Behavioral health disparities reflect the lack of access to quality care for specific populations. Despite notable efforts  to address inequitable outcomes, research suggests that race and ethnicity are predictors of how services are delivered, and unconscious bias is one component that has been identified as influencing the provision of poor care. With the steady rise of the US population and the expected increase in communities of color, the need to address behavioral health disparities has never been  more urgent. This first session of the four-part series will discuss how cognitive bias develops, how it is sustained by intrinsic and environmental factors, and how it contributes to inequitable outcomes for persons of color in behavioral health care. 

Credits: Each session meets the requirements for 1.5 renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and 1.5 initial hours (CPP, CPS) through New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS). The NJ Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services offers reciprocity for CADC, LCADC, and LPC. SW CEUs will be available for LMSWs and LCSWs through New York State Education Department’s Board for Social Work. Participants must attend the session in its entirety to receive a certificate of completion.