course »Beyond Acceptance: Empowering LGBTQ allies to unpack microaggressions, disrupt implicit bias, and facilitate interpersonal healing

Date: 10/20/2018, 3:00 pm—6:00 pm
County: Alameda County
CEUs: 2.8
Location: Oakland
Sponsor: Fred Finch Youth & Family Services
Phone: 510-482-2244
Children who live in out of home care may be LGBTQ identified and/or be part of an LGBTQ family system. Clinicians can benefit from learning to be more aware of their own implicit bias and how this impacts the therapeutic relationship to improve cultural competency. Children can benefit from learning to be affirmative allies, and to help one another when bullying takes place. Explicit attitudes of acceptance toward LGBTQ people have been steadily increasing over time. However, our community continues to endure marginalization through implicit bias which is invisible and expressed through daily interpersonal interactions. These microaggressions cause personal harm, perpetuate minority stress, and reinforce stigma. It is essential for allies to actively challenge and transform implicit bias that is expressed within interpersonal interactions so that restorative, affirmative, and equitable experiences are created for our community. Disrupting bias may not be easy, but is well worth the result of enhanced well-being, improved interpersonal relationships, and productive cultural shifts. This training will build confidence in taking direct actions of solidarity that will help resist oppression, redistribute privilege, and support social justice. Training techniques include power point presentation and role playing exercises.