Addressing Racial Microaggressions to Improve Outcomes for System Involved Youth

Nima Novak

Training Description

Racial microaggressions have been shown in research to cause very harmful consequences to those experiencing them. In this 2-hour training, the presentation will include definitions, research on microaggressions, what to do as a bystander and how to prevent harm to others in an effort to improve outcomes for system involved youth who are disproportionately youth of color and all too often negatively affected by racial microaggressions. Participants will be guided through a sequence of learning activities to explore and understand the negative impact of racial microaggressions and to gain increased self-awareness in order to reduce harm in the future through disruption and self-examination of their own behavior. Learning activities will include: self-reflection, storytelling of real life examples, large group exercises, and participant question time.

Learning Objectives

● Participants will be able to identify and explain microaggressions and racial microaggressions.

● Participants will be able to explain implicit bias and identify at least 2 negative impacts these can have on system involved youth.

● Participants will be able to explain the process of disrupting racial microaggressions.

Agenda

10:00-10:10am  Welcome, Introductions, and Expectations

10:10-10:15am  Resourcing the body activity

10:15-11:15am  Definitions:

● Microaggression

● Racial microaggression

● Implicit bias

● Compassion

● Gas lighting

● Centering

● Group share in chat for each definition

11:15am-12:00pm  Impact on individuals and communities

● Video testimonies

● Story Telling Impact when committing microaggressions & how to repair

● Story Telling Impact when experiencing racial microaggressions & how to self advocate

12:00-12:30pm  Lunch Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

12:30-12:45pm  Repairing when racial microaggressions occur

12:45-1:00pm  Disrupting when observing racial microaggressions

1:00-1:15pm  What to do if they happen to you

1:15-1:30pm  Questions & key take aways

Meet Our Trainer

Nima Novak is an Indigenous Speech Language Pathologist from the Mohawk Tribe of the Iroquois Nation. She holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology and a Master’s of Science in Speech Language Pathology. She has worked extensively in marginalized communities, specifically in Oxnard with Indigenous preschool population and on the west side of Chicago, where she has seen first hand the negative effects of trauma on speech, language and fluency development. She is currently studying somatic therapies, Polyvagal Theory, Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) and Reiki to promote healing across the communities she serves, with the intention of loving kindness for all. Her focus on evidence-based practices and empirical research serves to bridge the worlds of healing and science which are often relegated to different categories. Nima’s holistic approach of resilience and education teaches how research-based mindfulness practices can be used to manage trauma in the body for both her students and colleagues experiencing the effects of secondary trauma. She is dedicated to empowering her students and all womxn to pursue their passions through the cultivation of resilience and self-worth. In her school based speech therapy and basketball coaching Nima takes a trauma-informed approach to support BIPOC and all students at every level.

Nima is an advisor on Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Board and mentor's current students at California State San Marcos in the Students of Speech & Language, Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity Group. For her anti-racism work, she has been featured in Vice Magazine, Medium.com, The Community Psychologist Special Feature, Authority Magazine and Thrive Global Magazine. She is a contributing founder and author of the anti-racism work group Living in Empathy. Nima has been featured in interviews on Evergreen State College, Educators for Justice IG live, SLPs Of Color IG live, the SLPs of Color podcast, the FAACT podcast and the Breaking Down Podcast. She has presented as a keynote speaker for The Rainbow Project, LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Chicago Minds, Women Trans Femme Bike Group, Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op, University of St. Augustine Health Sciences, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Northwestern University.

This course meets the qualifications for (3) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.