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Diversity

Building Bridges Across Cultural Divides, Barbara Atwood, J.D. (95 mins)
Participants will learn of the value of listening to children in their ever-shifting role as a child and family advocate. American Indian children have a unique status and, therefore, the handling of their cases merits increased awareness. Children’s perspectives are multi-layered. In the world of child advocacy, there is much gray area – and a broad understanding of interests seems essential. Sometimes we get so “focused” that we lose the ability to perceive context. It is important to take thorough stock and compare the different facets of a child’s life, including their ethnic make-up, to be able to most effectively account for their needs. The attached publication, Asking the Right Questions II: Judicial Checklists to Meet the Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care, was published by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and Casey Family Programs, Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Through the Lens of Implicit Bias, Shawn C. Marsh, Ph.D. (145 mins) 
Social cognition - the process by which we acquire and act on information about others - has a substantial role in our decision-making at all points in the justice system. By definition, social cognition involves an interaction between personal experiences, implicit and explicit beliefs, role identify, institutional culture, and social/physical environments. The goal of this session is to help participants better understand social cognition - particularly implicit bias - with a justice context and to provide potential strategies to improve decision-making processes.