The term institutional racism was first used with the intent of differentiating individual racist acts from policies or practices that are built into the structures of various social institutions and which continue to operate even without the active support and maintenance of individuals. Seen from this angle, discrimination, and racism more specifically, exists on a spectrum ranging from individual to the institutional to the structural. In the United States, 92% of Blacks, 78% of Latinxs, 75% of Native Americans, and 61% of Asian Americans have reported experiencing racial discrimination in the form of racial slurs, violence, threats, and harassment. Discrimination is associated with poor mental and physical health, unhealthy behaviors, declines in the utilization of care, and nonadherence to medical recommendations and treatment. This panel will discuss terms related to racism, institutional racism, and prejudice and their impact on the mental health of communities of color. Panelists will address, practices, policies, and regulations that perpetuate an imbalance of power and opportunity in mental health systems for communities of color and will provide recommendations for practitioners.
Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers including psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and graduate level students in the mental health field.
About the presenters:
Diana Parra Pérez, PhD - Physical Therapist from Rosario University in Bogota Colombia, Master in Public Health from St. Louis University, PhD in Social Work/Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis, Postdoctoral Fellow in Public Health Nutrition at Sao Paulo University School of Public Health. 200-HR Registered Yoga Teacher, 300-HR IMTA Certified Mindfulness Teacher Professional. Research Assistant Professor at the Brown School Washington University in St. Louis. Research Lead and Mindfulness and Meditation Instructor at Alma y Espiritu. Research on the promotion of health and wellness through community based programs for physical activity, nutrition, yoga, and mindfulness, geared towards marginalized, underrepresented, and oppressed minorities, particularly the Latinx immigrant population in the United States. Significant experience mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds. Diverse background and training in non-traditional methodologies to assess physical activity and diets.
Oscar Morgan - Oscar Morgan has more than 35 years of experience in the mental health and substance use service fields, with expertise in providing evidence-based and culturally and linguistically competent services, trauma-informed programs, mental health, and substance use organizational systems design and service integration. He is currently the Project Director of the Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. In this role, he directs the provision of training and technical assistance geared towards strengthening the skills and knowledge of the behavioral health and primary care workforce in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The training and technical assistance are focused on strengthening and accelerating the workforce’s capacity to provide evidence-best practices in prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for children, youth and adults who have and/or at risk of developing serious emotional disturbances/serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders. Mr. Morgan is a former mental health commissioner for the state of Maryland. He has held senior level positions in a variety of state and national organizations. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and Master's Degree in Health Care Services Administration from George Washington University, Washington DC.
J Rocky Romero, PhD, LMSW - Dr. J Rocky Romero is the CEO and owner of JR Romero & Associates, a training and consultant company he started almost 20 years ago. In addition, Dr. Romero is a former Assistant Professor for New Mexico Highlands University School of Social Work in Albuquerque, NM. He served as the co-chair for Governor Richardson’s appointed NM Higher Education Department on Cultural Competency Task-Force. Dr. Romero has also served as an Executive Council member for the NM-Consortium for Behavioral Health Training and Research. In addition, Dr. Romero completed his doctoral studies at the University of New Mexico in Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies. Dr. Romero has been a trainer and consultant for the NHL-MHTTC for the last 10 years. He is focused on culturally appropriate treatment while focusing on reducing health disparities for people of color.
Sean Bear, BA - Sean A. Bear, 1st, earned his B.A. from Buena Vista University in 2002, majoring in psychology/human services. He also studied mental health counseling at Drake University for 2 years. He is a member of the Meskwaki Tribe, in Tama, Iowa, and has worked with Native Americans with substance abuse issues for many years. He is an Army Veteran of 9 years, and was honorary discharged from the 82nd Airborne. Mr. Bear has worked as an Administrator/Counselor in EAP, as a counselor in adolescent behavioral disorder programs, substance abuse, and in-home family therapy. He has experience in building holistic, Native American based curriculum, and implementing these curricula/programs in substance abuse treatment and prevention program.
Please read the following before registering:
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