FEATURES

Diversity and Inclusivity Policy

 

Emerging from recommendations of the Diversity and Inclusivity Steering Committee (DISC) in 2018 and board approved policies in early 2019, there are two essential aspects of this policy. One is related to our D&I commitment, the second is our D&I accountability.

Our explicit commitment to D&I is that the AAMFT Board of Directors will govern the association with mindfulness and commitment to diversity and inclusivity. That commitment will be demonstrated through the incorporation of the AAMFT Board approved D&I statement and an initial set of diversity and inclusivity reflection questions across all areas of governance. The specific aim is to bring an intentional lens of D&I to all AAMFT workgroups and to harmonize in policy those aims across all governing documents. The overarching governance commitment of the board is to focus on policy and revise the ends and procedures for good of the association.

Thus, the D&I accountability policy requires any AAMFT workgroup to intentionally attend to diversity and inclusivity reflections and considerations in the work it is performing. Collectively, the workgroup should identify the specific questions and responses of the workgroup within the body of its report.

Workgroups must address the set of D&I considerations. For example, questions to be considered include items such as:

  • What individuals and or groups will likely benefit or be privileged by this policy decision?
  • Does this policy or practice have a different impact on a particular group?
  • Is the impact more difficult for a particular group to overcome (i.e., presents a specific barrier to access/opportunity for a particular group)?
  • How might this policy or practice replicate existing barriers for particular members?
  • Who may be excluded on what criteria by this policy or practice, and what corrective action might be indicated to make equal access available to all groups?

Additionally, there are other more inward facing questions related to D&I which workgroups are obliged to address. These include items such as:

  • What are the apparent blinders to diversity & inclusion inherent in this policy decision?
  • In what ways does this policy help advance diversity and inclusion in AAMFT?
  • In what ways does it serve to restrain D&I change or maintain a status quo?
  • Are we examining our biases and acknowledging our privileges in this conversation?
  • Have we/I unintentionally contributed to the systemic inequities?

Finally, there are a set of meta-reflection questions which the group may address at anytime during the workgroup process, they are noted for careful considerations especially when making recommendations or drawing conclusions. Examples of those questions include:

Our governance style is characterized by vision, so how is our #1 core value—acceptance, appreciation, and inclusion of a diverse membership—intentionally woven into the fabric of our conversations at all levels so that we can move towards having it be a known, accepted, and tangible aspect of our organizational life?

What does AAMFT’s silence on social issues communicate to its members and the clients they serve?

It is important to wonder about the power of silence and how much is communicated in that silence. Is silence interpreted as consent of a dominant discourse around a particular social issue?

All AAMFT workgroups (including the Board of Directors, Task Forces, Standing Committees, Interest Networks, et al.) have been addressing these D&I reflections and incorporating these intentional processes into their practices and reports. The implementation period for doing so has run throughout 2020. Data from those workgroup reports and processes will inform how the board can plan for the next steps.

The initial D&I policies adopted in 2019 were conceived as an intentional organizational beginning point to address more deliberately and clearly our core values in AAMFT. The DISC aimed to highlight and elevate these D&I considerations to the same level as the knowledge-based questions. Members can look for the further development of these policies and articulated D&I governing practices in the coming year. AAMFT governance is conceived and enacted as a dynamic and ever-evolving process. We welcome your continued engagement in that process.


Are we examining our biases and acknowledging our privileges in this conversation?

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