Instructor Led Training

APS Supervisor Core:

Understanding Implicit Bias & Structural Racism

We create experiences that transform the heart, mind, and practice.

About the Academy & APSWI

The Academy is a project of San Diego State’s School of Social Work. Serving over 20,000 health and human services

professionals annually, the Academy’s mission is to provide

exceptional workforce development and learning experiences for the transformation of individuals, organizations and communities.

APSWI, or Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations, is a training program of the Academy that provides innovative workforce development to APS professionals and their partners.

Academy programs: Apex, A P S W I, C W D S, Lia, Sacks, and Tribal Star.

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ACADEMY PROGRAMS

San Diego State University

Overview of Technology

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Meet and Greet

• Trainer Introduction�
• Introduce yourself in the chat box
• Name
• Title
• County/Jurisdiction�

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Learning Objectives

• Discuss the definitions and key concepts of implicit bias and structural racism. �
• Identify the impact of implicit bias and structural racism on multiple levels, including self, staff, clients, and organization. �
• Identify how to implement antiracist principles within their roles as supervisors.

Group Agreements

•  Supportive: Encouraging/Strengths-Focused

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•  Non-Judgmental & Respectful

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•  Permission to share only what I feel comfortable sharing

•  Ask for clarification when needed

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•  Accountability - your role in implementation

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•  Acknowledge diversity of attendees

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•  Self-care

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Group Agreements

"Confidentiality will be maintained: What happens during this training will not be shared outside of this group with the exception that the learning and key take-aways can be shared. Specific details shared by members of these groups during this meeting/learning session will not be divulged." 

Poll Activity

Two Questions:

• How comfortable do you feel discussing racism, implicit bias, and power differentials in the workplace with those you supervise?

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• What is your comfort level with discussing racism, implicit bias, and power differentials in the workplace with your supervisor?

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What is Implicit Bias?

If You Have a Brain, You Have Bias…

It is important to acknowledge (and normalize) the fact that we all have biases as human beings regardless of our backgrounds and experiences.

https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Brain-scan-iStock.jpg

Key Characteristics of Implicit Biases

• Implicit biases are pervasive. 
• Implicit and explicit biases are related by distinct mental constructs. 
• The implicit associations we hold do not necessarily align with our declared beliefs or even reflect stances we would explicitly endorse.
• We generally tend to hold implicit biases that favor our own ingroup, though research has shown that we can still hold implicit biases against our ingroup.
• Implicit biases are malleable. 

Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. (2012).

Consider the Following Examples:

What are some immediate thoughts and reactions to how the clients are described above?

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• Client is a 65 y/o disabled black Veteran�
• Client is a 45 y/o Alaskan Native female with an intellectual disability

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How is an awareness of implicit bias useful in your role as a supervisor?

Defining Racism

• Racism is a system of advantage and oppression based on race. It is a way of organizing society based on dominance and subordination based on race.

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• Racism penetrates every aspect of personal, cultural, and institutional life. It includes prejudice against people of color, as well as exclusion, discrimination against, suspicion of, and fear and hate of people of color.

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Equity in the Center. (2017).

Defining Structural Racism

• Structural racism is the arrangement of institutional, interpersonal, historical, and cultural dynamics in a way that consistently produces advantage for whites and chronic adverse outcomes for people of color.

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Equity in the Center. (2017).

Small Group Activity

1. What have you noticed, or what has come up for your staff, in response to current events such as those mentioned above? �
2. How have these events impacted you in your supervisory role? What have been the challenges? �
3. What have you found to be helpful strategies to address these challenges?

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Exploring “Diversity”

• Diversity is the psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals; including but not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, and learning styles.

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https://res.cloudinary.com/people-matters/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/v1532781004/1532780932.jpg

Equity in the Center. (2017).

Understanding Intersectionality & Privilege

Intersectionality is the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect, especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups.

• Privilege is an uneven distribution of unearned power within a society. �
• People occupy multiple social positions with multiple levels of privilege or disadvantage (NOT absolute).�
• Privilege and oppression operate hand in hand; one cannot exist without the other.

Merriam-Webster. (2017).

Case Scenario Activity

“We are all diverse because we are unique in our own experiences.”

Wendy, A. & Lipscomb, A. (2019). Power, privilege and allyship in therapy spaces. [PowerPoint slides]. CSUN Department of Social Work.

Trauma

• Racial trauma, or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS), refers to the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination, racism, and hate crimes (Helmes, Nicolas, & Green, (2010). Any individual that has experienced an emotionally painful, sudden, and uncontrollable racist encounter is at risk of suffering from a race-based traumatic stress injury.

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• Trauma-Informed Care acknowledges trauma in all aspects of service delivery and seek to mitigate further negative impacts with our staff as well as our clients.
• Recognize the possibility of trauma in staff as well as clients
• Seek to lessen and prevent further trauma
• Cultivate systems that assess, prevent, support, and actively engage in change

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Relationship Between Implicit Bias �& Structural Racism

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.

– Thich Nhat Hanh

Equity vs. Equality

• Diversity
• Equity
• Inclusion
• Transformation

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Race equity is the condition �where one’s race identity has �no influence on how one fares �in society.

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https://blog.nationalequityproject.org/2019/06/14/dont-talk-about-implicit-bias-without-talking-about-structural-racism/

Equity in the Center. (2017).

Courtesy of Advancing Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Municipalities, by City for All Women Initiative (CAWI), Ottawa

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Impact of Implicit Bias & Structural Racism

Discussion Questions

Team

• How might implicit bias and structural racism impact our team members? �
• What are we currently doing to assess or address these effects on staff? Is it trauma-informed?

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Client

• How might implicit bias and structural racism impact our clients’ experience with APS?�
• What is being done to identify and address the impact on clients? Is it trauma-informed?

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Implementing Antiracist Principles

Thinking about the institutional culture of APS: What would your workplace look like if structural racism didn’t exist?

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“Those who practice leadership for equity must confront, disappoint and dismantle and at the same time energize, inspire, and empower.”

-Sharon Daloz Parks

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Steps

• Start with yourself
• Grant yourself and staff permission to be learners
• Identify an obstacle and work towards a manageable goal
• Manage biases by working together

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What Can You Do to Manage Biases?

Strategies to Reduce Biases

• Normalize attempts to label and uncover bias.
• Hold yourself accountable before others.
• Engage in difficult team conversations.
• Show genuine concern for others.
• Foster the practice of constantly assessing if biases are impacting situations.
• Slow down and collectively consider, “are we being biased, and if so, how?”
• Recognize that this practice is applicable to not just in our work with each other, but also with the work we do with our clients, there is a parallel process.
• Come from a stance of not assuming knowledge of the other, stay curious.
• Be sensitive and respectful (rather than worrying about being “politically correct”).
• Acknowledge that individuals from marginalized communities bear the brunt of the emotional labor under the constant burden of oppression and historical trauma.

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Video & Discussion

• Video: APSWI Supporting Conversations on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within APS Programs
• What were some indicators of bias that you recognized in the conversation and examples of the APS professional’s decision-making being impacted as a result

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• What were some of the strategies you saw the APS Supervisor use with the APS Professional that were mentioned when we discussed strategies to reduce biases

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• What other feelings are coming up for you about this video clip?

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• Anything else?

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Organizational Self-Care Tips

• Try to understand and acknowledge how current events may be impacting your team members and the clients they serve. Be aware of your implicit bias and do not assume how someone would react to these experiences or that all staff members will be impacted equally
• Meet regularly with staff and ensure they are feeling heard and respected
• Set realistic performance expectations
• Rotate challenging cases and diversify job tasks
• Incorporate meaningful self-reflection activities before the start of all staff meetings
• Model boundary setting and honor breaks/lunch (away from desk)
• Encourage staff to utilize paid-time off and vacation days
• Implement peer coaching circles to facilitate learning, reflection, and support
• Ensure staff are aware and know how to access their health and well-being (EAP, mental health services, etc.)

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Promoting & Strengthening Resilience

• Connections with others that are supportive and non-judgmental
• Commitment to ongoing training for team members on fostering their ability to recognize and reflect on their implicit biases and how those biases may impact their work with clients and relationship dynamics within the team
• Movement toward goals that reinforce prioritization of implementing anti-racist policies and practices

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Can we see people as ‘promise’ versus ‘at risk’?

Closing Thoughts

• Questions?
• Reflections?
• Takeaways?

Transfer of Learning Activity

• Complete in the next 2 weeks:
• Part 1 – Reducing Implicit Bias on an Individual Level

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• Complete in the next 4-6 weeks
• Part 2 – Formulating Long-Term Action Plans

Thank You!�We envision a world where �the quality of life for individuals, organizations, and communities �is transformed into a healthier place.