Implicit Bias Training: Increasing Understanding towards Justice in the Provision of Mental Health Care

Mental health professionals cannot ignore the impact that various forms of bias play into the barriers to and disparities experience in the delivery of mental health care. For instance, the concerns of women who present for treatment are more often ignored than those of men who present for treatment. And, the concerns of Black women, in particular, are ignored at their peril.

This continuing education course for therapists explains the role of implicit and explicit bias in defining the systems that provide physical and mental health care in the United States. This course also includes strategies for individual professionals, and professionals in collaboration, to use in order to reduce disparities in access to and delivery of quality mental health care services.

This 3-hour introductory continuing education course is designed to help mental health professionals:

1. Identify central terms related to implicit bias.
2. Identify central terms related to explicit bias.
3. Describe the impact of implicit and explicit bias on the development of systems that provide physical and mental health care.
4. Apply a framework to assess the impact of implicit bias in their professional practice.
5. Demonstrate ways to address implicit bias in their practices and workplaces.

Agenda (3 hours total):

• Introduction (10 minutes) - The instructor will introduce themself and summarize the content of the training and administer a Pre-Test (A Pre- and Post-Test is required under Michigan law for practitioners in MIchigan only). The pre-test is available here.
• Defining Implicit and Explicit Bias and Related Terms (60 minutes) - Video and lecture will be used to differentiate implicit bias from explicit bias. Other terms will be introduced for later application.
• Exploring the Impact of Implicit and Explicit Bias on the Development of Systems of Care (45 minutes) - Discussion and videos will be used to explore how implicit and explicit bias have impacted educational, housing, and medical systems. Micro, mezzo and macro level impacts will be discussed.
• Assessing the Impact of Implicit Bias on Professional Practice (25 minutes) - Harvard University implicit bias tests, the social identity wheel and the courageous conversations compass will be used as tools to show how professionals can evaluate the impact of implicit bias on their own professional practice experiences.
• Addressing Implicit Bias in the Workplace (25 minutes) - Research findings will be presented to show how implicit bias has impacted medical and behavioral health treatment of disabled people, and BIPOC communities.
• Summary and Final Questions (10 minutes) - Presenter will summarize opportunities for practice change as a result of the material explored in the session. Questions left unanswered during the training will be addressed in this time.
• Post Test (5 minutes)

Statement of program material's accuracy, utility, and risks: This program presents a framework for professionals to use when evaluating the impact of implicit bias on their professional practice. The content is consistent with the ethics code of the American Psychological Association, and all other ethics codes for mental and behavioral health professionals. This framework is designed to reduce disparities in mental health treatment.

Diversity: In the introduction, the presenter owns the impact of her own personal and professional experiences on her work in the area of professional ethics. She also acknowledges differences in perspective, and thus respect for different opinions. The presenter also discusses with the participants the importance of valuing each other’s experiences, even when they do not agree on interpretation. During the session, the presenter aims to allow for critical reflection.

Declaration identifying any potential conflict of interest and/or commercial support: The presenter has no conflicts of interest/commercial interests to declare.

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact GoodTherapy here.

Continuing Education (CE) Information

3 CE contact hours will be provided by GoodTherapy for attending this web conference in its entirety. 

GoodTherapy is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org, provider #1352, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/30/2022 – 3/30/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 3 continuing education credits.

GoodTherapy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395. GoodTherapy, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

A PRE & POST TEST IMPLICIT BIAS ASSESSMENT IS REQUIRED UNDER MICHIGAN LAW. The pre-test is available here. The post-test will be administered when you log in to your GoodTherapy account to download a CE certificate after completing the homestudy course.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can attend this live web conference for $30.95 or access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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