Monnica Williams, Ph.D.

Working with a diverse ethnic population requires clinicians who can appreciate unique differences in culture as well as psychopathology arising from experiences of stigma and oppression. Further, it is imperative that individuals from underrepresented groups be equitably represented in mental care settings and research studies. Equitable representation is needed to ensure that research findings are generalizable to all populations.  Cultural, economic, and logistic barriers can deter people from disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups from seeking treatment or participating in mental health research, and can also deter clinicians from including them. This presentation describes steps mental health clinicians can take to increase inclusion of people in minoritized groups. Important strategies include formal training in cultural differences, development of multi-cultural awareness, diversification of treatment teams, community outreach, professional networking, targeted advertising, a comfortable environment, and ongoing review of efforts. Also included is an overview of research abuses against vulnerable populations which has eroded trust between communities of color and the medical establishment.  Dr. Williams will speak to these issues based on the research literature, her work starting mental health clinics throughout the US, and her experience as a principal investigator in studies recruiting hard-to-reach racialized participants for mental health studies. This course is for anyone seeking to recruit more diverse individuals, implement inclusive research studies, attend to cultural considerations in the process of interventions, and/or incorporate critical ethical principles into clinical procedures.

This course will satisfy your cultural diversity requirement.

In this webinar, Dr. Williams will distinguish between color blind and multicultural approaches.  She will talk about racial identity in blacks and whites and talk about the impact of cultural stereotypes.  She will identify the impact of discrimination and racism on mental health.  This webinar will also focus on practical skills in working with African American clients, looking at cultural mistrust, diagnostic issues, and Afrocentric values.  Finally, Dr. Williams will highlight the literature on race and IQ and psychopathology assessment.  She will help participants in defining culturally sensitive therapy.

Given the increasing diversity of clients seeking mental health care, there is a growing need to enhance the cultural sensitivity of therapeutic interventions with ethnoracial minority populations. One critical form of contemporary racism is the experience of microaggressions: brief, everyday exchanges, in the form of seemingly innocent and innocuous comments or behaviors that send denigrating messages to people of color. Microaggressions in mental health settings are a cause of poor therapeutic alliance and drop-out, representing a barrier to treatment. Repeated exposure to microaggressions can cause psychological unwellness and even trauma symptoms in victims. However, many clinicians are not aware of microaggressions, may commit them unknowingly against clients, and are unsure how to address them in treatment. Thus, increasing awareness of microaggressions is a critical target of clinical training and therapeutic intervention. Dr. Williams will also discuss how to recognize microaggressions, how to assess the impact of microaggressions in clients, and discuss how to address microaggressions when they occur in therapy or real-life.