Name
Power, Perception, and Promotion: Unpacking the Status Quo in Behavioral Health Leadership
Description
Rather than reiterating the need to "elevate" women leaders, this interactive session disrupts the dominant narrative by inviting attendees to be curious: Why, in a field dominated by women, are we still having this conversation? Together, we’ll challenge the status quo and explore the implicit biases and conventions that continue to hold women back in behavioral health leadership. Who benefits from maintaining these disparities, and how are we, as professionals in behavioral health and integrated care, unknowingly complicit in upholding them? This session provides an opportunity to critically examine our roles in perpetuating these patterns and offers actionable strategies for disrupting the status quo and creating meaningful change.
Speakers
Content Level
Intermediate
Tags
Social justice or DEI, Sustainability, Workforce development
Session Type
Concurrent
SIG or Committee
Just Medicine/DEI (JMC)
Objective 1
Challenge the status quo of gender disparities in behavioral health leadership by encouraging attendees to critically examine why such disparities persist in a female-majority field.
Objective 2
Foster an interactive environment that promotes curiosity and self-reflection, inviting attendees to explore their own roles in perpetuating these inequalities.
Objective 3
Showcase the power of diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary collaboration in disrupting traditional narratives and driving collaborative change in behavioral health leadership.
Content Reference 1
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2021). "Mental Health Workforce Report: Trends and Disparities."
Content Reference 2
Hwang, W., & Li, L. (2022). "Gender Diversity and Leadership in Behavioral Health: A Review of Literature." Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research.
Content Reference 3
McKinsey & Company. (2021). "Women in the Workplace: Advancing Leadership Equity in Healthcare."
Content Reference 4
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). "Gender Inequality in Healthcare Leadership."
Content Reference 5
American Journal of Public Health (2020). "Gender and Leadership in Integrated Healthcare: Addressing the Imbalance."