Innovation Showcases
Innovating to Embrace Neurodiversity and Mental Health in Hiring and the Workplace: Make Accommodations Standard
Innovation Case Studies Katherine Mc Cord
Approximately 29% of the population is neurodiverse and according to John's Hopkin's Medical Center one in four adults have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year. This means that between 29% and 54% of the workforce falls into one of these two categories, so we need to be making accommodations standard practice and innovating our way of hiring and managing. Per a study conducted by MindShare Partners, about 20% of workers have left a job due to mental health reasons. Not considering mental health and neurodiversity is creating a less healthy and less productive work environment with higher turn-over, but when these aspects are considered and supported, such as with the Hewlett Packard neurodiversity program which finds a 33% increase in productivity, productivity, workplace satisfaction, and overall wellness increase significantly. I consider how to accomplish this pivot and embrace neurodiversity and mental health in education as well as the hiring process and workplace.
The European STEP Project: Integrating EDI into STEM Disciplines
Innovation Case Studies Juan Pavón, Ana I. Pereira, Cinzia Leone
Over the past decades, the EU, its Member States and national funding organizations have taken steps to assist higher education and research institutions to include equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles in their research and in all their teaching and operational activities. However, despite the undoubted relevance of EDI principles, in many segments of EU societies and even in the most prestigious top universities in the world, their concrete application often lags behind. Especially in relation to academia reports and position papers that identify good practices and approaches, relevant to support institutional growth and capacity building towards a more inclusive academia. Inclusion is known to be a strategic issue for the higher education sector, as it impacts institutional culture, research and learning and teaching. Therefore, HEIs must learn to be more open and inclusive and find new ways to enable people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to participate and progress in their employment or training careers without discrimination. Moreover, diversity is a proven condition for excellence, and fairness in competition attracts talent at all levels: on the contrary, non-diverse research environments are less creative and produce fewer and worse results. The STEP project addresses the development of the research profile in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through cross-fertilization with the Social Sciences and Humanities, in particular by introducing into the STEM fields the principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), which have considerable potential to solve global challenges of well-being and quality of life.
JustBE - a Holistic Framework for Intersectional Justice, Belonging and Equity
Innovation Case Studies Marissa Coleman, Uma Parameswaran Dorn
Fluent application of psychological theory and cultural identity development to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work utilizes a holistic approach to foster a sense of belonging within organizations. Our goal is to open narratives to identify cultural ruptures while simultaneously developing skills to offer routes to undo collective harm within communities and organizations. We find this justice, belonging and equity (JustBE) framework successful in dismantling root causes of systemic dysfunctions which are often intractable and embedded in networks. Justice has long escaped many of the communities we inhabit and our focus on intersectional justice encompasses the complexities of identities and the impact of historical context and power. In this workshop, we will present the JustBE framework that uses a tailored approach to help evolve organizational culture to meet DEI needs for sustainable change. Our framework uses cognitive, affective, relational, and somatic dimensions viewing them through an intersectional justice lens to deepen conversations by exploring identities and fostering a culture of belonging. We will provide specific strategies to help organizations engage in difficult, but dynamic conversations that foster psychological safety to increase belonging. Furthermore, we will offer ways to challenge power imbalances and systemic inequities by embedding DEI principles across all levels of the organization. We will discuss the opportunities and challenges of using the JustBE framework from our own lived experiences of working with organizations as internal DEI leaders, clinical psychologists, and external DEI consultants.
