The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to how the medical system - of which many social workers are now apart - has vilified Black and Indigenous spiritual practices and the impacts this has on these communities. If we plan to be competent social workers, we must have a clear understanding of how history impacts the present. We must also arm ourselves with information past our individual belief systems and get comfortable with asking people about their spiritual practices nonjudgmentally.
This event will explore how all of our various belief systems and spiritual practices intersect and will use the model from the Intercultural Development Inventory to discuss how to be adaptable social workers rather than more monocultural in how we treat the people whom we serve. There will be speakers competent in a variety of traditions and practices and there will also be time for open dialogue.