Post on 13-Apr-2017
National Training Initiative – UCEDD Diversity Fellowship
at WIHD
Diversity Fellows: Asad Ahmed, BA Allison Elwell, BAProject Director: Jenean Castillo, PhD
The Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD), a part of the Administration on Community Living (ACL), awarded National Training Initiative grants to 14 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) to develop diversity fellowship programs to support recruitment and retention of diverse trainees, and build cultural and linguistic competence within their Centers.
Background
Improve the recruitment and employment of underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities, within the UCEDD and in the workforce
Increase the diversity of leadership, staff and governing bodies across the DD network
Build cultural competence capacity with the leadership, staff, and governing bodies across the DD network
Increase the number of persons with disabilities from underrepresented groups and disadvantage backgrounds who benefit from AIDD supported programs
Goals
Become familiar with issues and strategies related to diversity, disparities, institutional and individual cultural competence, systems change, and leadership skills to promote systems change
Develop a paper reflecting key aspects of their self-study Partner with community–based organizations in diverse
communities to carry out projects in response to the needs and values of the community
Enhance/promote cultural and linguistic competency at WIHD Share and disseminate your efforts and completed projects
Objectives
Westchester County Department of Social Services (DSS) provides an array of services to Westchester residents in need of help, including the areas of child support, food, housing, medical services and home energy costs. It also provides protective and preventative services for vulnerable children and adults. DSS hopes to better educate the staff of the on the importance of implementing diversity/inclusion in campaigns, events, policies, procedures and hiring practices.
DSS Community Project
What Does Diversity Mean to You?Diversity Fellows: Asad Ahmed, BA; Allison Elwell, BA
Project Director: Jenean Castillo, PhD
References National Center for Cultural Competence- nccc.georgetown.edu Statisticalatlas.com WCA Westchester by the Numbers- www.wca4kids.org NYS Office for the Aging- www.aging.ny.gov/ http://www.diversityjournal.com/14154-10-ways-employees-can-support-diversity-inclusion/
DID YOU KNOW? Diversity is the visible and invisible qualities and values that shape a person
including race or ethnicity, nationality, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, education, religion, physical and intellectual abilities/disabilities, personal appearance, etc.
In Westchester County: 63% of poor children live in single parent families The younger you are, the more likely you are to be poor Although there are areas of the county where the child poverty rate is 0%,
there are other places where the vast majority of children are poor Overall, 27% of children live in low-income families The top 3 languages spoken after English are Spanish, Italian and
Portuguese 18% of college ready students are Black or Hispanic compared to 72% of
white students 86% of High School dropouts are Black or Hispanics compared to 11% of
whites Blacks make up 14% of the population but 57% are in foster care Black youth are arrested at a much higher rate than whites or Hispanics;
47%, compared to 22% or 30%, respectively Approximately 11% of individuals 5 and older have a reported disability 72.9% of Westchester County residents are US born. Of those born
outside the US, the top 3 countries are Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
46% report being Catholic and almost 36% did not identify with a religious group
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Become culturally competent:
Take the time to learn about different cultures, races, religions and backgrounds represented by your colleagues
Ask your coworkers to share some of the customs and practices associated with their cultures
Become familiar with diversity-related terms and, if you err, apologize and ask for help
Know your agency’s diversity goals and values and how they connect to the work that you do
Be a spokesperson for diversity issues that are not necessarily your own Start or participate in an employee resource group that promote diversity-
related issues and activities Welcome ideas that are different from your own, and support fellow
coworkers Understand the diversity elements you personally bring to the organization.
Each of us is different and adds value to the organization because of these differences
Diversity work is a journey, not a destination. It takes time, patience, and perseverance
Now…What Will You Do?
WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU
DID YOU KNOW….In Westchester County, The top 3 languages spoken after English are Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
WHAT CAN YOU DO….Become culturally competent. Take the time to learn about different cultures, races, religions and backgrounds represented by your colleagues.
WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?
DID YOU KNOW….In Westchester County, 46% report being Catholic and almost 36% did not identify with a religious group.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?....Welcome ideas that are different from your own, and support fellow coworkers.
Open Door Family Medical Centers (ODFMC) is an expert in all aspects of health, with a broad focus on building healthier communities. ODFMC’s primary mission is to keep the people of Westchester and Putnam Counties healthy and strong, regardless of their ability to pay. The ODFMC leadership team has expressed an interest in furthering the linguistic and cultural competency of its employees in order to provide the most effective healthcare possible. They have expressed an interest in learning more about social determinants of health and how they influence a patient’s engagement in a treatment plan.
ODFMC Community Project
Goal: To educate all Open Door employees on the principles of cultural and linguistic competence (CLC). By increasing awareness of these skills, Open Door employees should be better prepared to provide quality services to their patients.
ODFMC CLC Training
Objectives: Identify healthcare disparities
Learn social determinants of health
Learn ways to reduce healthcare disparities
ODFMC CLC Training
Self-reflection paper highlighting key knowledge or skills acquired, and how these skills will apply to the fellows’ daily work
Completion of community projects Produce and present final products to internal as well
as external stakeholders LEND Presentation in Albany: April 2016 LEND Graduation Poster Presentation: May 2016 AUCD Conference Submission: Jun 2016 AUCD Conference: Dec 2016
Conclusion