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Authors Posts by Cindi Hobbes

Cindi Hobbes

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on the nineteenth day of June to commemorate the emancipation of African-Americans who were enslaved in the United States. It memorializes the end of slavery and has been observed annually since 1865. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed into law Senate Bill 475, making Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday.

Juneteenth may be celebrated under several names, including National Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.

Background and History
In early 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the freedom of more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states. More than two years later, on June 19, 1865, this news finally reached people living in Texas with the arrival of Union soldiers. When African-Americans living in Texas learned that slavery had been abolished, they immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance – the foundation of Juneteenth.

The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. Original observances included prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals. Celebrants wore new clothes as a way of representing their newfound freedom. Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and several other states followed suit. Within a few years, African Americans in many other states were celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition.

Ways to Celebrate
Today, many Juneteenth celebrations include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing. In some places, demonstrations and parades commemorate the day. These celebrations often include ways to honor aspects of African-American culture.

Is Celebrating Juneteenth Only for African-Americans?
While Juneteenth has immense meaning for the African-American community, there is value for every person — regardless of race, culture or background — to observe this holiday. A celebration of freedom for any group is a celebration of the ideals that we value as a nation.

Juneteenth is a day for African-Americans to celebrate liberty, resilience, and strength. While participating and commemorating, all should pause to acknowledge the historical and somber importance of the day.

Why Should We Celebrate Juneteenth in the Workplace?
Celebrating Juneteenth in the workplace sends a strong message to African-American employees, clients, and community members that the black experience, black history, and the struggles endured are worth acknowledging.

Ideas for planning a Juneteenth celebration:

  • Offer a paid holiday for all to celebrate with their loved ones.
  • Encourage or organize a day of service or service event.
  • Provide a floating cultural holiday, which can be used on this day.
  • Host a barbecue or traditional block party.
  • Provide educational materials.
  • Host a discussion.
  • Decorate with traditional Juneteenth colors and African-American art.
  • Invite a guest speaker.
  • Donate to a charity.
  • Support black-owned venders for items purchased.

Learn More

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Image by John Hain from Pixabay

In February, RCPA members joined organizations across the nation in celebrating Black History Month. There are countless ways to celebrate Black History – the sky is the limit! Below are several highlights to acknowledge these efforts and inspire more opportunities to celebrate and learn!

Step by Step, Inc. used an established internal communication mechanism, “TRE-Bits” (Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented, Equity-Focused), to share articles with all staff. They shared information about the history of black history month, why history matters, and intergenerational trauma. Read one shared article here: TREbit HISTORY MATTERS.

Apis Services, Inc. hosted a panel conversation “What’s It Mean to Lean Into DEI?” based on the work of Dr. Robert Livingston, author of The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations. They also shared targeted ways to celebrate – encouraging staff to read Black literature, volunteer, support Black artists and black-owned businesses, organize events, and learn about Black History. View the infographic for 13 unique and exciting ways to get involved; you can also celebrate through the five actions of volunteering, reading, donating, supporting, and learning.

The AmeriHealth Caritas BAND (Black Associate Network for Diversity) shared inspirational images and quotes by Black Americans on their internal website. See examples in their BAND Associate Campaign. AmeriHealth also hosted a panel discussion with senior leaders in the company to reflect on the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. Participants shared their stories and experiences of strength, perseverance, and ambition.

The Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital (an IPRC Member) Pediatrics Department hosted a 1,248 foot march commemorating the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, recruiting hospital staff and patients to join along the way. When the honorary march concluded, patients and families discussed the importance of Black history and the civil rights movement, and they held an age-appropriate discussion of what transpired after the 1965 march. Learn more here.

Have you heard of “Beyond28?” More than just the title of a popular podcast, Beyond28 has become synonymous with the campaign encouraging the celebration of black history all year round, as 28 days just isn’t enough time to celebrate the rich history of Black Americans.

The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee encourages all RCPA members to consider new ways to celebrate Black history next February and all throughout the year!

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Understanding an Infant Mental Health-Informed Approach to Care Delivery:
Optimizing Relational Health in Young Children With Medical and Developmental Complexity Through Safe Nurturing Environments Within the Hospital and at Home

Wednesday, June 8, 2022
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CDT,
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm MDT, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PDT

Edith Chernoff, MD
Amelia Miller, MS
Laura Kahan, M.Ed

Speaker Bios:
Edith Jacobson Chernoff, MD, is a practicing, board-certified pediatrician at La Rabida Children’s Hospital, a children’s hospital dedicated to children with chronic disease and developmental disorders, where she is medical director of outpatient services. Dr. Chernoff is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics’ section of academic pediatrics at the University of Chicago and a board-certified clinical geneticist. She is medical consultant for Early Intervention CFC#10. Her interests are in Medical Home for children with medical complexity, genetic disorders, patient and family quality of life, and patient safety/quality improvement.

Amelia Miller serves as the Premier Kids Program Lead & Infant Mental Health Specialist at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. She received her Master’s in Child Development along with a specialization in Infancy from Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL. Amelia pursued further specialization with the Infant Mental Health Certificate program at Erikson Institute, completed in 2015. She received her certification from Parent-Child Relationship Programs as a trainer of the Keys to Caregiving & NCAST Parent Child Interaction tools. Amelia also practices as a DIR practitioner and an Infant Massage Instructor.

Laura Kahan is the section chief of Infant Development in the Developmental & Rehabilitative Services Department at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago. She holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Development, with an Infancy Specialization, from Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL, and an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Credential from the Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health. She has been a practicing Developmental Therapist in the Illinois Early Intervention system since 2004 and is a Certified Infant Massage Instructor. Laura has over 25 years’ experience supporting underserved parents and children in Chicago.

Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner will:

  • Discuss how infant attachment affects development into adulthood and how traumatic events, including medical trauma, adversely affect brain development and the ability to interact and learn.
  • Review the design of an inpatient program using a specially trained rehabilitation team and validated assessment tools to support healthy parent–child attachment to enhance child development.
  • Learn how a primary care medical home for children with medical complexities embedded mental health care into the program through use of screenings and specialty sessions during and outside of primary care visits.
  • Review changes made to care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, including successes and failures.
  • Explore findings on quality of life ratings from families receiving care and discuss how these findings were used to enhance program offerings and improve family supports.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all members of the rehabilitation team, including medical staff, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, licensed psychologists, mental health professionals, and other interested professionals.

Level: Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Registration: Registration is complimentary for members of IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today. Multiple registrations per organization are permitted.

REGISTER

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Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Beyond the Comfort Zone: Understanding and Eradicating Injustice, Racism, and Inequality in the Field of Developmental Disabilities
May 18, 2022

HRC Nassau, in conjunction with The Arc of the United States, is proud to present a conference focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) community.

The DEI Virtual Conference, “Beyond the Comfort Zone: Understanding and Eradicating Injustice, Racism, and Inequality in the Field of Developmental Disabilities,” will be held May 18, 2022. The DEI Virtual Conference seeks to increase fluency and understanding of the history, challenges, and opportunities impacting people with I/DD and the staff who work with them.

FREE NASW Continuing Education Credits Available
NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), licensed marriage and family therapists (Provider ID #MFT-0037), and licensed psychologists (Provider ID #PSY-0088).

Visit here for more information.

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Digging Deeper: School Policing in Allegheny County
Slots still available for free webinar
April 7, 2022, 2:00 pm–3:30 pm EST
REGISTER!

Schools should be safe places for learning, but the increased presence of police in schools has made schools less safe for some students, particularly students of color and students with disabilities. As school administrators, school boards, parents, and advocates seek to better understand the role police are playing in their schools, it is important to both listen to students and to critically examine data. But can the community count on data about school policing in schools? A recently-released report by ACLU of PA, Student Arrests in Allegheny County Schools: The Need for Transparency and Accountability, has found serious discrepancies and inconsistencies in how schools report student arrests and citations. While flawed, some patterns clearly emerge, including that race and disability-based disparities in policing are greater in Pennsylvania than the national averages, and that Pittsburgh has higher rates than other parts of the state. The co-authors of the report will present their findings, and we’ll discuss the implications.

Race + Disability Check-in: Representation in Media and Society
April 19, 2022, 12:00 pm–1:30 pm EST
REGISTER!

1 in 4 people in the US has a disability, yet disability is not widely portrayed in mainstream culture. Movements like #DisabilityTooWhite have shone a light on the limited scope of disability representation in media and society. In this interactive lunchtime conversation, we will unpack mainstream depictions of disability with an eye to how they engage with white supremacist culture as well as how they harm people people of color and people with disabilities.

You can always find the full list of upcoming programs here and recordings from past programs here.

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