are accustomed to.
• Feeling unable to achieve desired life goals due to racist events occurring within your community or environment.
• Feeling singled out based on perceived stereotypes.
• A sense of inequality or discrimination at work or in school – being mistreated because of your identity.

The Ross Center is an out of network provider, and does not accept insurance. However, many clients are able to submit receipts for out of network services to their insurance company for reimbursement. If you are in need of financial assistance to participate in the REACH program, please let us know. Inquiries about financial assistance or questions about insurance should be sent to Grace Landis at glandis@rosscenter.com.

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation call with Dr. DeLapp to see if a REACH Group is right for you. Please complete the screening form below to set up this call, or contact us via phone or email to learn more:

PHONE: 202-363-1010 and press “0.”
EMAIL: REACH@rosscenter.com

All therapy groups will be held virtually for residents of New York, Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland. Reach groups are held for High School Students, Young Adults, and Professionals. You can learn more about each of the individual groups by clicking on one of the group links at the bottom of the page. If you decide that a REACH Group is a good fit, you will be asked to complete a 60 min. initial evaluation before being registered for one of the virtual groups.

We are committed to partnering with educational institutions and organizations to expand access to the REACH Program. Our REACH Program offers:

• Customized on-site group workshops, available in 1-session, 6-session, and 12-session options delivered in your school or organization
• Tailored training sessions conducted by Dr. DeLapp for counselors, social workers, and school or business leaders on supporting BIPOC individuals in understanding, healing from, and navigating racism-related stress
• Virtual REACH group participation opportunities for referred students or employees through the Ross Center
• Community-based workshops for clinicians, youth and adults, and parents and caregivers. These workshops can be held virtually or on-site in schools, businesses, organizations, and faith-based institutions. You can find a list of potential workshop options HERE.

To explore potential partnership opportunities and discuss the benefits of the REACH Program,  contact Dr. Ryan DeLapp via email at REACH@rosscenter.com or call 202-363-1010 and press “0.”

For providers who are interested in referring your patients to a REACH group, Dr. DeLapp would appreciate the chance to schedule a brief phone to answer any questions about the program and to offer his assistance in supporting the referral process. He also offers workshops for clinicians on culturally responsive care, assessment and treatment for racism-related stress. Learn more about whether the REACH groups might be appropriate for your clients in this video.

• PHONE: 202-363-1010 and press “0.”
• EMAIL: ReachInfo@rosscenter.com