This workshop is presented by the D.C. Psychological Association plus a coalition of State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Associations.
Friday, March 6th | 1:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Virtual on Zoom | 3 CEs
Course Description:
Antiracism is not an add-on to clinical care—it is a core ethical responsibility. This workshop invites mental health professionals to critically examine how racism and systemic inequities affect diagnosis, treatment access, and client outcomes. Using an antiracist and trauma-informed framework, participants will gain tools to reduce harm, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and provide more equitable, culturally responsive mental health care. Further, clinicians will learn practical strategies to identify bias, address racial dynamics in the therapy room, and integrate antiracist principles across assessment, diagnosis, and intervention.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Identify ways racism operates as a chronic stressor and traumatic exposure affecting mental health outcomes across the lifespan.
2. Apply antiracist principles to clinical decision-making, including intake, diagnosis, goal-setting, and termination.
3. Identify signs of racialized stress responses that may be misdiagnosed as pathology.
About the Speaker:
Jessica M. Smedley, PsyD is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a long history of providing direct care and psychological evaluations to adults, children and families across several geographic locations. Dr. Smedley completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UC Riverside, and her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis from University of San Francisco. Dr. Smedley completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, where she also completed two additional Masters' Degrees in Christian Leadership and Clinical Psychology, respectively. Her dissertation work was focused in the areas of trauma and spirituality in urban communities. Dr. Smedley continues to be present in academic settings and currently holds adjunct faculty appointments at The George Washington University and Howard University.
Dr. Smedley completed a significant portion of her clinical training in community mental health settings (i.e., residential, outpatient, community-based) as well as private practice settings, providing direct care and completing psychological evaluations for adults and children who have experienced complex trauma, chronic and severe mental illness, co-morbid diagnoses, learning disabilities, and several family and environmental systemic issues and disparities. Dr. Smedley has also facilitated several workshops and trainings for a number of agencies about mental health education and wellness, mental health stigma, racial trauma, and general self-care and wellness. She has also provided expert insights for the media to include NBC4 Washington, BNC News, Essence Magazine, AARP Sisters Column, Associated Press, and various local radio stations.
Dr. Smedley believes in giving back to the profession and generations to come by volunteering in several leadership roles in her career span thus far. She served as the Ohio Psychological Association Diversity Committee Chair in 2017 and has since engaged in many leadership and advocacy training opportunities within the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Smedley is a Past-Diversity Liaison/Diversity Subcommittee Chair for the 2020 APA Practice Leadership Conference. She has served a three-year term on the APA Membership Board and was recently appointed to the APA Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC); this committee has a unique role of recommending advocacy priorities to the association. In January of 2023, APA President, Dr. Thema Bryant, appointed Dr. Smedley as the Chair-Elect of the APA ACC, and she will transition to the role of Chair in 2024. She is also active with the DC Psychological Association (DCPA) and started and co-led the COVID-19 Task Force in 2020 to provide advocacy and services to members and the community during the initial stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Further, Dr. Smedley was elected by DCPA to serve as the 2023 President-Elect and APA Council Representative (2021-23). She also helped to co-launch an initiative with fellow licensed healers of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) with the long-term goal of the association providing support to members of the community impacted by health disparities.
As a clinician, Dr. Smedley highly values the importance of growth, cultural awareness, positive racial identity, and incorporating one's unique individual background into treatment. She has found that a strength-based approach has greater, long-term impact, encouraging individuals/families/professionals to hone their strengths and thrive based on a positive belief system.
As a former Division-1 athlete and dancer, Dr. Smedley strongly believes in the importance of self-care and often applies a holistic approach to wellness in her work. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
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NHPA prices workshops by CE credit hour:
$25.00 per CE for members; $35.00 per CE for non-members
Group Rates Available:
3 - 5 people = $15 off individual rate (member/non-member)
6 - 8 people = $20 off individual rate (member/non-member)
8 + people = $25 off individual rate (member/non-member)
Please contact ce@nhpsychology.org for more information. Please include first name, last name and email address for each participant in the group, along with a contact person for the invoice.
Paying with a check:
Checks must be received within one week of the event. If payment has not been received, registrant will still have option to pay online with a credit card up until the day before the program. If an invoice remains open on the day of the event, the registrant will not be allowed to attend.
Cancellation policy:
Refunds, minus a 10% cancellation fee, will be issued for all cancellations received two weeks prior to the start of the course. No refunds or vouchers will be made thereafter. No-shows are not refunded.
Attendance policy:
Full attendance is required to obtain CEs per NHPA policy. No partial credit will be given. Those who attend the workshop and complete the evaluation form will receive 3 continuing education credits. Please note that APA CE rules require that we only give credit to those who attend the entire workshop. Those arriving after the scheduled start time or leaving before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credits.
Registrations are Transferable:
Registrants can transfer an event confirmation to another individual. The NHPA office must be notified of the transfer at least 24 hours prior to the event.
This program is sponsored by the New Hampshire Psychological Association. NHPA is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. NHPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
