Implicit Bias

Implicit bias can be defined as our subconscious stereotypes, thoughts, and attitudes towards people, people groups, and situations. I think it is very important for OT students and OT practitioners to learn about implicit bias and how our mind naturally/automatically, without us even noticing it sometimes, the way we treat others. Our profession promotes inclusiveness and individualism and what makes each and every person truly important and special. Every person should be provided adequate health services no matter race, gender, or spirituality. We as a profession should actively try to see what makes an individual unique and embrace that during their treatment plans. I would say I have some implicit bias to households with still married mom and dad's. My parents have been happily married for 34 years and that's how I feel like a strong household should look. Instead, I know some households who have one mom, two moms, two dads, one dad, or even grandparents. I started to look more into how I "judged" books with only reading the covers when I was a sophomore in college. I started to realize, that I ended up making more emotional and better connections with people that didn't come from families exactly like mine, when I got to know about what they valued and loved in life. I am also very spiritual, but I know being a "southern baptist" from the Bible Belt comes with its on stereotypes. I try to ask questions about other people's religious views or why they turned away from spirituality or even how they defined spirituality in their own lives. Forcing my beliefs on someone has never benefitted me the way I thought it would. Another way my view has changed on bias is how someone brings life into this world. My oldest brother and sister-in-law adopted a baby. She is not our own blood, but we couldn't imagine our lives without her. I would never want anyone to ever look down on her or her birth parents for "giving her up" or "not loving her enough to keep her". As we look at it, her birth mom loved her enough to save her life and give her a home with my brother and sister-in-law. She is a Hill now just as much as I am. My biggest take away from this lesson is to follow the golden rule; "treat others as you would like to be treated". I would never want to be left out or denied service based on my race, gender, or beliefs.