Thus far, the SR Task Force Workgroups on the Assembly and Governance have presented their reports. 5 The SR Task Force reports on the Scientific Program Committee and Councils and Committees are scheduled to be presented to the Board during the Spring 2021 meeting.
The SR Task Force has been fulfilling the commitment to provide relevant educational materials to members in several ways. There have been 4 virtual Structural Racism Town Hall meetings that featured subject matter experts. The first Town Hall session addressed the initial steps towards dismantling structural racism and included President Geller’s announcement about appointing a SR Task Force. The next Town Hall meeting addressed structural racism in medicine and psychiatry, its effect on children and individuals who identify as transgender, and its intersectionality (the cumulative effect of discrimination on a person who belongs to 2 non-dominant groups.) The panel in the third Town Hall meeting reviewed the impact of structural racism, including intersectionality, on transgenerational trauma in several minority groups. The meeting ended with an update of Task Force activities. The February 2021 Town Hall meeting focused on how structural racism affects recruitment and retention of minority psychiatry residents, and how this can undermine efforts to grow a diverse workforce. Recordings of these and other events can be accessed on the SR Task Force web hub.5 The SR Task Force members plan to present a review of the year’s work during the next Town Hall meeting, which is scheduled to occur on Saturday, May 1, 2021, during the APA’s Annual Meeting.
The SR Task Force web hub contains other resources, including APA position statements, press releases, and news articles, and a glossary of relevant terms. It also includes internet links to President Geller’s 9-part series on the history of Structural Racism in the APA. There are CME and other webinars, a curated list of references, videos, podcasts, and other media.4
The SR Task Force believes that much of the antiracism work needs to occur beyond APA headquarters. Consequently, President Geller challenged all APA Councils to work on an antiracism project to support the APA’s antiracism agenda. APA committees and caucuses have been encouraged to do the same. The SR Task Force has asked APA District Branches and Allied Organizations to share information about what they are doing to educate members about structural racism and what they are doing for input regarding their antiracist activities. Additionally, Task Force members have been speaking with these and other groups to inform them about the APA’s antiracism work.
APA’s Board of Trustees actions
It would be inappropriate for the APA to task groups with focusing on antiracism unless the organization was doing its part. In July 2020, the Board of Trustees had a 2-hour round table discussion during which each member spoke about the problem and how the APA should address it. Next, President Geller appointed a Board Workgroup to clarify the definitions of “minority” and “underrepresented.” Although the APA Assembly has defined the terms, the APA has not. Additionally, the APA Board of Trustees retained a consultant to assess all aspects of how it functions as a Board. The Board’s management of matters pertaining to diversity and inclusion was part of the examination. The recommendations are being reviewed and the Board will undergo diversity training.
Continue to: President Geller's study...