F1 - Setting a Foundation for a Workplace Culture where Marginalized Identities can Thrive

This workshop session will be in partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). The most common ethnicity among public health workers is White, which makes up 65.1% of all public health workers. Comparatively, around 32.5% of public health workers are BIPOC. According to the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), 20% of BIPOC staff members have reported feeling non-experts have challenged/undermined their expertise, and 11% reported feeling harassed or bullied from their workplace. We as living beings have such diverse and intersectional experiences that provide such a robust resource in creating meaningful change. However, if those identities aren’t valued and are diminished, we will continue to see an uptick in the number of burnt out and overworked MCH leaders. More recently we have seen many strategies and initiatives to hire and recruit culturally diverse staff, thus, retention and intentional inclusivity in workplace activities needs to reflect this change to continue this shift in the workforce. This workshop will discuss how to have transparent discussions about the workplace experiences of people with intersecting marginalized identities (race, disability, gender, etc.) and identifying practical opportunities to build a baseline of safety for all staff, further creating a culture where everyone can truly thrive.

Following the presentation will be a 15-minute Q & A opening the space for a robust discussion.