As the vaccine distribution plan continues to roll out in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, social workers and other human service professionals need to understand the history of medical maltreatment and how it has influenced the psychological mindset of the communities we serve. From abuses to experimentation and eugenics, our trainers will offer an intersectional approach to gaining a shared knowledge base about the hesitation and concerns that Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC), as well as the disability community have about the Covid-19 vaccine. Four important cases about medical experimentation on these communities will be presented.
This history has a psychological impact on today’s perceptions about vaccination. The goal of this workshop is to support helping professionals through recognizing these concerns and supporting community members through informed decisions.
As shared by our guest trainers, Dr. Lamont Simmons and Dr. Elspeth Slayter, "In our minds, and in this context, we view ‘understanding’ and ‘acknowledging’ history as different. We have to understand before acknowledging and accepting truth. These are precursors to ‘supporting’ people and communities served. Knowledge = power = capacity to support."
Learning Objectives
1. To summarize the long history of medical experimentation on oppressed communities that creates a problematic backdrop for vaccine acceptance.
2. To describe the need for practitioners to understand this history before acknowledging and accepting people’s truth before seeking to support them in vaccine decision-making.
3. To recognize the need for professionals to build trust with community members as it relates to vaccine decision-making.
4. To integrate choice and self-determination in vaccine decision-making for BIPOC and disability community members into case practice.
5. To recognize the need for public health policies centered on eradicating structural oppression that will foster long-term trust among oppressed communities as it relates to vaccine access.
Presenters
Dr. Lamont D. Simmons is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Salem State University. He has practiced as a social worker in child welfare, mental health, and school-based settings. Dr. Simmons' primary scholarship broadly frames the experiences of students in social work and higher education in relation to their persistence and academic success.
Dr. Elspeth Slayter is a Professor in the School of Social Work at Salem State University who identifies as a member of the disability community. She does disability services research related to addictions and child welfare. She teaches social welfare policy, research, evaluation, disability practice, and forensic social work courses.
Who Should Attend
Social Worker Credits
This program is approved to offer 2.0 Continuing Education (CE) contact hours for social work by the National Association of Black Social Workers - Greater Boston Chapter in accordance with MA Board of Registration of Social Workers - 258CMR: CE Approval #GBABSW04122021. Social workers interested in the CE’s must register, complete the full program and submit the evaluation form with your name.
For more information, contact the GBABSW Education & Training Committee at [email protected]
Registration Closes on April 12, 2021 at 3:00 PM