Diversity Matters in Mental Health Treatment

 

Diversity Matters in Mental Health Treatment

 

Any quality healing environment for adolescents must be physically and emotionally safe, inclusive and must strive toward cultural competence. To this end, Paradigm Treatment participated in informational and experiential diversity training, presented by Diversity Matters

 

The leadership and staff engaged in exploring the intersection of mental health and various aspects of diversity – race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic class, and culture.  The training provided the team with opportunities to explore unconscious assumptions, personal values, implicit biases and the unintended impact on the provision of client-centered, individualized treatment delivery.

 

The staff training was complemented by a youth diversity session in which youth actively participated in an exploration of the role of human differences in their lives and interpersonal relationships. The youth session culminated with their own guidelines for safety and respect; a collective unpacking of behaviors, language, stereotypes, miscues, and concepts of respect.  Encouraged to make connections for themselves, the youth were invited to explore the impact of diversity related issues – from racial slurs to social exclusion – on their mental wellness and identity development.

 

According to Dr. Jeff Nalin, Co-Founder of Paradigm Treatment Centers, “This training is especially important for those of us working in the field of teen mental health. A sense of equality and inclusion is often elusive or missing for those struggling with mental and/or behavioral health issues.  Isolation, distorted self-consciousness, and core “otherness” are often experienced with depression, anxiety, eating disorders or substance abuse, and can be particularly severe in adolescence.”

 

Dr. Nalin adds, “Most often, conversations of equality, inclusion and diversity are focused on protected classes of race, national origin and gender and less often on mental health. We all need to do our part to make mental health part of the conversation.”

 

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Diversity Matters in Mental Health Treatment

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Lucy Nguyen

Lucy Nguyen, LMFT
Clinical Reviewer

Lucy Nguyen is the Executive Director at Paradigm Treatment, overseeing all clinical treatment programs across the organization's southwestern region. Her extensive experience includes working with young adults in private practice, serving as a therapist for children and teens with emotional and behavioral needs, and acting as a behavior interventionist for teens with developmental disorders. Lucy integrates cognitive-behavioral approaches with mindfulness and compassion in her work, and she is also EMDR-trained. She holds a Master of Science in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine.

 

Diversity Matters in Mental Health Treatment

 

Any quality healing environment for adolescents must be physically and emotionally safe, inclusive and must strive toward cultural competence. To this end, Paradigm Treatment participated in informational and experiential diversity training, presented by Diversity Matters

 

The leadership and staff engaged in exploring the intersection of mental health and various aspects of diversity – race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic class, and culture.  The training provided the team with opportunities to explore unconscious assumptions, personal values, implicit biases and the unintended impact on the provision of client-centered, individualized treatment delivery.

 

The staff training was complemented by a youth diversity session in which youth actively participated in an exploration of the role of human differences in their lives and interpersonal relationships. The youth session culminated with their own guidelines for safety and respect; a collective unpacking of behaviors, language, stereotypes, miscues, and concepts of respect.  Encouraged to make connections for themselves, the youth were invited to explore the impact of diversity related issues – from racial slurs to social exclusion – on their mental wellness and identity development.

 

According to Dr. Jeff Nalin, Co-Founder of Paradigm Treatment Centers, "This training is especially important for those of us working in the field of teen mental health. A sense of equality and inclusion is often elusive or missing for those struggling with mental and/or behavioral health issues.  Isolation, distorted self-consciousness, and core "otherness” are often experienced with depression, anxiety, eating disorders or substance abuse, and can be particularly severe in adolescence."

 

Dr. Nalin adds, "Most often, conversations of equality, inclusion and diversity are focused on protected classes of race, national origin and gender and less often on mental health. We all need to do our part to make mental health part of the conversation."

 

© Paradigm Treatment

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