Grand Rounds

This Grand Rounds hosted by the DEI Committee will be composed of panelists who are members of the Committee speaking on global matters and the impact of these crises on individuals and communities. It will entail an exchange on the ways we choose to engage or silence ourselves within our personal and professional spaces. How and when do we speak of social injustices in a way that builds bridges rather than deepen divides.

Learning Objectives:

1. To learn how to engage in exchanges on difficult topics that leads to mutual understanding.

2. To learn how to incorporate multiple viewpoints on topics of divisiveness and turn disagreements into productive dialogue.

3. To understand the risks and benefits of speaking up or staying silent in personal and professional spaces.

Deborah Nathan, PhD, LMHC, ATR
Adjunct Faculty, Lesley University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences;
Psychotherapy and Art Therapy, Private Practice;
Founder and Executive Director, Artsbridge, Inc., Salem, MA

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been a polarizing issue here in the United States. With strong emotions and deeply held beliefs, it becomes immensely challenging to find ways to move beyond conflict, toward greater understanding and an appreciation of difference. Through videos and artwork created by Israeli and Palestinian participants of the Artsbridge program, Dr. Nathan will facilitate conversation that guides participants towards curiosity and meaningful engagement. Her unique approach encourages participants to appreciate the tensionality between holding on to one’s beliefs while allowing space for opposing viewpoints.

The Artsbridge program was founded in 2008 by Deborah in response to the intractability of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, with the aim of developing relational resilience in young adults living in the midst of the conflict.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the connection between relational resilience and conflict.

2. Describe ways to engage constructively in emotionally volatile conversations about difficult topics.

3. Demonstrate an appreciation of the tensionality between holding on to one’s beliefs while allowing space for opposing viewpoints.

Lin Piwowarczyk, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine;
Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association;
Co-founder and Director of the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights;
Senior Advisor to the Immigrant and Refugee Health Center

David Trimble, PhD
Psychologist and author;
Seminar Leader, Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology, BU/BMC

This DEI Committee presentation will engage the audience in an experiential exploration of spirituality and religion in the clinical encounter. Discussants will review evidence for the importance of engaging spirituality in order to engage the whole patient. Audience will be encouraged to explore ways of addressing the challenge of incorporating spirituality in their work with patient.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the importance of spirituality in the clinical encounter.

2. Define the clinician’s responsibility for their own spiritual and religious experience.

3. Recognizing the importance of addressing the potential discordance of patient’s and clinician’s experiences of the Divine.

This Experiential Museum composed by the DEI committee will engage the attendees in a multisensory form, allowing immersion in an engaging environment. This interactive learning activity will allow participants to meaningfully intersect with a variety of images, poetry, sound, music, videos around the themes of disparities within the healthcare system, as well as ways of maintaining resilience; all through the lens of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This stimulating immersive experience aims to rethink and provoke thoughts of new perspectives about ourselves, and the systems within which we are embedded.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the relevance of experiential learning through engaging in this curated museum.

2. Describe the benefit of utilizing multiple modalities for learning purposes and engaging with complex ideas.

3. Discuss how our subjectivities are formulated within systems and how our resilient capacities can counter the effects of systemic disparities.

Shani Dowd, LHD(hc)
Faculty for Multicultural Training in Psychology,
BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston Medical Center,
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Most people understand that much of what happens in organizations and groups is influenced by power. However, in analyzing power dynamics, individuals often allocate power to those who hold certain organizational roles, while underestimating the power that they may actually hold or have access to. Reactions to being in certain power relationships may be mistaken for personality characteristics, leading to blaming and shaming. This presentation will offer a framework for understanding one’s location in the power dynamics of a specific group and its influence on one’s experiences.

Learning Objectives:

1. Articulate the current state of knowledge on what constitutes high-quality and equitable mental health crisis services.

2. Apply implementation science principles to select research methods that address the unique challenge and opportunities of evaluation crisis services.

3. Advocate for meaningful data collection and program evaluation within mental health systems.

Jodi Kliman, PhD
Professor of Clinical Psychology, William James College
Founding member and Fellow, Network for Multicultural Training Professionals

This Presentation, proposed by the DEI committee, aims to get us thinking about our own intersectional identities in the context of clinical, supervision, and other professional and interpersonal settings. Dr. Jodie Kliman, as the developer of the Social Matrix Model, will briefly explain the model and demonstrate its utility. Participants will then have an opportunity to utilize the framework within small, facilitated groups and discuss the experience of using it and ways in which it can inform our understanding of the impact of our own and others’ areas of privilege and marginalization on clinical and other professional relationships.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify one’s own intersectional identities.

2. Describe the Social Matrix Model (SMM).

3. Discuss ways to use the SMM to understand the impact of privilege and marginalization in clinical and professional relationships.