Engagement Guidance: Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

In this document, we lay the foundation for creating an education and training environment that is inclusive, equitable and respectful of diversity. Specifically, we:

• articulate our values and commitments related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
• offer a framework for self-reflection regarding one’s own multicultural identities and biases
• provide guidance for positive and productive interpersonal engagement regarding DEI
• present strategies for structuring conversations when DEI challenges arise in the work community, supervisory relationship and/or with patients/clients/consumers (hereafter referred to as patients)
• offer a set of working definitions for DEI-related terminology and links to additional resources and references at the end of this document

We hope that the values, commitment and framework articulated in this document inform and are integrated into our work culture. 

Our Work Community’s Values and Commitments Regarding DEI 

For our work community to be healthy and thrive, we believe we must prioritize individual and cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion. These efforts must be guided by our values, which include:

• Diversity
• Equity
• Inclusion
• Cultural humility
• Multicultural competence

In addition, we strive to have a community characterized by shared commitments to:

• Being aware of and reflecting upon
  • Individual and cultural diversity in all professional and personal encounters and activities
  • Self as shaped by individual and cultural diversity and context, as well as assumptions, values and biases (both explicit and implicit)
  • The interaction of self and others as shaped by individual and group cultural diversity and context
  • The role implicit biases and microaggressions have in all workplace interactions
  • Our own capacity for microaggressions and ways to minimize their occurrence
  • The impact of power and privilege on workplace interactions, patient care, research endeavors and supervision and training
• Enhancing our multicultural knowledge and understanding related to:
  • Diversity related to age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, dis/ability status, language and socioeconomic status, etc., as well as the intersections among these various forms of diversity
  • Different cultures and worldviews and how others are shaped by individual and cultural diversity and context
  • The historical significance and context of prejudice, discrimination and oppression along with their current manifestations and impact
• Being active and intentional about
  
  • Incorporating individual and cultural diversity when engaging in each of the competencies associated with health service psychology, psychiatry and other behavioral health specialties
  • Attending to the intersectionality of identities and the unique challenges faced by those who have multiple marginalized identities in all professional activities
  • Engaging in efforts to overcome biases
  • Acknowledging microaggressions and their consequences through microinterventions, microaffirmations and microprogressions
• Prioritizing
  • Educating others about diversity, multiculturalism, power, privilege, discrimination, oppression, bias and microaggressions
  • Identifying and addressing proactively discriminatory policies or status quo practices that favor privileged groups
  • Acting as allies and social justice advocates that strive to empower individuals affected by systemic and systematic oppression and marginalization
  • Developing structural solutions to address problems resultant from systemic and systematic oppression and marginalization and/or gaps in resources

Framework for Self-Reflection Regarding One’s Own Multicultural Identities Exploration Regarding Own Identities: ADDRESSING Model

We encourage members of our work community to

• Reflect upon their identities in accord with the ADDRESSING+ model (Hays, 2001-with additions)
  • Age and Generational Influences
  • Disability Status (developmental disability)
  • Disability Status (acquired physical/cognitive/psychological disabilities)
  • Religion
  • Ethnic and Racial Identity
  • Social Class
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Indigenous Background/Heritage
  • National Origin
  • Gender
• Possible Additions
  • Political Perspective/Party Affiliation
  • Military/Veteran Status
• Complete Your Culture Sketch activity based on the model to identify ways in which one is a member of the dominant group and holds privilege
• Use the ADDRESSING + model to
  • Consider your own multicultural identities and intersectionalities among these identities
  • Explore existing cultural influences
  • Reflect upon personal experiences and history of trauma as related to oppression and discrimination
  • Examine the links between your own identities and power, privilege, and biases
  • Contemplate how social constructions of power impact ourselves and others

Exploration Regarding Implicit Biases

Everyone has biases (e.g., unconscious, implicit, conscious) because of their experiences and socialization. These biases influence behavior and decision-making, often outside of conscious awareness and can manifest in ways that are discriminatory.

There are multiple ways to examine one’s own biases.  We recommend that everyone in the community engage at minimum in the following five step process:

• Participate in one or more trainings related to bias
  • Check out this video series for example
• Take the Implicit Associations Test (IAT), a computer-based exercise that prompts for reflection and facilitates awareness of implicit biases - the IAT measures the strength of automatic associations between concepts (e.g., gender, race) and evaluations (e.g., good or bad) or stereotypes
• Review one’s IAT results and engage in deliberate reflection on the potential impact of these implicit biases on interactions with other people
• Develop an individualized action plan to mitigate these unconscious or implicit biases (e.g., diversifying experiences to provide counterstereotypical interactions)
• Take these or other action steps today
  • Introduce yourself with your pronouns, verbally and in writing
  • Familiarize yourself with and utilize DEI terminology appropriately
    • Check out this website for example
  • Conduct holistic reviews of applicants for positions
  • Follow guidance about avoiding bias when writing letters of recommendation
    • Avoiding Gender Bias in Reference Writing
    • Guide to Avoid Racial Bias in Reference Letter Writing

Guidance for Positive and Productive Interpersonal Engagement Regarding DEI

The following strategies aim to facilitate greater trust and more positive and productive engagement regarding DEI within our work community and in supervisory relationships. We hope these strategies help to foster an environment where individuals feel respected and brave expressing, discussing, and challenging ideas and opinions. We acknowledge that the extent to which people feel safe enough and/or brave is influenced by their own history, diversity status and privilege and the diversity status and privilege of those in their environment. Thus, we understand and appreciate that bravery is aspirational and dynamic in nature. 

Within a respectful environment, we hope all persons explore cultural similarities and differences with the goal of better understanding how culture influences experiences, perceptions, values, and interactions. To contribute to a respectful environment in which meaningful dialogue that facilitates safety and/or bravery can take place, we recommend that everyone follow the general guidance detailed below.

General Guidance

• Strive to be respectful in actions and words in all interactions
  • Listen actively and with genuine interest
  • Take your time to respond thoughtfully, convey you have heard what the other person shared and ask clarifying questions
  • Share your thoughts using clear language and with humility
  • Recognize cultural differences in the expression of respect that deserve explicit attention at the outset of the conversation and throughout the discourse
• Engage in ongoing self-reflection
• Understand yourself as a cultural being in context
• Be attuned to your own identities and identity development
  • Seek, in a continuous fashion, to enhance your relational stance and capacity for cultural sensitivity and humility
  • Understand how history of trauma related to discrimination and oppression can impact one’s own perspective and the perspectives of others
  • Approach the discomfort associated with conversations on diversity-related topics in a manner that achieves heightened awareness and growth
• Be open to learning and sharing
  • Engage with others regarding DEI with honesty, sensitivity, respect and civility
    • Discuss and debate ideas rather than attack, ridicule, or demonize the personhood of opposing parties
  • Listen to the perspectives of others who differ from you including minority voices
  • Consider new perspectives, including those that may challenge pre-existing assumptions 
  • Ask questions thoughtfully and respectfully to learn about and understand others’ cultural experiences
  • Speak from your own cultural experience in a manner that reflects an awareness of oneself as a cultural being
  • Provide cultural feedback in a direct, specific, and respectful way in which you appeal to values and principles
  • Receive cultural feedback by listening actively, asking for clarification or more information, having an open mind and not arguing even if you have a different perspective
• Own intentions and impact
  • Be aware of the impact of your words and actions
  • Listen to how others perceive the impact of your words and actions
  • Acknowledge and learn from your mistakes
  • Notice when you are getting defensive
    • Be aware that intention and impact matter and are not always consistent with one another
  • Be willing to change
• Approach educational, clinical and scholarly endeavors with a multicultural orientation
  • Talk actively about diversity
  • Use people’s preferred pronouns, inquire about people’s preference for person-first versus identity-first language, and be mindful of ingroup-outgroup terminology
• Make connections to advance DEI in your life and in the community
  • Foster relationships with others whose multicultural identities diverge from one’s own
  • Form or join social justice advocacy groups, committees or organizations that advocate on behalf of marginalized communities
  • Take an active role in confronting bias and prejudice
• Understand change as a process
  • Be aware of the ongoing nature of change
  • Engage in critical thinking and analyze complex and difficult topics
  • Approach discomfort
    • Understand that safety and discomfort can coexist in conversations and conflicts related to DEI
    • Know that discomfort often is necessary to disrupt bias
    • Reflect on whether you are complicit in contributing to a status quo that oppresses individuals with marginalized identities if you do not feel discomfort
  • Learn from others
  • Take risks
  • Reflect on what you have learned
  • Make a commitment to ongoing growth and change

Guidance for Supervisors

The following is specific guidance for supervisors to model and invite DEI conversations in supervision (Mori et al., 2009; Nilsson & Duan, 2007; Sue, 2013; Sue et al., 2009):

• Take the lead in creating a supervisory relationship that supports open conversation about DEI including in the supervisory relationship and with regard to views that patients express
• Be respectful in initiating direct conversations about diversity in all forms as relevant to the supervisory process and the work being supervised
• Seek opportunities to facilitate discussion on issues of DEI, as effective facilitation of conversation often depends on one’s level of training and experience
• Engage in cultural discussions in supervision and understand individual differences as they relate to trainees’ cultures of origin and interpersonal styles, particularly with international supervisees
• Validate and respect experiences of discrimination or prejudice reported by supervisees, especially when working with supervisees from marginalized groups
• Use self-disclosure as appropriate when discussing DEI and be aware of the ways self-disclosure can influence interactions
• Acknowledge own biases and discomfort during challenging discussions
• Invite feedback and seek out input about own diversity competence

Strategies for Structuring Conversations Regarding DEI-Related Challenges

Despite our intentions and efforts to be culturally humble, aware, responsive and sensitive, sometimes our actions are experienced by others as culturally insensitive, culturally disengaged or disrespectful. At such times, we recommend active engagement in, rather than avoidance of, potentially difficult but good faith conversations. Such engagement can provide valuable personal and professional learning opportunities for all parties.

The following are best practices for engaging in productive conversations when DEI-related challenges occur in the workplace. Even if you do not feel you can interact in a manner that is consistent with these best practices, we encourage you to participate in these conversations and strive to follow as many of the suggestions as possible. We recognize that both power and privilege dynamics (e.g., supervisory relationship, differential membership in marginalized versus unmarginalized groups) influence and may complicate these processes. If there clearly is a person with more power and/or privilege, they must be especially intentional about promoting respectful and civil interaction. Below we offer guidance for facilitating effective initial conversations, engaging in a period of reflection, and re-engaging in subsequent discourse (Arao & Clemens, 2013; Mao et al., 2013; Wallin-Ruschman & Patka, 2016).

Initial Conversations

If you witness an interaction with a colleague(s) in a one-on-one or group setting that you experienced or observed to be culturally insensitive or biased, you may choose whether to engage in a follow-up conversation and the extent to which you wish to do so. It is important to recognize that differences in privilege can affect participation in potentially challenging interactions related to DEI.

If you choose to engage in a conversation, we recommend attempting to:

• Meet privately with the individual(s) or with one ally present
• Provide feedback in as nonconfrontational and nonjudgmental manner as possible
• Do not personally attack the other party
• Focus the conversation in the following ways:
  • Present your perspective of the situation
  • Share your experiences of the interaction including what it meant and how it felt to you
  • Understand the sources of disagreement
  • Challenge their ideas or beliefs
  • Offer an alternative perspective or additional considerations with the goal of broadening the other person’s lens
  • Make a commitment to working cooperatively toward respectful solutions

If you are the recipient of such feedback, we recommend doing your best to:

• Express gratitude for the feedback and a willingness to learn and change
• Be open and non-defensive in your receipt of the input
• Ask questions to seek clarification and greater understanding
• Express your reactions to hearing the feedback, without placing undue burden on the person who delivered it
• Reiterate appreciation for the input and an openness to reflect and continue the conversation

If you recognize that you acted or interacted in a manner that was culturally insensitive or biased, we recommend attempting to:

• Open a conversation with the affected person/people
• Acknowledge your awareness, even if limited, that your actions or interactions were culturally insensitive or biased
• Elicit the affected person’s perspective and reactions
• Take appropriate responsibility, share what you have learned and/or intend to learn and then apologize accordingly

Period of Reflection

We recommend that after such an encounter the parties take up to one week to each process the experience separately and with the support and consultation of trusted colleagues.

• If you are the person who experienced a culturally insensitive or biased action or interaction and brought this to the attention of the other party, after the initial conversation, we recommend that you
  • Connect with someone you trust to discuss the conversation and its impact on you and receive support
  • Consider if a follow-up conversation would be helpful based on whether the initial conversation was reparative and/or a view that a subsequent conversation could potentially be reparative
    • Recognize that you have the power to accept or reject a future conversation
  • Determine your next steps if you do not intend to consent to a future conversation or if such a conversation is not offered
• If you are the recipient of feedback that you acted or interacted in culturally insensitive or biased ways or recognized yourself that you did so and opened the initial conversation, after the initial conversation, we recommend that you
  • Reflect upon your own contribution to the situation
  • Develop and implement an action plan for learning and change
  • Consider if a formal follow-up conversation would be helpful if you have new reflections about your actions or interactions or an action plan that you are willing to share
    • Recognize that the other party has the power to accept or reject your request for a future conversation
  • Institute periodic and informal check-ins with the other person if they agree to do so

Follow-Up Conversation

Following this week of self-reflection and consultation, if both parties agree to a follow-up conversation, we recommend the following:

• Set a time to re-engage with one another
• Share experiences related to the prior conversation and subsequent self-reflection and learnings
• Process the situation as openly and nondefensively as possible
• Discuss possible strategies for modifying the interaction in the future to make it more mutually positive and culturally sensitive

In this conversation, if you were the recipient of the cultural feedback, we also recommend that you:

• Acknowledge your emotional reactions to the feedback
• Convey that you have engaged in a process of self-reflection in order to better understand yourself and the impact of your behavior
• Take responsibility for your behavior
• Share what you have learned

In cases in which either party does not feel safe directly interacting with the other person, the following may be considered:

• Invite a support person/ally to join the conversation at any step of the process – either party may do so
  • Notify the other person in advance that a support person/ally has been invited and afford them the same opportunity if they are agreeable to the inclusion of the support person/ally
• Include a range of other people in the conversation
• Consider informal or more formal mediation

If appropriate, with mutual consent from all involved parties, bring to a relevant workgroup what each party learned from the situation that can benefit the activities or learning of the workgroup.

Guidance for When Patients Express Offensive, Discriminatory or Oppressive Views

There are occasions when patients express offensive beliefs or espouse discriminatory or oppressive views, beliefs or opinions. People should strive to create work, learning and supervisory environments that are conducive to conversations regarding such matters.  

Such environments enable and encourage people to:

• Seek support
• Share what occurred
• Process the experience
  • Address how the belief or bias affected them, the relationship with the patient and the patient’s outcome
• Determine the appropriate course of action (MacLeod, 2014)
  • Reflect on own motivations, reactions, internalized biases, cultural identities, and stage of identity development as they relate to addressing offensive, discriminatory or oppressive views
  • Assess the patient’s identities and identity development stage, cultural values maintaining their beliefs and function of the stereotypes or biases
  • Consider the patient’s goals, how prejudice or discrimination relate to those goals and motivation for change in this area
• Conduct the conversation with the patient if that is the determined course of action
  • Be straightforward
  • Foster an open dialogue about diversity and identity issues
  • Identify and capitalize on the patient’s cultural strengths and use these to help them understand and reduce their biases
  • Determine when to revisit the issue or problematic encounter
• Discuss the effects of the course of action selected

Working Definitions for DEI-Related Terminology

Cultural humility: a lifelong process of self-reflection and self-critique that involves examining own beliefs and cultural identities and learning about other people’s cultures

Discrimination: unjust or prejudicial treatment of people based on one or more of their multicultural identities 

Diversity: representation of varied identities (e.g., age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, dis/ability status, language and socioeconomic status, etc.) and the intersections among these various social identities, as well as differences (e.g., thinking, communication styles) 

Equity: fair treatment and access to information and resources for all and equality of opportunity 

Implicit bias: inclination or prejudice that operates outside conscious awareness

Inclusion: culture of belonging in which the contributions and participations of all parties are welcomed, encouraged and supported and in which there is appreciation that each person’s voice adds value

Intersectionality: interconnected nature of multicultural or social identities as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or advantage

Microaffirmation (also referred to as micro-moves, micro-gestures and micro-advantages): nonverbal (e.g., nods, facial expressions) and verbal (e.g., choices of words, tones of voice) actions that convey active listening, inclusion and caring; recognize and validate emotional experiences; affirm emotional reactions; and, substitute messages about deficit and exclusion with messages of excellence, openness and opportunity

Microaggressions: everyday exchanges that reflect indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination or subordination based on any one or more social identities 

Microinterventions: words or actions directed to targets of microaggressions that validate their experiences, communicate their value as a person, affirm their racial or group identity, convey support and encouragement and provide reassurance they are not alone

Microprogressions: intentional small, regular, and common acts or experiences that serve to challenge and/or dismantle bias, stereotypes, discrimination and oppression

Multicultural competence: acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes for engaging productively with others with culturally diverse backgrounds

Multicultural orientation: way of being with others guided by one’s philosophy, values and appreciation of culture in the lives of others

Oppression: a system of discrimination that is backed by social and political power prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control 

Privilege: unearned, undeserved advantages based on status and others’ positive projections onto that status

Trauma history: Painful personal or vicarious experiences of discrimination or oppression due to diversity status that influence how you experience yourself and others in the world

Resources and References

Below are resources and references that we believe are useful for addressing DEI in the workplace.

American Psychological Association. (2003). Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists. American Psychologist, 58, 377-402. 

American Psychological Association. (2014). Guidelines for clinical supervision in health service psychology. American Psychologist, 70, 33-46. DOI: 10.1037/a0038112  

American Psychological Association. 2017. Multicultural guidelines: An ecological approach to context, identity, and intersectionality. 

American Psychological Association Education Directorate. (2013) Preparing professional psychologists to serve a diverse public: A core requirement in doctoral education and training. 

Arao, B., & Clemens, K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave spaces. In L. M. Landreman (Ed.), The art of effective facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators (pp. 135-150), Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. 

Hays, P. A. (2016). Addressing cultural complexities in practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and therapy (3rd ed.). 

Macleod, B. P. (2014, January 27). Addressing clients’ prejudices in counseling. Counseling Today. 

Mae, B., Cortez, D., & Preiss, R. W. (2013). Safe spaces, difficult dialogues, and critical thinking. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 7, 1-8. 

Mori, Y., Inman, A. G., & Caskie, G. I. L. (2009). Supervising international students: Relationship between acculturation, supervisor multicultural competence, cultural discussions, and supervision satisfaction. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 3, 10–18. 

Nilsson, J. E., & Duan, C. (2007). Experiences of prejudice, role difficulties, and counseling self-efficacy among U.S. racial and ethnic minority supervisees working with white supervisors. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 35, 219–229. 

Sue, D. W. (2013). Race talk: The psychology of racial dialogues. American Psychologist, 68, 663–672.

Sue, D.W., Alsaidi, S., Awad, M.N., Glaeser, E., Calle, C.Z., & Mendez, N. (2019) Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, white allies, and bystanders. American Psychologist, 74(1), 128-142. 

Sue, D. W., Lin, A. I., Torino, G. C., Capodilupo, C. M., & Rivera, D. P. (2009). Racial microaggressions and difficult dialogues on race in the classroom. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 15, 183–190.

Wallin-Ruschman, J., & Patka, M. (2016). Learning from critical collective spaces: Reflections on the community-diversity dialectic in safe spaces. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 4, 318–331.

Wise, E. H., Bieschke, K. J., Forrest, L., Cohen-Filipic, J., Hatahway, W. L., & Douce, L. A. (2015). Psychology's proactive approach to conscience clause court cases and legislation. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 9, 259-268. 

The reader also may find valuable the American Psychological Association’s Professional Practice Guidelines for multicultural practice with particular populations, including (1) transgender and gender nonconforming people; (2) girls and women; (3) older adults; (4) lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients; (5) persons with disabilities. View the APA Professional Practice Guidelines.