Webinar Description:

This dynamic and interactive session is designed to provide information that allows for increased cultural competency/humility to best address the needs and strengths of the communities in which mental health and early childhood professionals engage. This training incorporates statistical, demographic, culturally and linguistically appropriate social norms, barriers to access, immigration history, language issues, strategies for working with individuals, policies and organizational preparedness. 

By understanding the human experiences of others through multiple lenses, this session promises to provide new ways for being equipped to interact and engage with the wide range of diverse communities that make up South Carolina's landscape. To assist those within the field of early childhood and mental health, participants will examine issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, implicit bias and anti-racism, with a focus on how they all intersect. This session is designed to provide information, but also action steps. 

Young's background experience conducting capacity-building work regarding equity in action via coalition and marginalized community voices directly translates to challenging the institutionalization of racial inequities we see in South Carolina. This session will also ask participants to celebrate the achievements they have made in this regard and how this pandemic has made this work require innovation and shifts in approaches. 

About Our Speakers: Mike Young, MA, CHW

Mike Young is the director of equity, diversity and inclusion at the Center for Community Health Alignment and PASOs under the Arnold School at Public Health at the University of South Carolina. 

Previously, Young was the co-interim executive director and director of capacity building at PASOs, where he worked to strengthen South Carolina's Latinx communities by overseeing and supporting a statewide team of community health workers/promotores. Additionally he worked to strengthen networks in its ability to address the strengths and needs of the community through trainings, technical support and customized support for partners and coalitions. 

Young is a published author on topics related to promoting community health. He is also a fellow of the Diversity Leaders Initiative at the Riley Institute and sits on the Board of Directors for South Carolina Community Economic Development. He is a member of several equity and inclusion coalitions and regularly gets invited by local, state, regional and national governmental and non-governmental entities to speak about diversity, equity, inclusion, implicit bias, anti-racism and other social issues. 

Arriving in the Palmetto State in 2011 to study cultural anthropology at University of South Carolina, Young conducted research with remote indigenous communities in the jungle of Guatemala. He spent almost an entire year living with them and participating in the daily life activities to better understand their experiences. Young received his master's degree in 2013 but decided to leave academia after reaching ABD status in his doctorate program. He wasn't interested in only studying community, how people connect, share, support and understand one another; Young is passionate about putting these principles into action and positively impacting the livelihoods of others. 

Mayra Lubov

Mayra Lubov is a community health worker and the South Carolina statewide coordinator for the Connections for Childhood Development program at PASOs. She has more than 15 years of experience in serving the community through various roles in both the U.S. and South America. Lubov has also worked with stakeholders in and around the Latino community throughout South Carolina as a partnership specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau. She truly believes that education is a powerful and vital tool for our communities to thrive. 

*Time spent at this event counts toward IMH-E® and ECMH-E® training or renewal requirements. We recommend consulting the Competency Guidelines associated with your Endorsement® category to confirm. Contact SCIMHA Endorsement Coordinator Jean Cimino with questions.