In the midst of a global pandemic and civil unrest, numerous organizations and institutions published statements of solidarity. The glaring health disparities that exist in underserved and marginalized communities have once again taken center stage. Currently, on-trend, many in the integrative health realm, have pledged to take a deep and critical look at themselves in an effort to begin a journey of personal, organizational, and institutional transformation. What does this process actually entail and where do we begin? What systems need to be in place in order to move yourself, your institution/organization forward on this path? These questions and more will be explored during this presentation.
Learning Objectives
Attendees of the webinar will be able to:
- Understand jurisprudence and ethics requirements related to working with racial and ethnic diversity in practice
- Understand the historical roots of health disparities, bias, and racism in medicine and how this manifests in the present day
- Get an introduction to cultural competency training, including identifying how bias and racism impacts health outcomes and contribute to health inequities
- Review development of policies and practices to combat racism and racial discrimination in clinical practice
- Utilize principles of naturopathic medicine as a framework to disrupt bias in clinical practice
CE Credits
CONO: Category A: Jurisprudence -2.00 credits
British Columbia: Category G– Ethics, Professionalism & Cultural Safety-2.00 credits
AANP/OBNM: Ethics/cultural competency credits-2.00 credits
Dr Cyndi Gilbert, ND (she/her) is a naturopathic doctor, author, and faculty member at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in Toronto, Canada. As a healthcare provider with a focus on mental health, trauma, and 2SLGBTQIA+ health, she regularly bears witness to the health impacts of social determinants and experiences of discrimination. She advocates for a collaborative, anti-oppression, and harm reduction framework that centers patients’ voices and experiences.
Dr Gilbert facilitates and delivers cultural competency / anti-racism anti-oppression training for naturopathic students and licensed naturopathic doctors, as well as providing curriculum and policy guidance to naturopathic schools and private clinics. She has over 12 years of experience working in community health settings with patients from marginalized and/or vulnerable populations, including Indigenous and racialized communities, people who are homeless or street-involved, people living with complex mental health issues, people who use drugs, people living with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and people living in poverty.
Founder and current Co-Chair of the Inclusion Diversity Equity and Advocacy (IDEA) Committee at CCNM, Dr Gilbert is also the Associate Editor for the Vital Link, the peer-reviewed journal of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors.
Dr Gilbert is the author of Forest Bathing: Discovering Health & Happiness Through the Japanese Practice of Shinrin Yoku (St. Martin’s Press, 2019) and The Essential Guide to Women’s Herbal Medicine (Robert Rose, 2015). For more information about Dr Gilbert, her writing and her work in health equity, please see her website at https://cyndigilbert.ca.
Dr Safiya McCarter (she/her) is a Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist practicing in Silver, Spring, Maryland. She is also a consultant that facilitates organizations in their work of establishing a standard of equity, inclusion, and diversity and applying that standard to the work they do and the services they provide.
Dr McCarter served as adjunct faculty at Bastyr University-Washington in the Schools of Naturopathic Medicine and Natural Health Arts & Sciences from 2011-2018 and Co-Director of the Daniel K. Church Center for Social Justice and Diversity from 2015-2018. In these roles she was involved in curriculum design, development and implementation, and accreditation standards review. She developed and delivered workshops and training on social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion for staff, students and faculty. She has also been a featured panelist and conference presenter on cultural humility, diversity and inclusion specifically as they relate to healthcare delivery and education.
Dr McCarter currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and acts as Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Board of the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) and acts as Vice-President of Accreditation and Chair of the Education Standards and Equity & Access committees and the Board of the Black Acupuncturist Association (BAA) and serves as treasurer.
Dr McCarter completed her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and MS in Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine at Bastyr University-Washington and BS degrees in Biology and Mathematics at Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA. Additional information about Dr McCarter and her work can be found at www.DrSafiyaND.com.
