1:00 鈥� 1:30 PM听 听Check In
1:30 – 1:40 PM听 听 Introduction
1:40 鈥� 2:30 PM听 听Round 1 鈥� Concurrent Sessions
2:45 鈥� 3:35 PM听 听Round 2 鈥� Concurrent Sessions
3:50 鈥� 4:40 PM听 听Round 3 鈥� Concurrent Sessions
5:00 鈥� 6:00 PM听 听Round 4 鈥� First Friday Forum Panel Discussion听
6:00 鈥� 6:45 PM听 听Dinner & Networking
6:45 鈥� 7:00 PM听 听Dinner & Award Presentation
7:00 鈥� 8:05 PM 听 Keynote
8:05 鈥� 8:15 PM 听 Wrap Up
Round 1 Sessions
Click on session titles to read descriptions. Sessions eligible for CE credit are noted with an asterisk *.
Western psychological models of trauma often conceptualize harm as an individual, event-based disruption, limiting their capacity to account for the collective, historical, and intergenerational racial trauma experienced by Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities in the United States. This presentation critiques WEIRD epistemological assumptions by examining vicarious racial trauma as culturally mediated, socially embedded, and historically continuous, shaped by colonialism, racial capitalism, and state-sanctioned violence. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship and intergenerational narratives, racialized responses are reframed as adaptive and protective. The session re-envisions resilience through non-WEIRD frameworks, centering collective healing, ancestral continuity, embodied resistance, and liberation-oriented meaning-making.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session will be recorded.听
Cultural competence vs. cultural humility emphasizes belonging as a dynamic process built on a 鈥渇elt sense鈥� of safety. Moving beyond “detached mastery,” Dr. Murphy explores cultural humility, a lifelong power-balancing of individual and collective values. Participants explore a relational framework for working within multicultural communities and learn to identify a “Culture of Resilience”鈥攊ncluding storytelling, traditional arts and land-based practices鈥攁s primary vehicles for intervention. Through sharing of original artwork, community projects, and experiential engagement, attendees will learn to bridge the gap between institutional standards and the lived, sacred experiences of those they serve.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session may be recorded.听
Growing bodies of research highlight the overlap between autism and gender diversity, yet these identities are often examined in isolation. Individuals who identify as both autistic and gender diverse report experiences that differ meaningfully from those of individuals who hold only one of these identities. This presentation introduces the lived experiences of gender-diverse autistic individuals, beginning with an overview of key terminology related to autism and gender identity. Participants will explore research on the intersection of these identities and examine unique experiences, including delayed gender recognition, sensory dimensions of gender dysphoria, compounded marginalization, gatekeeping and invalidation, and masking. A clinical case example and curated resources for clinicians and clients will conclude the session.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session may be recorded.听
The United States of America has always been described as 鈥渢he nation of immigrants鈥�. While this statistically may be true, there is limited research on the best approaches to take with providing mental health services to immigrants or children of immigrants. A majority of psychological research articles are published in America and with participants that rarely represent the diverse population. There are many barriers to accessible mental health resources in immigrant populations and is further complicated by current social issues that may facilitate fear, worry or trauma. As clinicians or future clinicians, it is imperative that we remain unbiased, provide a respectful and safe environment, and seek to understand our clients to provide the best culturally adaptive yet individualized care that we can.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session may be recorded.听
Round 2 Sessions
Click on session titles to read descriptions. Sessions eligible for CE credit are noted with an asterisk *.
This presentation explores how Black adults aged 65 and older engage with the existential givens of death and freedom within the context of systemic racism in the United States. Drawing on an existential psychotherapy framework, it examines how historical experiences of Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, and ongoing structural inequities shape meaning making in later life. Black elders鈥� understandings of mortality and freedom are influenced by intergenerational trauma, healthcare disparities, and cultural spiritual traditions, while also reflecting resilience and adaptive strategies. Findings underscore the need for culturally responsive gerontological and mental health approaches that address both universal existential concerns and racialized social realities.
This session may be recorded.听
Black neurodivergent students often face diagnostic delays, mislabeling, punitive discipline and invisibility in classroom environments. This session explores how educators, counselors and advocates can reframe neurodivergence from a deficit to a celebrated difference. Using culturally responsive frameworks and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), presenter Genie Dawkins will share strategies to build welcoming learning spaces, reduce bias in identification and support, and partner with families and communities. Attendees will leave with practical tools to foster belonging, honor intersectional identities and advocate for equitable policies.
This session will be recorded.听
Community plays a pivotal role in supporting the mental health and well-being of Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals. However, individuals who hold both identities often face unique barriers to finding supportive community spaces due to racism within queer communities and homophobia or transphobia within Black communities. Using an intersectional framework, this presentation will overview the barriers to community faced by Black LGBTQIA+ individuals, highlight strategies that promote resilience, social support, joy, healing, and liberation, and provide actionable steps that mental health professionals can take to effectively support Black LGBTQIA+ clients.
Session may be recorded.
Community plays a pivotal role in supporting the mental health and well-being of Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals. However, individuals who hold both identities often face unique barriers to finding supportive community spaces due to racism within queer communities and homophobia or transphobia within Black communities. Using an intersectional framework, this presentation will overview the barriers to community faced by Black LGBTQIA+ individuals, highlight strategies that promote resilience, social support, joy, healing, and liberation, and provide actionable steps that mental health professionals can take to effectively support Black LGBTQIA+ clients.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session may be recorded.听
Round 3 Sessions
Click on session titles to read descriptions. Sessions eligible for CE credit are noted with an asterisk *.
Social media platforms have become one of the predominant spaces for individuals exploring neurodivergent identities, particularly ADHD and Autism. Platforms have expanded the accessibility of information and community for neurodivergent populations. While lived experiences shared online have contributed to destigmatization, validation, and increased self-recognition, they also have clinical implications and ethical concerns and risks. Some of these concerns include the spread of misinformation, misleading psychological advice, self-diagnosis, appropriate implementation of advice/resources, and unrealistic assumptions of access to care. This presentation highlights how ADHD and ASD are represented on social media, examining the benefits and risks that come with the breadth of content related to neurodivergent identities. Clinical implications for psychologists are discussed, including therapeutic approaches and interventions, assessment considerations, ethical practices, implicit bias awareness, and strategies for validating client experiences without reinforcing misinformation.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session may be recorded.听
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach used to treat an assortment of mental health conditions. ACT has been shown to be effective with treating clinical issues such as pain, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and etc. Even though ACT has been proven to be a useful therapeutic tool, its efficacy on a predominant sample of Black or African American clients is limited. This presentation will focus on ACT, its work with those who identify as Black or African American, and the culturally modified version of ACT called Pulling Out Of Fire (POOF).
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session will be recorded.听
This presentation explores how communication styles and emotional expression differ across generations of Arab American women. It focuses on how culture, family values, immigration experiences, and U.S. social norms shape how emotions are expressed and understood. The presentation compares first-generation immigrant women with second- and later-generation women, highlighting differences in emotional openness, communication patterns, and expectations around gender roles and mental health. It also discusses how experiences such as racism, Islamophobia, and balancing two cultures influence communication. The presentation emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive research and practice that respects intergenerational differences and centers Arab American women鈥檚 lived experiences.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session will be recorded.听
Low-income individuals face substantial barriers to accessing mental health care, including financial constraints, transportation challenges, and systemic inequities. These barriers create complex ethical dilemmas for psychologists that extend beyond traditional clinical training. This paper examines ethical, cultural, legal, and regulatory considerations relevant to therapeutic practice with low-income clients, with particular attention to socioeconomic status, racial disparities, and access to care. The American Psychological Association鈥檚 Ethics Code and the Ethical Acculturation Model are used to guide ethical decision-making and culturally responsive practice. Recommendations emphasize cultural humility, competence development, and integrative ethical decision-making to promote equitable, effective mental health services for low-income populations.
* This session is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) for 1.0 contact hours related to substance abuse.
This session will be recorded.听
Round 4 Session: Michigan Roundtable First Friday Forum Panel Discussion
Post-COVID Mental Health Struggles In Minority Communities
Panelists: Lisa R. Jackson, PhD (Schoolcraft College); Jim Maher, PhD (Michigan School Psychological Clinic)
Moderator: Joe Drew-Hundley (Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities)
Keynote
From Stigma to Transformation: Reimagining Justice, Identity, and Rehumanization – Atrium
Yusef Bunchy Shakur, PhD
Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities
