Masters of Arts Program Keynote Workshop - Gary Bailey

Sunday, January 20 • 8 - 9:30 a.m.

Cultural Competence

Recognizing that cultural bias affects everyone at some level, all helping professionals should to constantly re-evaluate their own attitudes and personal experiences with people of different genders, social classes, religious and spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, age, and mental and physical abilities. Incorporating cultural competence standards into practice will help individuals respond effectively, knowledgeably, sensitively and skillfully to diverse client populations who seek their help. This workshop will use the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice as a way of looking at theses challenging issues.

Gary Bailey MSW, ACSW is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He received his BA from the Eliot Pearson School of Child Study at Tufts University in 1977; and his MSW from Boston University School of Social Work in 1979. He is a professor at the Simmons College School of Social Work; and at the Simmons School of Nursing and Health Studies. In 2009 he was appointed to a four-year term as a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) by Gov. Patrick. MEFA is a nonprofit, self-financing state authority that provides assistance — in the form of bonds, community education programs, college savings plans and low-cost financing options — for Massachusetts students and families pursuing higher education. At MEFA he is chair of the Nominating Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee. Bailey is an award-winning professor who has played top leadership roles in the social work field. He was elected this June 2010 in Hong Kong as the new president of the International federation of Social Workers representing over 745,000 thousand social workers from 90 countries. He is the first person of color to hold this position and the first North American in over 20 years.He served as president of the National Association of Social Workers-USA (NASW) from 2003 to 2005, and was named Social Worker of the Year by both the Massachusetts chapter of the NASW and the national organization in 1998.He also served as chairman of the National Social Work Public Education Campaign, which promotes increased education and public awareness about the importance of the social work profession. He is also a past president of the Board of Directors of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts. In June 2010 he was selected as one of 25 people who have made a difference in Massachusetts in the fight against HIV/AIDS and whose contributions to the fight against AIDS over the last two-and-a-half decades have been invaluable. Other honorees included Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, public health officials, grassroots activists; fundraisers to medical professionals, who represented the many communities that have come together to care for those affected by HIV/AIDS and to prevent new infections. Professor Bailey is a highly sought after trainer and consultant on topics which include board development, international social work practice, elder and family housing program development; issues ertaining to diversity; social justice and human rights; and working with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) communities.

This event will be held at the Crossroads Center Community Room and is free and open to the public.

Questions? Contact Deborah Wilson at 350-3215

Community Colloquium schedule is available at:

http://www.prescott.edu/intranet/assets/limited-residency-graduate-resources/limited-residency-masters/pdf-map-january-2013-orientation-colloquium-schedule.pdf