In-Person Workshop for CalWORKs & CalFresh All Staff

The course is designed to provide strategies for staff to shift program culture and climate to improve the participant experience. Staff will learn about social identity and be given tools to interrupt their biases. Through self-reflection, group dialogue, and scenario practice, staff will gain an understanding of the historical context for structural and systemic racism within TANF, REIB terminology, social identity frameworks, and intersections of staff and program participants. This course also includes optional supplemental components: 1) A pre-session video module on historical context for this work, and 2) follow-up dialogue sessions to dig deeper on personal applications with your peers.

Contact Support@REIBInitiative.com to coordinate this workshop for your county.

Upon completion of the Connecting Identity to Social Services workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Connect current staff and program participants dynamics to historical impact.
    
2. Reflect on how their individual experiences around social identity impacts their work with program participants.
    
3. Practice interrupting bias using the ACT Framework.
    
4. Apply what they’ve learned to shift program culture and climate.

Alignment with REIB Goals

Attendees of Connecting Identity to Social Services Workshop

This virtual session is an opportunity for staff at CalWORKs and CalFresh who have participated in the 3-hour in-person REIB Connecting Identity to Social Services workshop to connect with one another and build community through expanded dialogue. The goal of this time is to provide opportunities to process content further, apply tools that were introduced in the session, and build community with county workers across California. This session will be an interactive opportunity where staff will be able to share their insights and inquiries with one another, and unpack next steps to move this work forward through large and small breakout group discussions.  

Alignment with REIB Goals