African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics. Lee-MChunganji says these groups of people experience oppression, which can involve trauma and not having access to services. The term trauma encompasses more than just a physical injury. Both African-Americans and Native Americans have had their contributions left out of history, Lee-MChunganji says.
The institution of slavery, in relation to how it is collectively remembered and impacted the identity formation of a group of people, can be referred to as cultural trauma, according to Dr. Ronald Eyerman, professor of sociology at Yale University. History is often written from a
Recovering from drug and alcohol addiction encompasses much more than helping someone stop using. Clinical Services Manager Terehasa Lee-MChunganji says the process is like helping people nd their roots. “If your roots don’t go down very deep, and the storm comes, you get knocked down,” Lee-MChunganji says. UMADAOP works speci cally with urban minorities, including
European perspective, Lee-MChunganji says. “When you give people their history back, what you give them back is their pride and dignity,” Lee-MChunganji says.
“WHEN YOU GIVE PEOPLE THEIR HISTORY BACK, WHAT YOU GIVE THEM BACK IS THEIR PRIDE AND DIGNITY.” -Clinical Services Manager Terehasa Lee-MChunganji
Treating the Traumatized UMADAOP works with clients who have spent time in prison. Some of the clients UMADAOP serves have spent most of their lives in prison. “We really work to reconstruct their thinking and behavior in a way that allows them to be more successful,” Lee-MChunganji says. While UMADAOP strives to help people, Lee-MChunganji says it’s valuable to look at a client’s life within the bigger picture. A client could experience a signi cant amount of high quality treatment — but if afterward, a client returns to a toxic environment, the treatment might not be as successful. “Not everyone is going to be fortunate enough to buy a new house in the suburbs,” Lee-MChunganji says.
Lee-MChunganji says UMADAOP helps clients learn survival skills for when obstacles and barriers arise. The 12-step community is an important partner with UMADAOP, Lee-MChunganji says. UMADAOP works to nd culturally inclusive 12-step groups. “They’re part of a group of people that have successfully navigated their way out of criminal behavior,” Lee-MChunganji says. Recovery coaches who work in UMADAOP’s treatment facility are also involved in 12-step meetings. Lee-MChunganji says clients can sometimes be reluctant to attend 12-step meetings because it’s new and there’s also a lot of stigma associated with being an addict.
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