Cultural awareness is core to the work we do. An inclusive CASA/GAL network helps us better understand and promote the well-being of the children and families we serve. As a Network we are committed to promoting cultural competence among staff and volunteers, reducing disproportionality and ensuring equitable outcomes for all children regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation and zip code.

Topics to be covered in the series include:
• What is cultural awareness – diversity, equity and inclusion; biases and micro-aggressions
• Understanding self in relationship to the children and families we serve
• Considerations when interacting across differences
• Role of social justice in the our work
• Infusion of allyship into our work (defined as: lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/or groups of people)

By participating in this training, you will:
• Become more familiar with the concept of cultural awareness and the important role it plays in successful and impactful CASA/GAL best interest advocacy
• Develop knowledge around social justice and allyship
• Gain an understanding of the competencies and skills of a culturally competent advocate

Presenter’s bio:
Shari Lynn Johnson earned her BSSW with a minor in gerontology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an MSW with a focus in health care and gerontology from Wayne State University in Detroit. She joined the SocialWork@Simmons faculty as a Professor of Practice in May of 2016 to serve as the senior faculty lead for the SWO 409 (Dynamics of Racism & Oppression) course community (re) organizing/building and activism; social justice and diversity, specifically around the lived experiences of marginalized communities of TBLGQI and people of color. Professor Johnson has nearly 10 years of experience teaching cultural anthropology at a local community college after completing all of her coursework for a MA in linguistic anthropology, also from Wayne State University in Detroit.