SDPA FALL CONFERENCE FULL EVENT - Systemic Racism's Bitter Pill: A Closer Look at Health Disparities

Systemic Racism's Bitter Pill:

A Closer Look at Health Disparities

October 23-24, 2019

LIVE WEBINAR

REGISTRATION CLOSES 10/21/20

Fall Conference Agenda and Bios

8:30 am – 10:00 am

Quality father involvement during early childhood is associated with positive social (e.g., prosocial skills; Lindsey, Cremeens, & Caldera, 2010), emotional (e.g., self-regulation, externalizing behaviors; Paquette & Dumont, 2013; Ramchandani et al., 2013), and cognitive (e.g., executive function; Bronte-Tinkew, Carrano, Horowitz, & Kinukawa, 2008; Meuwissen & Englund, 2016) outcomes for children. Variations in father involvement due to child, familial, societal, and cultural factors indicate the need for further attention given to diverse groups of fathers (Cabrera, Hofferth, & Chae, 2011). Father involvement is known to vary by child, familial, societal, and cultural factors, emphasizing the need for further research with specific populations of fathers, including Latino fathers. Addressing this need, we examined the psychometric properties of a multidimensional measurement of father involvement with infants, the Paternal Involvement with Infants Scale (PIWIS), with Latino fathers of infants. We will review findings from our program of research regarding paternal mental health and involvement with infants and partners through the lens of feminist intersectionality. We will also review our research findings regarding the use of hope theory and assessment with Latino fathers as a means to enhance participants’ awareness of the nuanced issues and strengths during the transition to fatherhood.

10:00 am –10:30 am Break

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Understanding Mechanisms that are Associated with Increased Health Risks for African Americans - 1.5 CEs
Ezemanari M. Obasi, Ph.D.

African Americans are disproportionately exposed to chronic stress by way of high levels of racism, discrimination, violence, crime, neighborhood disorganization, unemployment, financial strain, and low-to-no socioeconomic status. Furthermore, they tend to lead the nation in their lack of access to health insurance, healthcare facilities, safe green space, and high-quality nutrition. Persistent exposure to chronic stress causes ‘wear-and-tear’ on the body’s regulatory system and compromises its capacity to effectively recover from incessant exposure to environmental stressors. The dysregulated stress response – combined with the lack of resources to transcend this public-health crises – places African Americans at-risk for disproportionate levels of substance use, mental health challenges, and associated outcomes like violence (e.g., homicide, suicide, child abuse, and domestic violence), injuries (e.g., crashes, falls, burns, and drowning), and health disparities (e.g., asthma, cancers, chronic liver disease, diabetes, gastritis, hypertension, meningitis, myocardial infarction, obesity, pancreatitis, stroke, STDs, etc.). The purpose of this course is to provide an intermediate introduction into understanding mechanisms that are associated with increased health risks and outcomes for African Americans. More specifically, it will (1) provide a summary of health disparities experienced in the African American community; (2) describe biological mechanisms that predict health risks and outcomes; (3) detail root causes of the social determinants of health; (4) review cultural predictors of health behaviors; and (5) identify ways in which psychologists can advance health equity science and disease prevention. Given the intersectionality between today’s COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment rates, and the racial awakening taking hold in the U.S., it is imperative for psychologists to leverage their disciplinary expertise and advance cutting-edge health-equity science that informs novel prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and intervention strategies that mitigate a broad range of health challenges experienced by members of the African American community.

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch Break

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

This course is designed to educate participants about severe mental health disparities that adversely affect blacks, Latinos, the poor, children, the elderly and persons with developmental disabilities (Kim et al., 2017). More specifically, will address disparities relative to a shrinking pool of psychiatric providers (McBain et al., 2019) and a shift toward the prescription of psychoactive medications by nonpsychiatric physicians with minimal training in mental health.  Scope of practice legislation that allow specialty trained psychologists (Lincoln. 2018, APA, 2019 and Brown et al., in press) is an essential ingredient in helping to narrow the problem to access to service experienced by these minority groups. 

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Break

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

The Ethnohistoric Legacy of Slavery in America as a Root Cause of Health Inequities for African Americans and Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder (PTSD) - 1.5 CEs
Rodney G. Hood, MD, FACP

African Americans suffer the greatest health inequities / disparities of all ethnic groups in US and these disparities cannot entirely be explained by the usual social determinants of health (SDOH) such as social-economic status, geography, education, health access, health quality, or life styles. Although these SDOH are critical contributors to one’s health status and health disparities these factors do not completely explain the level of disparities for African Americans. This presentation will highlight data and research that shows how a life time of discrimination in association with ethnohistoric social inequities, epigenetics related to slavery, post-slavery policies such as Jim Crow laws, and a discriminatory racialized culture collectively caused chronic life time toxic stresses - Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) and allostatic loads. These unique toxic stresses serve as significant contributors to racial and ethnic health disparities resulting in disproportionate high chronic disease burdens and early death for African Americans.

Saturday, October 24, 2020

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome - 2 CEs
Joy DeGruy, Ph.D.

The Theory of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome suggest that centuries of slavery followed by systemic racism and oppression have resulted in multigenerational adaptive behaviors - some of which have been positive and reflective of resilience, and other that are detrimental and destructive.

In brief, Dr DeGruy presents facts, statistics and documents that illustrate how varying levels of both clinically induced and socially learned veridical stress related issues were passed along through generations as a result of slavery.

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch Break

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm  

Racial Trauma and African-American Men - 1.5 CEs
Yamonte Cooper, Ed.D., LPCC, NCC, CST

Ava DuVernay’s recent Netflix series When They See Us illuminates the story of the innocent Black men once known as the Central Park Five. The series explores the gendered anti-Black racism, disposability, and dehumanization that Black men such as George Floyd commonly experience and the resulting trauma. Further, getting killed by police is a leading cause of death for young Black men in America. Trauma as a result of racism is a normative experience for many African-American men. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), “There is evidence that racism can exacerbate many psychiatric disorders, contributing to poor outcome, and that racial biases can affect diagnostic assessment” (p. 749). Growing empirical research has provided evidence that racism has a causal link to trauma which can have a negative influence on the mental, emotional, and physical health of African-American men. African-Americans who experienced racism are significantly more likely to experience symptoms of PTSD. Recent research suggests that multiple levels of racism, including interpersonal experiences of racial discrimination and the internalization of negative racial bias, operate jointly to accelerate biological aging among African-American men.

This workshop is designed to provide clinicians with a comprehensive understanding of racial trauma and African-American men. Interventions in mental health will be closely examined so that mental health professionals will be able to assist African-American men suffering from racialized trauma.

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Break 

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Culture Specific Models of Service Delivery & Practice - 2 CEs
Joy DeGruy, Ph.D.

The presentation will provide tools and evidence based methods for engaging the African American community at three levels of service, (Individual, Family and Community).

While the salient symptoms of disease and distress in individuals are for the most part applicable across cultures, this is not always the case. Additionally, many people of color particularly African Americans, do not seek out health assistance. National trends in health revealed that many ethnic groups lacked knowledge about many health issues and were generally distrustful of European American health providers.  Many were reluctant to reveal health issues fearing that they would be negatively stigmatized or harmed by those from whom they were seeking help. This course/presentation provides evidence based methods and approaches for engaging African American children, youth and adults. 

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

By signing up for the FULL conference it's 20% discount then signing up for individual courses.

Group Rate is an additional 20% off the total of 8 or more attendees. Email Tami sdpa@sdpsych.org

Conflicts of Interest: As an APA-approved sponsor of continuing education, San Diego Psychological Association is committed to the identification and resolution of potential conflicts of interest in the planning, promotion, delivery, and evaluation of continuing education. Please review the conflict of interest guideline below.

APA Guidelines Regarding Potential Conflicts of Interest
Consistent with concepts outlined in the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, potential conflicts of interest occur when an individual assumes a professional role in the planning, promotion, delivery, or evaluation of continuing education where personal, professional, legal, financial, or other interests could reasonably be expected to impair his or her objectivity, competence, or effectiveness.

CE Grievance Procedure
SDPA is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the APAs Ethical Principles of Psychologists.  SDPA will comply with all legal and ethical responsibilities to be non-discriminatory in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of program participants.  
See CE Grievance Procedure.

Attendance Policy: CE Credit and Certificates will not be issued to those who arrive later than 10 minutes or leave early from any course scheduled time. This policy is strictly enforced to ensure compliance with APA Guidelines.

Cancellation Policy:  No refund will be given to any registered individual who is a no-show to a course. Any individual canceling within 72 hours of a course will be refunded 50% of the course fee.

ADA Compliant venue for accessibility accommodations contact Tami Magaro - sdpa@sdpsych.org.

American Psychological Association
The San Diego Psychological Association (SDPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SDPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

LCSW, LFMT, LEP & LPCC
In California, APA approved CE’s are valid for licensed psychologists, licensed school psychologists, LCSW, LMFT, LEP & LPCC licensees. Though APA is a national organization, the out of state licensee should check with their state governing board to make sure that APA approved CE'’s are valid in their state for their license. 

See SDPA Website Continuing Education Policies.