https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221209-the-silent-struggles-of-workers-with-adhd
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2022/02/15/neurodiversity-and-the-workplace/?sh=6692ada2a222
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace.html

Creating support for neurodiversity in the workplace

www2.deloitte.com

Organizations that make an extra effort to recruit, retain, and nurture neurodiverse workers can gain a competitive edge from increased diversity in skills, ways of thinking, and approaches to problem-solving.

Neurodiversity And The Workplace

www.forbes.com

Creating an inclusive and diverse workplace culture is fundamental for success.

The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

www.bbc.com

Unlike their neurotypical counterparts, workers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder often find themselves left behind.

Diversity & Inclusion Committee

The committee is comprised of staff, program managers, and senior managers coming together as partners seeking to fulfill the mission and vision of Wayside to create an environment that is respectful of all and that harnesses the power of our collective similarities and differences within the Wayside community. Any Wayside staff is encouraged to consider joining the committee with approval from their Program Director for direct service staff or supervisor for Management staff. The Committee meets monthly on the 3rd Friday of each month virtually from 9:30am to 11:00am.

Please contact peopleandculture@waysideyouth.org for more information.

Virtual Link

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81900865648?pwd=VjJqQUg0bXlnUU05cjhqVVFLWWNLQT09

Meeting ID: 819 0086 5648
Passcode: 855761

One tap mobile
+13092053325,,81900865648#,,,,*855761# US
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The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Talk About Neurodiversity In The Workplace appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

http://www.transyouthequality.org/

https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=news&sc=latest_news&id=325291

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/11/1172589936/as-conservative-states-target-trans-rights-a-florida-teen-flees-for-a-better-lif

https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/trans-people-moving-escape-anti-trans-laws-2023-3

https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights

Trans Youth Equality Foundation

www.transyouthequality.org

The Trans Youth Equality Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) non profit foundation that advocates for transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex youth ages 2–18.

PICTURE

As conservative states target trans rights, a Florida teen flees for a better life

www.npr.org

High school sophomore Josie felt Florida officials were threatening her health care and ability to be feel safe at school. So she left. Other families of trans youth are plotting their exits as well.

Families fleeing Florida, Texas amid anti-LGBTQ legislation, nonprofit head says

www.ebar.com

Families fleeing states passing anti-LGBTQ legislation can get microgrants from one nonprofit, whose leader said people are “leaving everything they know and almost in a dark-of-night situation.”

Click below to find the anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S.

https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights

Including in Massachusetts with
anti-LGBTQ Bill H. 509

SECTION 1. Section 32A of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the section in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 32A. Every city, town, regional school district, or vocational school district implementing or maintaining a curriculum, or a school-sanctioned program or activity, which primarily involves human sexual education, human sexuality issues, or sexual orientation issues shall adopt a written policy ensuring parental or legal guardian notification.

Such curriculum programs and activities, which primarily involve human sexual education, human sexuality issues, or sexual orientation, shall be offered only in clearly identified non-mandatory elective courses in which parents or guardians may choose to enroll their children through written notification to the school, in a manner reasonably similar to other elective courses offered by the school district.

To the extent practicable, instruction materials and related items for said curriculum, programs, and activities shall be made reasonably accessible to parents, guardians, educators, school administrators, and others for inspection and review.

No public school teacher or administrator shall be required to participate in any such curriculum program and activities which primarily involves human sexual education, human sexuality issues, or sexual orientation issues that violate his or her religious beliefs.

I’ve moved to expensive cities with just $400, and I have 7 tips for anyone who needs to move quickly to escape anti-trans laws

www.businessinsider.com

Families worried about bills that threaten transgender rights, like SB 254, are making the difficult decision to move.

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today:Support Microgrants For Families Fleeing States With Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

https://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/
https://www.pbs.org/articles/celebrate-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month/

Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month: Stories, Facts, History &… | PBS

www.pbs.org
Stream documentaries and learn facts to celebrate Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian heritage.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2023

www.asianpacificheritage.gov
Paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success.

A People’s History of Asian America:Are You “AAPI” or “Asian American”? It’s Complicated. Season 2021 Episode 3

www.pbs.org
How many A’s in AAPI? Dolly & Adrian hear from South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander voices to explore the pros and cons of disaggregating Asian American as a statistical category.

https://www.pbs.org/video/are-you-aapi-or-asian-american-its-complicated-s9ifhl/

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Learn The Roots of the Terms, Asian American, AAPI, and AANHPI appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

There are some interview questions that help you put antiracism at the forefront of a job interview. If you do interviews at Wayside, then this is the article for you! Below are a few standardized DEI related interview questions that help communicate Wayside’s committment to DEI and also provide an opportunity for a candidate to demonstrate their understanding of DEI.

DEI RELATED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• Describe a situation in which you encounter a conflict with a person from a different cultural background than yours. How did you handle the situation? (Please be specific)
• How has diversity played a role in shaping your work style?
• How does your own identity impact your work with clients?
• When interacting with a person from a different culture than your own, how do you ensure that communication is effective?
• Talk about a time that you successfully adapted to a culturally different environment.
• What do you wish to learn more about regarding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion?

Read more below and make sure to ask about equity when you are interviewing!

Hiring Anti-Racist Employees Isn’t Easy (or Comfortable) | LEVEL (medium.com)
Equity vs. Equality and Other Racial Justice Definitions – The Annie E. Casey Foundation (aecf.org)
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/23/the-job-interview-question-this-anti-racist-company-asks-applicants.html

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Be An Antiracist Interviewer appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

To be an intersectional environmentalist, we must commit to dismantling systems of oppression that perpetuate environmental injustices. This involves actively seeking out and amplifying the voices of communities who are most affected by environmental issues and ensuring that they are included in decision-making processes.

We must also recognize the interconnectedness of social justice and environmental sustainability. We cannot address climate change without addressing the root causes of systemic oppression, such as racism, sexism, and classism. This requires us to engage in difficult conversations and challenging our own biases and privilege. It is our collective responsibility to take meaningful action to protect our planet and ensure a just and equitable future for all. Check out the links below and download the Earth Day 2023 Toolkit.

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Be An Intersectional Environmentalist appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

“This year, the Day of Silence theme is Rising Up. As part of that theme, educators and other adults across the country will spend the day speaking up in every space online and offline in defense of the rights of LGBTQ+ students. In this time when LGBTQ+ students are being targeted, it is more critical than ever for adults to loudly claim a day of NO silence. While adult allies will be speaking and Rising Up for LGBTQ+ youth, students across the country will be participating in silent protest as a way to demonstrate how thousands of LGBTQ+ students across the country feel everyday — silenced.”

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE

This year, adults can take action by speaking up in the workplace and in community spaces, online and offline, taking and making every platform possible to speak out about what LGBTQ+ students are facing, and how other adults can take action to support them. Check out GLSEN’s most recent National School Climate Survey and State Snapshots for more information about what LGBTQ+ students are up against.

• Register for GLSEN’s Day of Silence to receive more information for engagement opportunities with celebrity influencers and additional resources.
• Follow @GLSEN on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where we’ll post shareable and printable graphics, and repost creative ways that others are participating. Share how you’re participating to inspire other corporate partners!
• Send internal communication to staff sharing why your company is supporting GLSEN’s Day of Silence.
• Utilize GLSEN’s virtual Day of Silence background during virtual calls and meetings on April 14th. This will also demonstrate how adults are using the power of their voice to Rise Up and support LGBTQ+ youth.
• Encourage staff to change their auto signature to “Join me in Rising Up for LGBTQ+ youth” with a link to GLSEN’s Day of Silence webpage.
• Using the GLSEN Navigator, educate yourself on the varying levels of support and protections LGBTQ+ youth have access to under state laws across the country.
• Use your voice, and your voting power! Tell your Congressional Representative that you oppose HR734 — the federal trans+intersex athlete sports band. Call 202-224-3121 and tell them you believe ALL students should be allowed to play sports!

https://www.glsen.org/dayofsilence#:~:text=Day%20of%20(No)%20Silence%202023,of%20LGBTQ%2B%20people%20in%20schools.

Join Us for Day of Silence on April 14, 2023 and Support LGBTQ+ Students!

www.glsen.org

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Prepare For The National Day Of Silence – Friday April 14th appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

https://www.childrensleague.org/advocacy/state-advocacy/
https://malegislature.gov/Commissions

All Commissions

malegislature.gov/

State Advocacy – Children’s League of Massachusetts

www.childrensleague.org

The Children’s League has several priorities for the two-year legislative session to advance the well-being of children & families in the Commonwealth.

The Legislative Process

www.massbar.org

The Legislative Process

The General Court of Massachusetts (the official name for the state legislature) is typical of most state governments. It embraces the same principles of checks and balances that are embodied in the United States Constitution. Its primary characteristics are:

• A bicameral (two branch) legislature
• A hierarchical leadership scheme
• Specialized committees that hold hearings and make recommendations on bills
• One committee (Ways and Means) more powerful than all the others with control over budget and finance
• Gubernatorial approval to enact laws or a legislative override of the governor’s veto

The Massachusetts state legislature sits in a biennial session, which begins on the first Wednesday in January of the odd-numbered years. All formal business of the first year of the session must be concluded by the third Wednesday in November of that year. The legislature then sits in an informal session until the first Wednesday of January of the second year (even numbered years) at which time the Legislature begins formal sittings until the last day of July of the second year, and finishes the remainder of the session in an informal sitting.

Any matter pending before the legislature at the end of the first year of its biennial session will carry over into the second legislative year in the same legislative status as it was at the conclusion of the first legislative year. Once the state budget is passed by the legislature, the legislature may (but seldom does) end the formal session by vote of both branches and agreement of governor. This is known as prorogation.

Filing a bill

Under the state Constitution any citizen may file a proposed piece of legislation with the General Court through his or her representation or senator. This “right of free petition” is unique to Massachusetts. In addition, there is no prohibition upon an individual’s right to continually refile a bill year after year.

The deadline for filing legislation is 5 p.m. on the first Wednesday in December preceding the beginning of the new biennial session. If this deadline is missed, a bill may be late-filed. Late filed bills, which are routinely admitted, must be approved by the House and Senate Committees on Rules and then receive the approval of four-fifths of the members of each branch to be introduced.

A bill is filed in two parts — the petition and the bill. The petition is the vehicle for filing various types of matters for consideration by the General Court such as bills, resolves, resolutions or orders. The petition includes the title of the bill and the names of the legislative sponsors as well as any citizen or group sponsor. The bill is the actual legislation in draft form.

Each session there are approximately 6,000 bills filed in the House of Representatives and 2,000 in the Senate. It is the responsibility of the clerks’ office to sort and number each of these bills and assign them by their subject matter to the appropriate committee.

The staffs of the twenty-two joint House and Senate committees devote most of January and February to organizing and analyzing these measures. Public hearings on the bills are held by the committees beginning in late February and generally ending in June. A “daily list” of bills is published on each legislative day prior to the date of committee hearings. Anyone may present testimony in support or opposition to a bill at the public hearing.

Immediately following the public hearing the committee is apt to convene in executive session. Although executive sessions are open to the public, only the committee members and staff may discuss the bill. At this time the committee then votes to “report the bill out of committee.” The committee report usually takes one of three forms:

1. Favorable report (ought to pass): The committee recommends passage of the bill in its original form, with amendments, or in a new draft
2. Adverse report (ought not to pass): The committee recommends that the bill be killed
3. Study order: Technically means the bill be studied during the recess but most often is used as a quiet way to kill a bill

A joint rule of the two branches requires that any bills referred to a committee before April 15 must be reported out of committee no later than the fourth Wednesday in June. However, any bill referred to a committee on or after April 15 must be reported on within ten days.

Three-reading process

Whenever the House or Senate meets in a formal session a calendar is printed for each branch listing legislative matters that have received either a favorable, adverse or study report from a committee. Bills that were filed with the Senate Clerk are reported out of committee to the Senate and bills filed with the House Clerk to that branch. The only committee reports which are subsequently debated by the House or Senate are those with which a legislator expresses disagreement by calling pass during the clerks’ reading of the calendar.

If a bill receives an adverse report, the debate consists of accepting or rejecting that report. If the adverse report is accepted the bill is killed. A member disagreeing with the adverse report can move to substitute the original bill for the report. However, substitution of a bill for an adverse report is difficult to accomplish due to the deference given the committee’s recommendation by the representatives and senators.

If a bill gets a favorable report, floor action consists of a series of votes in each branch, known as the three-reading process. The purpose of the three-reading process is to ensure that legislators have ample opportunity to consider or debate each legislative proposal. The first reading of a bill given a favorable report merely consists of printing its number and title in the daily calendar. After the title of the bill is read aloud from the podium by the clerk, its second reading, the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate asks for a vote on ordering it to a third reading. At this point, members may propose amendments to the bill or simply debate its merits. All proposed amendments are voted upon before the vote is taken on the original bill. If the amendments are adopted the bill is voted on as amended; if they fail it is voted on in its original form. Bills, which pass this process, are then sent to the Committee on Bills in Third Reading where either Senate or House Counsel reviews them for their proper legal form. Bills that fail this vote are rejected and thereby killed.

Once the Committee on Bills in Third Reading has approved a bill, the clerk again reads the bill’s title from the podium and the membership votes on whether to pass the bill to be engrossed. Here too, legislators have the ability to offer amendments or to speak in support or opposition to a measure. If the first branch votes against passage, the bill is dead. If the first branch votes in favor of passage, the bill then goes to the other branch where it is subject to the same three-reading process.

Both the Senate and the House must pass the bill in exactly the same form before it may be enacted into law. If the second branch amends the bill in any way, the bill returns to the first branch, which must give its concurrence to the amended version. If concurrence is rejected, a conference committee is appointed by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President to work out a bill that each branch will adopt.

Engrossment and enactment

After a bill has been “passed to be engrossed” in each branch, it is sent to the Engrossing Division for engrossment. Engrossment is the printing of a bill on special parchment. Following engrossment a bill is sent to the House of Representatives for enactment. Enactment is the last step in the legislative process before a bill is sent to the governor. Usually enactment is a formality, but sometimes a controversial bill will be debated and even rejected at this point. After the House enacts a bill it is sent on to the Senate for enactment. An engrossed bill in the enactment stage may generally not be amended on the floor of the House or Senate. Following enactment in the Senate a bill is then delivered to the governor.

The governor

Once a bill has reached their desk, the governor has 10 days to sign the bill or veto it. If the governor vetoes a bill they must state their  reasons in writing. A two-thirds vote of each branch is needed to override a gubernatorial veto. The governor may also return the bill to the branch where it originated with recommendations that amendments be made to it. If the governor neither signs the bill nor vetoes it, it will become law without their signature after 10 days, unless the legislature adjourns before the ten days are up in which case the bill does not become law, this is known as a pocket veto.

Conclusion

Individuals, interest groups and businesses have a responsibility to participate in lawmaking. For the democratic process to work as the framers intended all points of view need to be heard. President John F. Kennedy once likened the process of lobbying to the procedures of a court of law. Lobbyists, whether professional or volunteer, act as advocates while legislators play the role of judge and jury. The result, hopefully, is a law in the public interest based on truth sifted from information and arguments presented to a deliberating legislator by many interests.

https://www.massbar.org/advocacy/legislative-activities/the-legislative-process#:~:text=The%20Massachusetts%20state%20legislature%20sits,in%20November%20of%20that%20year.

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Get Involved In Advocacy Season appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

The campaign, Change a Word Change a Life, was founded to call more attention to using proper pronouns can support members of the LGTBQIA+ community.
​​​​​​​
Read and Learn These Statistics: about LGBTQ MetroWest Youth
The MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey (MWHAS) is conducted by Education Development Center, Inc. with funding from the MetroWest Health Foundation. The MWAHS is an anonymous survey of youth in 25 communities. 40,772 students took surveys, representing over 90% of students in the region. One of the largest student surveys in the nation, its goal is to inform local policies and programs.

LGBTQ-Fact-Sheet-2016-METROWEST-REGION

SEE THESE WAYS:

· Schools are required to treat transgender youth under TITLE IX the federal law that sex discrimination in education.

• More on this here: getting_down_to_basics_-_2015

· Lamda Legal is a force for the support and justice for LGBTQIA+ Youth

• Please use this document to support LGBTQIA+ Affirming Care ed-factsheet-transgender-202106

Watch Videos and Share with others

• Gender Affirming Care Video:
  ​​​​​​​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=K9JvHnELZKk
• Gender Pro-Nouns Video:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TE_H45zxmI

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Change A Word Change A Life – Honor Transgender Day of Visibility on Friday March 31st. appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=29AYH9qAdXc%3D&portalid=0

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Undo Racism Through Social Work appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

Dr. Timnit Gebru coauthored papers showing facial recognition to be less accurate at identifying women and people of color and that language-based models trained on large amounts of text will inherently learn the biases baked into them without interventions.

As outlined in that paper:

Large language models are also trained on exponentially increasing amounts of text. This means researchers have sought to collect all the data they can from the internet, so there’s a risk that racist, sexist, and otherwise abusive language ends up in the training data.

An AI model taught to view racist language as normal is obviously bad. The researchers, though, point out a couple of more subtle problems. One is that shifts in language play an important role in social change; the MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, for example, have tried to establish a new anti-sexist and anti-racist vocabulary. An AI model trained on vast swaths of the internet won’t be attuned to the nuances of this vocabulary and won’t produce or interpret language in line with these new cultural norms.

It will also fail to capture the language and the norms of countries and peoples that have less access to the internet and thus a smaller linguistic footprint online. The result is that AI-generated language will be homogenized, reflecting the practices of the richest countries and communities.

Moreover, because the training data sets are so large, it’s hard to audit them to check for these embedded biases. “A methodology that relies on datasets too large to document is therefore inherently risky,” the researchers conclude. “While documentation allows for potential accountability, […] undocumented training data perpetuates harm without recourse.”

Learn more about these incredible women at the links below and support their work.

https://blackinai.github.io/#/
https://www.ajl.org/
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/12/04/1013294/google-ai-ethics-research-paper-forced-out-timnit-gebru/
https://youtu.be/UG_X_7g63rY

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Follow Women Working To Make AI Ethical, Equitable, & Accountable appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.