Summary

Social work education is governed by standards that postulate the importance of antiracist, equitable, and inclusive practices with clients and systems levels, ranging from individuals to organizations and communities. According to the Council on Social Work Education’s 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (2022 EPAS), graduates are expected to engage antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in practice. This charge is applicable to all practice areas, including the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs).  SUD treatment is not immune from systemic racism and oppression – there are racial disparities in the access to, and quality of, resources and services necessary and relevant to wellness and recovery. Matsuzaka and Knapp (2020) describe how the delivery of services for SUDs have occurred within context of institutional racism, and how a shift towards culturally competence would involve a recognition of positionality by practitioners in the areas of race and racism. They articulate how Populations of Color, as compared to those who identify as White, often enter treatment with greater SUD severity and its associated consequences due to social and economic barriers, while also experiencing difficulty with treatment adherence and completion. Data reflects disparities in SUD treatment access/participation among those who identify as Black or African American, Latino or Hispanic, and White indicating that those who identify as White receive more treatment despite the rates of SUDs being comparable among the races (SAMHSA, 2021).  This interactive workshop will facilitate dialogue about the knowledge, skills, values, and cognitive and affective processes necessary for social work graduates to engage in antiracist, equitable, and inclusive practices with those diagnosed with substance use disorders. Participants will have an opportunity to explore the importance of practices that are infused with racial consciousness and active awareness to reduce microaggressions in working with clients. 

Keywords (separate with commas)

substance use disorder, anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, ADEI, learning environment, implicit curriculum