Link VP DEIB July 2024 - ICF South Florida Charter Chapter

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

July is recognized as BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, shedding light on the unique mental health obstacles encountered by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. This period underlines the disparities in mental health care access and the significance of culturally sensitive support. To promote inclusivity, we can participate in various activities, including organizing inclusive mental health workshops, showcasing BIPOC stories and experiences through art and storytelling sessions, establishing safe spaces for open discussions on mental health, and collaborating with BIPOC mental health professionals for community-driven wellness initiatives. These initiatives aim to cultivate a nurturing environment where everyone feels acknowledged, listened to, and appreciated.

Professional coaches can have a significant impact on supporting mental health within BIPOC communities by providing personalized, culturally sensitive coaching and establishing inclusive and trusting environments. Here are some ways we can assist:
1.     Cultural Competence: Coaches can enhance their understanding of the unique cultural backgrounds, experiences, and obstacles encountered by BIPOC individuals to ensure that their coaching methods are respectful and relevant.
2.     Empathy and Validation: Through active listening and validating the experiences of BIPOC clients, coaches can establish a safe environment where individuals feel heard and supported.
3.     Resources and Referrals: Coaches can offer access to mental health resources like therapists or support groups specializing in BIPOC mental health to ensure clients receive comprehensive care.
4.     Empowerment: Coaches can assist BIPOC clients in developing resilience and self-confidence by identifying and utilizing their strengths, promoting self-advocacy, and setting practical, achievable goals.
5.     Advocacy and Awareness: Coaches can raise awareness about the mental health issues confronting BIPOC communities and advocate for structural changes that advance equity and mental health service accessibility.
6.     Community Building: Organizing peer support groups and community workshops can enable BIPOC individuals to connect with others who share similar experiences, fostering a sense of community and mutual support.

By incorporating these strategies, professional coaches can significantly contribute to the mental well-being and empowerment of BIPOC communities.

Important dates to celebrate in July
BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month ● Disability Pride Month ● French American Heritage Month

July DEIB Calendar

July 4 — Independence Day
July 7-8 — Hijri New Year*
July 14 — International Non-Binary Peoples Day
July 16 — Ashura

July 18 — South Asian Heritage Month begins
July 26 — Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary
July 27 — National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day
July 28 — National Parents’ Day

Book recommendation of the month

Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You
by Jenara Nerenberg

https://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Mind-Thriving-World-Designed/dp/0062876805

A paradigm-shifting study of neurodivergent women - those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder - exploring why these traits are overlooked in women and how society benefits from allowing their unique strengths to flourish.
As a successful Harvard and Berkeley-educated writer, entrepreneur, and devoted mother, Jenara Nerenberg was shocked to discover that her "symptoms" - only ever labeled as anxiety - were considered autistic and ADHD. Being a journalist, she dove into the research and uncovered neurodiversity - a framework that moves away from pathologizing "abnormal" versus "normal" brains and instead recognizes the vast diversity of our mental makeups.

When it comes to women, sensory processing differences are often overlooked, masked, or mistaken for something else entirely. Between a flawed system that focuses on diagnosing younger, male populations, and the fact that girls are conditioned from a young age to blend in and conform to gender expectations, women often don't learn about their neurological differences until they are adults, if at all. As a result, potentially millions live with undiagnosed or misdiagnosed neurodivergences, and the misidentification leads to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and shame. Meanwhile, we all miss out on the gifts their neurodivergent minds have to offer.

Divergent Mind is a long-overdue, much-needed answer for women who have a deep sense that they are "different". Sharing real stories from women with high sensitivity, ADHD, autism, misophonia, dyslexia, SPD, and more, Nerenberg explores how these brain variances present differently in women and dispels widely-held misconceptions (for example, it's not that autistic people lack sensitivity and empathy, they have an overwhelming excess of it).

Nerenberg also offers us a path forward, describing practical changes in how we communicate, how we design our surroundings, and how we can better support divergent minds. When we allow our wide variety of brain makeups to flourish, we create a better tomorrow for us all.

Get the book here.

Claudia Flores Loucel