We present a transformative professional development project with a focus on equity, diversity and social justice (EDSJ) to raise cultural awareness among faculty, increase agency, and promote positive change through transformative projects. Twenty-three faculty members from nine different colleges located at a Research I university were provided with critical cultural awareness workshops and then supported to develop transformative projects related to EDSJ. Based on focus group interviews and pre-post surveys, we identified four themes and five categories: two outcome-related ( Building Community and Transformative Actions) and two operational themes ( Barriers and Facilitators). We conclude that faculty-centered and transformative professional development projects could significantly benefit all those interested in establishing a culturally inclusive, positive and responsive climate. Our study also contributes to the emerging research on scholar activism and provides a practical model for implementation.
Despite the importance of faculty diversity training for advancing an inclusive society, little research examines whether participation improves inclusion perceptions and belongingness. Integrating training and diversity education literature concepts, this study examines the effectiveness of training targeting microaggressions in six STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) oriented departments at a research-intensive university. Reactions data collected at the end of face-to-face training suggested that participation generally increased inclusion understanding. Self-assessments on inclusion concepts collected from 45% of participants before and three weeks after training suggest participation increases perceptions of the importance of inclusion, microaggression allyship awareness, inclusive behaviors, and organizational identification. Compared to white men, women and minorities reported a greater increase in satisfaction with their department affiliation. While self-assessment results are exploratory and have limitations, analysis suggests that diversity training may enhance knowledge of microaggressions, allyship, inclusive behaviors, and belongingness perceptions. We provide insights for evaluating and implementing diversity training interventions.
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are at increased risk for several health concerns, including those related to mental health. This increased risk, combined with the unique psychosocial challenges faced by SGM cancer patients, leads to disparities in mental health outcomes across the cancer care continuum. Despite these disparities, little to no resources (e.g. SGM groups, SGM cancer-related literature) exist within most cancer institutes to target SGM populations for appropriate cancer care, such as cancer prevention, accessible treatment, end-of-life, and survivorship concerns, which all may impact psychological wellbeing. This paper synthesizes existing recommendations, both general and cancer-specific, pertaining to the mental health concerns of SGM individuals with hope to provide a valuable resource for cancer institutes and providers on how to better address the unique mental health outcomes of SGM cancer patients. Additional input was obtained from stakeholders from a large, Midwestern, NCI-designated cancer center in an effort to expand our understanding of SGM cancer patients' needs. Through review of relevant guidelines and recommendations and feedback from stakeholder meetings, five broad areas of recommendation for improving SGM cancer care were identified: welcoming environment, patient education and support, community connections, standard approach to care, and research. Rooted in pertinent psychological constructs, each recommendation provides suggestions for increasing attention to SGM patients' psychosocial oncological needs. These recommendations seek to establish culturally inclusive and responsive climates where all SGM cancer patients feel valued and respected.
Nearly 30% of all U.S. youth attend summer camp each year, making it one of the broadest reaching out‐of‐school‐time interventions in the country. Camp provides a space for seasonal employees, who are often emerging adults, to explore work values and identity, engage in mentoring and support opportunities, and stay connected to a community larger than themselves. However, research on camp experiences also suggests camp settings and expectations around emotional and physical care can cause counselors to experience burnout, compassion fatigue, and reduced job satisfaction. Using participatory culture‐specific consultation, the current study addressed a gap in the literature about systemic interventions to manage camp counselor mental health by designing, implementing, and evaluating a mental health consultation model at one of the largest YMCA summer camps in the country. Results suggest the intervention effectively addressed certain administrator and staff needs; results also suggest the model could be refined to more effectively respond to the particular contextual challenges of summer camps. Implications and recommendations for other summer camps are discussed.
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