NAMI Health Equity and Mental Health Series

Jul 14, 2022

Presenters

• Selena Webster-Bass, MPH, DMin, Founder/CEO, Voices Institute, LLC
• Rachel Gaiter, MBA, MS, PhD (c)

Session One

Courageous Conversations: Cultivating Cultural Humility and Managing Biases with Families Facing Serious Mental Illnesses and Serious Emotional Disturbances

Watch this learning community session and embrace the concepts of reflection, respect, relevance, resilience, and due regard, and explore cultural self-awareness in working effectively across cultural differences with families facing serious mental illnesses. Based on the cultural humility core pillars of establishing a commitment to self-evaluation, fixing power imbalances, and committing to institutional accountability, you will learn practical strategies in working compassionately and authentically with diverse families facing serious emotional disturbances. In addition, participants will explore implicit and explicit biases and managing biases in advancing behavioral health equity.

After watching this session you will be able to:

1. List the three pillars of cultural humility and apply principles in creating culturally responsive providers and equitable organizations;
2. Distinguish between implicit and explicit biases;
3. Provide examples of microaggressions and micro-affirmations; and
4. Discuss strategies to manage biases while working with diverse families having serious mental illnesses and serious emotional disturbances.

Session Two

Cultivating Effective Cross-Cultural Communication in Behavioral Health Organizations while Interacting Effectively with Families Coping with Serious Mental Illnesses and Serious Emotional Disturbances

Watch this learning community session to explore the various ways that culture influences communication. Various communication styles and barriers will be discussed among providers and families coping with serious mental illnesses within teams and health systems. The session will focus on using a cultural assessment with families coping with serious emotional disturbances, health literacy, and person-first language.

After watching this session you will be able to:

1. Describe two ways that culture influences communication;
2. Identify two barriers to effective communication;
3. Describe components of a cultural assessment with families having serious mental illnesses; and
4. List examples of health literacy and person-first language principles.

Session Three

Healing the Wounds of Racial Stress and Trauma in Racially and Ethnically Diverse Communities Facing Serious Mental Illnesses and Serious Emotional Disturbances

Watch this learning community session to explore four levels of racism: interpersonal racism, internalized racism, institutional, and systemic racism in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Participants will learn about historical trauma, biases, and systemic inequities as contributing factors to intergenerational trauma, racial stress and trauma, and community trauma. Healing-centered strategies to address racial stress and trauma and community trauma will be emphasized. 

After watching this session, you will be able to:

1. Describe the four types of racism;
2. Discuss the impacts of racial stress and trauma; and
3. Identify healing-centered strategies to mitigate racial stress and trauma and promote anti-racism.