Antiracism in Action: Clinical Skills for Ethical Mental Health Practice
Friday, March 6th from 1pm to 4:15pm
3 EDI CEs
Presented by Jessica Smedley, Psy.D.
Workshop Description:
Antiracism is not an add-on to clinical care—it is a core ethical responsibility. This workshop invites mental health professionals to critically examine how racism and systemic inequities affect diagnosis, treatment access, and client outcomes. Using an antiracist and trauma-informed framework, participants will gain tools to reduce harm, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and provide more equitable, culturally responsive mental health care. Further, clinicians will learn practical strategies to identify bias, address racial dynamics in the therapy room, and integrate antiracist principles across assessment, diagnosis, and intervention.
Objectives:
1. Identify ways racism operates as a chronic stressor and traumatic exposure affecting mental health outcomes across the lifespan.
2. Apply antiracist principles to clinical decision-making, including intake, diagnosis, goal-setting, and termination.
3. Identify signs of racialized stress responses that may be misdiagnosed as pathology.Identify signs of racialized stress responses that may be misdiagnosed as pathology.
About the Presenter: https://www.smedleypsych.com/dr--smedley