SEPTEMBER DIVERSITY MESSAGE

As a reminder, for the new 2021 licensure renewal cycle starting on December 1, 2021, and ending November 30, 2023, Illinois LSWs and LCSWs will have 3 additional/amended requirements for licensure renewal as required by the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

One of the three additional/amended CEU requirements for licensure renewal, is one-hour (minimum) of a training on implicit bias awareness. Effective January 1, 2022, with the signing of Public Act 102-0004.

A quick recap: Implicit (unconscious) biases are “attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.” These biases can severely impact our efforts in creating a more diverse workplace. Twenty percent of large U.S. companies provide implicit bias trainings to their employees, and 50% of large U.S. companies will offer it over the next five years. By having mandatory trainings, will that somehow change the common workplace issues like bullying, interpersonal conflict, and harassment? I guess we will know in 5 years.

To get a head start in challenging our implicit biases, I would like for all of us to think about these questions.

1. Have I acted differently when I met someone new that isn’t my gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation?
1. Notice tone, body language, and language
2. What factor(s) led me into meeting ________?
1. Similarities and differences
3. When I think of a doctor, therapist, or attorney what kind of person do I see?
1. Race, gender, accent, age, etc.

Villagran, Michele & Dalton, Shamika. (October 2018). Minimizing and Addressing Implicit Bias in the Workplace: Be Proactive, Part One. University of Florida Levin College of Law.
https://ir.law.utk.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1630&context=utklaw_facpubs