University of Maryland Graduate School

As graduate students, we must educate ourselves in order to create an environment that is supportive and welcoming to all people, both here at the Graduate School and throughout our careers. While we acknowledge that this is difficult and unending work, one step we can take is to attend workshops and seminars at the University. To make this information easier to find, we have created this permanent column of the Grad Gazette to compile events broadly related to diversity, equity and inclusion taking place in the upcoming month.

The following list has been compiled by the GSA; we have tried our best to find all related events, but we acknowledge we may have missed something. Feel free to reach out to Sydney Ashton, GSA Public Relations Officer and editor of the Grad Gazette, at umb.gsa.pro@gmail.com with questions, concerns or info about an event that should be included in this list.

April events:

April 5 - 9: National Public Health Week
Many of the following events this week are in celebration of National Public Health Week (check here for a full list!). For tips and tools for having conversations about mental health in your life, we recommend "Seize the Awkward". They provide information like signs to look out for and conversation starters to get a discussion going. They even have some fit-for-Instagram graphics.

April 5 @ 1 - 2 PM EST: Burnout: Managing Wellbeing
Dr. Cassie Moon from the Student Counseling Center will discuss ways to manage burnout through stress management and improving your overall wellbeing. It will include some skills on self-compassion and how to better notice your stress levels (and when you are at most risk of burnout).

April 5 @ 3 - 4:30 PM EST: Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training
As part of the Wellness Hub's National Public Health Week, the Intercultural Center will be hosting a Question, Persuade, Refer Training. The QPR method is a brief intervention that can be taught to anyone who has contact with people at risk for suicide. Trainees are taught how to identify the warning signs and risk factors for suicide and suicidal ideation, and are then trained on how to sensitively ask if the person they are concerned about is contemplating suicide, and are taught how to connect the person to appropriate resources. 

April 6 @ 10 - 11:30 AM EST: Health Information Resources for Culturally Diverse Patients
Want to improve your communication with patients whose native language is not English? In this workshop you will learn about patient education resources, including medical information available in other languages. This workshop will also examine the effect utilizing these resources can have on patient compliance and improved health.

April 6 @ 4:30 - 5:30 PM EST: UMB Social Support Group
Learn strategies to combat the social isolation that has been inevitable with the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Chaia Grubbs, LCSW-C, will provide a space where you can meet other students and socialize safely for an hour. Discussion topics include: dealing with “Zoom fatigue” and returning to living with parents/family members during a pandemic.

April 6 @ 6:30 - 8 PM EST: Naloxone Training: Prevention and Reversal of an Opioid Overdose
More than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality as well as ongoing concerns for those with a mental illness or substance use disorder in counties and other areas within the state. Join us for a Naloxone training led by the Maryland Department of Health. They will lead the training and answer questions about overdose, naloxone, opioids and addiction. All UMB faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend. Co-Sponsored by UMB's Scholars for Recovery and UM-School of Medicine's Community Health and Addictions Team. 

April 8 @ 4:30 - 5:30 PM EST: Anxiety Toolbox Series
Sessions will be meeting from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursdays from APRIL 8TH to APRIL 22ND. The workshop will involve psychoeducation on anxiety, different techniques to help manage it, and brief home practice between workshops.

We provide students with a practice workbook that is yours to keep. We do recommend that students attend all three workshops because each one builds off of the information provided in the last one. Sessions will meet via WebEx.

April 8 @ 5 - 6 PM EST: Journey Through Schizophrenia: Families Living with Mental Illness Pre- and Post-COVID
NAMI @ UMB will host an interactive workshop and discussion lead by local non-profit SeizingPsych, Inc. This interprofessional session focuses on empathy in the context of mental health and its impacts on the patient, family, and community before and since the COVID-19 pandemic. While life has changed markedly for everyone, patients and families living with mental illness have been disproportionately impacted. This discussion will focus on the difficulties and decisions families are faced with as they navigate the health care system as well as the changes they encounter in the face of a global pandemic that dramatically altered their care, therapy, and lifestyle.

April 9 @ 10 - 11 AM EST: Reginald F. Lewis Virtual Museum Tour
Please join UMSON Staff Council for an overview and virtual tour of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture!

The virtual visit will include a multimedia experience of the museum led by Terry Taylor, education programs manager, including the permanent collection and current exhibits.

All members of the UMSON community are welcome to join.

April 9 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender & Gender Non-Conforming Children & Adolescents
Join Dr. Maria Eleni Nikita, MD for an open discussion on providing gender-affirming care for transgender and gender non-conforming children and adolescents. Dr. Nikita is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and an endocrinologist in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology clinical program. Dr. Nikita specializes in care of transgender and gender non-conforming children and adolescents and participates in the Your Trans Care (YTC) specialty program that offers primary care and distinctive services for transgender individuals and their friends, family and significant others. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.

April 12 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: Reframing Disability
Disability is often viewed through a medical lens as something that needs to be fixed or cured, rather than a part of the human experience. Join in on the discussion to learn about the Social Model of Disability and the influence of the interaction between individuals and society.

April 12 @ 2 - 3 PM EST: From the Heights: "The Black Maternal Health Crisis"
In the richest nation on earth, moms are dying at the highest rate in the industrialized world—and the rate is rising. For as dire as the situation is for all women, the crisis is more severe for Black mothers. On March 11, 2021, the New York Times featured the story, “Why Black Women Are Rejecting Hospitals in Search of Better Births”, reporting that, “Black mothers in the United States are 4 times as likely to die from maternity-related complications as white women.”

Black women also experience higher rates of maternal complications and infant mortality. They are twice as likely to lose an infant to premature death, and these disparities have not improved in more than 30 years. These disproportionate inequities exist regardless of income, educational level or any other demographic characteristic. 

The Black Maternal Health Caucus was launched by Congresswomen Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood to improve Black maternal health outcomes and to raise awareness within Congress about the problem and advocate for effective, evidence-based, culturally component policies and best practices for health outcomes for Black mothers.

This virtual session will provide insight how to make pregnancy and childbirth safer in the U.S., amplify community–driven policy, practice and systems and enhance community organizing on Black maternal health by taking action to reduce maternal mortality and reduce morbidity related to childbirth.isability is often viewed through a medical lens as something that needs to be fixed or cured, rather than a part of the human experience. Join in on the discussion to learn about the Social Model of Disability and the influence of the interaction between individuals and society.

April 13 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: BIPOC Affinity Space
These social work affinity spaces provide an opportunity for people to connect with others who share aspects of their identity. The spaces are meant to be a hybrid of “doing” and “being”. Spaces are opened to all members of the SSW community. Come as you are, when you can. No registration required. If you're interested in becoming a facilitator, please email the SSW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sswdeioffice@ssw.umaryland.edu.

BIPOC Affinity Space dates (always noon EST):

• April 13
• May 11

April 13 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: White Accountability Group
These social work affinity spaces provide an opportunity for people to connect with others who share aspects of their identity. The spaces are meant to be a hybrid of “doing” and “being”. Spaces are opened to all members of the SSW community. Come as you are, when you can. No registration required. If you're interested in becoming a facilitator, please email the SSW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sswdeioffice@ssw.umaryland.edu.

• April 13
• May 11

April 13 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: LGBTQ+ Affinity Space
These social work affinity spaces provide an opportunity for people to connect with others who share aspects of their identity. The spaces are meant to be a hybrid of “doing” and “being”. Spaces are opened to all members of the SSW community. Come as you are, when you can. No registration required. If you're interested in becoming a facilitator, please email the SSW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sswdeioffice@ssw.umaryland.edu.

• April 13
• May 11 

April 13 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: Disability Justice and Advocacy Affinity Space
These social work affinity spaces provide an opportunity for people to connect with others who share aspects of their identity. The spaces are meant to be a hybrid of “doing” and “being”. Spaces are opened to all members of the SSW community. Come as you are, when you can. No registration required. If you're interested in becoming a facilitator, please email the SSW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sswdeioffice@ssw.umaryland.edu.

• April 13
• May 11

April 16 @ 2 - 3 PM EST: Intercultural Center Virtual Open House
Get to know the Intercultural Center's staff, learn about our current and upcoming programs and initiatives, and connect with others interested in anti-racism and anti-oppression education at UMB.

April 16 @ 4 - 5 PM EST: NAMI at UMB Peer Support Group
The goal of the Peer Support Group is to promote solidarity and support within the comunity of UMB students who are diagnosed with or are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition through peers supporting each other in their own unique recovery process. 

April 19 @ 12:15 - 1:45 PM EST: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Meeting
The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee (formerly the DAO) will be meeting once a month this semester to discuss critical issues and tasks related to DEI work at the SSW. Our priorities for the year are focused on training, accessibility, documentation and communication of DEI efforts, and responsible procurement practices. Meetings are open to everyone in the SSW community and we would love to have you join us.

April 19 @ 3 - 4 PM EST: Red Folder Training - Faculty/Staff
In this training, the UMB community will learn how to assist students who may be experiencing mental health issues. Led by Emilia Petrillo the Executive Director at the UMB Student Counseling Center, you will be introduced to a practical tool called the “Assisting Students in Distress Folder.” This folder contains a quick reference guide, as well as information on how to recognize symptoms, respond to classmates, and refer them for therapy or other immediate help.

April 21 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: The Table: An Open Space for Dialogue
The Table is a monthly dialogue series where UMB students, staff, and faculty are invited to discuss current issues and unpack questions regarding race, ethnicity, culture, and norms.

April 22 @ Noon - 1 PM EST: Imposter Syndrome Workshop
In this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences with imposter syndrome and find ways to manage their feelings of doubt, fear, and other emotions that arise when experiencing imposter syndrome. We will also discuss the ways in which imposter syndrome impacts historically marginalized populations, such as women, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and first-generation students.

April 22 @ 1 - 2:30 PM EST: Health Information Resources for Culturally Diverse Patients
Want to improve your communication with patients whose native language is not English? In this workshop you will learn about patient education resources, including medical information available in other languages. This workshop will also examine the effect utilitizing these resources can have on patient compliance and improved health. 

April 27 @ 4 - 5 PM EST: BIPOC Affinity Space
These social work affinity spaces provide an opportunity for people to connect with others who share aspects of their identity. The spaces are meant to be a hybrid of “doing” and “being”. Spaces are opened to all members of the SSW community. Come as you are, when you can. No registration required. If you're interested in becoming a facilitator, please email the SSW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sswdeioffice@ssw.umaryland.edu.

April 27 @ 4 - 5 PM EST: White Accountability Space
These social work affinity spaces provide an opportunity for people to connect with others who share aspects of their identity. The spaces are meant to be a hybrid of “doing” and “being”. Spaces are opened to all members of the SSW community. Come as you are, when you can. No registration required. If you're interested in becoming a facilitator, please email the SSW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sswdeioffice@ssw.umaryland.edu.

April 27 @ 4 - 5 PM EST: Disability Justice and Advocacy Affinity Space
These social work affinity spaces provide an opportunity for people to connect with others who share aspects of their identity. The spaces are meant to be a hybrid of “doing” and “being”. Spaces are opened to all members of the SSW community. Come as you are, when you can. No registration required. If you're interested in becoming a facilitator, please email the SSW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sswdeioffice@ssw.umaryland.edu.

April 28 @ Noon - 1:30 PM EST: Global Hang Out
The Student Global Advisory Council (SGAC) and the International Social Work Organization (ISWO) are hosting a global social event on April 28th at noon EST. SGAC invited students from the University of Botswana, University of Greenwich, and University of Bournemouth to join us for a global meet-up. 

This event is an opportunity for students to reflect and share how they have been living in this new virtual world. SGAC and ISWO members will host breakout rooms through Zoom and provide students guiding questions to help create organic conversations.