The Importance of Diversity in the Behavioral Health and Medical Fields
Information
Date & Time
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Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Describe current race, ethnicity, gender, age, and sexuality demographics in America.
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Explain three ways social and cultural factors impact mental and physical health, including the access and utilization of services.
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Identify two basic principles of cultural humility.
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List and describe 4 social determinants of health.
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Define culture, diversity, equity, discrimination, prejudice, and cultural competence.
Educational Goal
The educational goal of this workshop is to understand the importance of diversity in the behavioral health and medical fields.
Description
This workshop will help providers understand the impact of culture on mental and physical health. Participants will learn the definitions of concepts such as culture, health disparities, diversity, equity, inclusion, and explore the social determinants of health. Participants will learn the principles of cultural humility, including how to engage with communities that experience health inequities. They will learn how to reflect on their own biases, explore issues of systemic power imbalances, and develop strategies for lifelong learning with regard to the ongoing development of cultural competence.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Medical Doctor
- Psychologist
- Registered Nurse
- Social Worker
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Presenters
Ruth C. White, Ph.D., MPH, MSW, RSW, has been helping practitioners work with diverse clients for over 30 years. While an MSW student in 1991, she worked with the Montreal Police Force to improve police relationships with the Black community after the police shooting of a young black man and wrote a groundbreaking MSW thesis on racial disparities in juvenile justice in Montreal. Beginning at Seneca College (Toronto) in 1992, Dr. White has taught courses on race & ethnicity and ethnic/cultural principles of practice to students in BSW/MSW programs at San Francisco State and Seattle University and has delivered professional development workshops on this topic to mental health professionals across the country. Inspired by her journey of recovery and resilience with mental illness, Dr. White promotes mental health and well-being by speaking on stress management, emotional resilience, compassion fatigue, burnout, and mental health, focusing on the intersection of race and culture. Her popular books include ‘The ‘Stress Management Workbook: De-stress in 10 Minutes or Less’ and ‘Bipolar 101’, and she has written articles on mental health for outlets such as Harvard Business Review and Fast Company. Dr. White has appeared on The Today Show, BBC World Service, CBSNews LA, radio, podcasts, and has been featured in Women’s Health and Marie Claire, among others. From 2020 – 2023 she appeared dozens of times as a mental health contributor on KRON4-TV Bay Area. Passionate about traveling and being outdoors, especially with her adult daughter, she is an avid hiker, sailor, and kayaker.
Financially Sponsored By
- Aetna Better Health of Louisiana