International OCD Foundation | Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Action Council

The mission of the IOCDF's Diversity Initiatives is to ensure that diverse, marginalized, and/or underrepresented populations are included in the OCD community at large. As a community, we seek to educate the public about diversity issues, increase community engagement, and facilitate access to care for diverse populations. We embrace all forms of diversity and provide a welcoming forum to exchange ideas and promote change.

CHAIRS & STAFF LIAISON

Jenny C. Yip, PsyD, ABPP, Co-Chair
Executive Director, Renewed Freedom Center for Rapid Anxiety Relief, Los Angeles, CA
Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Sheeva Mostoufi, PhD, Co-Chair

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Washington, DC
Stephanie Cogen, MPH, MSW, Staff Liaison
International OCD Foundation

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Terence Ching, PhD
Yale OCD Research Clinic, New Haven, CT
Erjing Cui, LMHC

Rogers Behavioral Health, Seattle, WA
Judy Mier-Chairez, PhD

Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center, Nashville, TN

MEMBERS

Cory Adkins, CDCA, PRS
Dayton, OH
Valerie Andrews
Elk Grove, CA
Katie Boyer, LMSW, MT-BC
Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center, Nashville, TN
Jordan Cattie, PhD
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Júlia Cavalcante e Silva
Brasilia, Brazil
Gregory S. Chasson, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
Kyra L. Cheung
Spring, TX
David Culkin
Kansas State University, Leavenworth, KS
Justine De Jaegher, MA
Ottawa, Canada
Martha J. Falkenstein, PhD
McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Ellie Fisher
Houston Center for Valued Living, Houston, TX
Jamilah R. George, MDiv
Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT
Breyaunna Hattab, MSW
New Bedford, MA
Julia E. Hum
Boston, MA
Juliette Jordan, PhD
Duke University Medical Center Department of Neurology, Durham, NC
Grace L. Manier
Detroit, MI
Adrienne Marcellus-Altman
Marcellus Counseling and Coaching, Clearwater, FL
Andrew T. Marshall, PhD
USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Erin Nghe, LCSW
Atlanta, GA-area OCD therapist
OCD Set Free, LLC
Rev. Katie O'Dunne, MDiv

Academy Chaplain & Religious Studies Chair, Woodward Academy, Atlanta, GA

Doctor of Ministry in Integrative Chaplaincy Student, Vanderbilt
Rina Pesce, PhD

Vital OCD & Anxiety Treatment, Rockville, MD
Bethsy Plaisir, MPH

International OCD Foundation, Tampa, FL
Marcia Hermolin Rabinowits, PsyD

CBT Clinic for OCD and Anxiety, Miami, FL
Alexandra Z. Reynolds
Peachtree City, GA
Matthew Riello, BA
New Jersey
Carolyn M. Ringenberg
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Rebecca J. Roberts, LCPC
AMK Counseling, Chicago, IL
Alexander S. Rosenberg
University of Columbia/Jewish Theological Seminary of America, New York, NY
Shelley D. Stokes
Silver Spring, MD
Mohammed M. Sulemana
Accra, Ghana
Sophie V. Suri
Teesside University, NIHR UK, England
Shannon Switzer
OCD SoCal, NAMI San Diego & Imperial Counties, San Diego, CA
Monnica T. Williams, PhD, ABPP (Emeritus)
Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair for Mental Health Disparities, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Founder & Clinical Director, Behavior Wellness Clinic, CT

Historical Timeline

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) was founded in 1986.
Click on a year below to expand.

2022

Continuance of BTTI scholarship program to increase attendance by therapists of color, therapists who speak another language, and/or therapists who work with a significant portion of underserved patients. Offered 6 scholarship slots per BTTI.
Offered first BTTI taught by BIPOC faculty, for BIPOC therapists in Washington, DC. Dr. Monnica Williams served as the Clinical Director, with the intention of bringing more therapists of color into the OCD treatment community.
Third annual Conferencia de TOC Online - a virtual conference entirely in Spanish for people with a lived experience with OCD, their friends/family/supporters, therapists, and students/trainees.
PLANNED:
- NOVEMBER 2022: Second Spanish-language BTTI, to be run virtually, with a goal of training 30 Spanish-speaking therapists from around the world in OCD treatment best practices.

2021

Launch of bimonthly "Diversity Round Table" virtual programming series, hosted by Dr. Darlene Davis.
Launch of Spanish-language version of IOCDF website, including accessible "Español" button on main page.
Funded research study - "Developing a Cultural Adaptation Toolkit to Increase Equity for Underserved Youth with Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders" (PI: Amanda Sanchez, PhD). This study, currently under way at the University of Pennsylvania, is collecting proven strategies for adapting OCD treatment to meet the needs of low income youth and youth of color. Through interviews with youth and clinicians, as well as data collected at a clinic serving youth of color and low-income youth in Philadelphia, they will create a toolkit and training that will help clinicians overcome barriers and provide effective treatment to youth with OCD from a greater range of backgrounds.
Formation of the Faith Task Force, focusing on engaging diverse faith-based populations around mental health and OCD. This led to the first-ever "Faith and Mental Health Conference" (presented in English and Spanish), and the creation of the OCD and Faith Resource Center.
IOCDF staff began contracting with Danielle Marshall of Culture Principles as a DEI consultant around several projects and programs.
Continuance of BTTI scholarship program to increase attendance by therapists of color, therapists who speak another language, and/or therapists who work with a significant portion of underserved patients. Offered 8 scholarship slots per BTTI.
Offered second annual Conferencia de TOC Online - a virtual conference entirely in Spanish for people with a lived experience with OCD, their friends/family/supporters, therapists, and students/trainees.

2020

Continuance of BTTI scholarship program to increase attendance by therapists of color, therapists who speak another language, and/or therapists who work with a significant portion of underserved patients. Offered 8 scholarship slots per BTTI.
Creation of research-based tip sheets for clinicians on working with specific minority populations who have OCD.
Translation of all COVID-19 resource pages into Spanish.
Development of a strategic partnership with the Universidad de San Francisco - Quito in Ecuador for the translation of all IOCDF web content into Spanish.
Town Hall series on a variety of diversity-related topics for Minority Mental Health Month throughout July.
Offered first-ever Conferencia de TOC Online - a virtual conference entirely in Spanish for people with a lived experience with OCD, their friends/family/supporters, therapists, and students/trainees.

2019

Creation of BTTI scholarship program to increase attendance by therapists of color, therapists who speak another language, and/or therapists who work with a significant portion of underserved patients. Offered 4-8 scholarship slots per BTTI.
Addition of Inclusion Plan for Women/Minorities for IOCDF Research Grant proposal system.
Attendance at first minority clinician-serving conference (National Association of Black Social Workers).
Addition of demographic questions to all membership forms, so we can start gathering data on member demographics.
First Spanish-language BTTI run in Mexico City, Mexico, training 22 Spanish-speaking therapists from Mexico and the US in OCD treatment best practices.

2018

Creation and adoption of Strategic Plan for Diversity Initiatives.
More full integration of race/ethnicity data into Resource Directory, allowing prospective clients to filter by race/ethnicity in searching for a therapist.
Funded research study - "Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in African American Young Adults: The Roles of Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity" (PI: Henry Willis, MA). This study, currently underway at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, is investigating the role of racial discrimination in the intrusive thoughts experienced by African Americans with OCD. It will also examine whether African Americans who hold a sense of belonging and commitment to a larger group defined by their race – a racial identity – may be less likely to develop certain OCD symptoms.

2017

Incorporation of demographic questions re: race/ethnicity into BTTI registration system, allowing us to begin collecting data on the racial/ethnic makeup of therapists in our OCD community.
Release of formal “Inclusivity Statement,” drafted by IOCDF board members and staff.
Creation of formal Diversity Advisory Council (pictured below), consisting of Co-Chairs, Steering Committee, Members-at-Large, and a Board Liaison.
Creation of a Diversity Committee at the level of the Board of Directors. The Chair of this committee will become a member of the Diversity Advisory Council and act as a liaison between the two groups.
Launched “Effective Treatment for Everyone” video, with 21 languages represented.

2016

Initiation of “Working with Diversity” Scholarship for Annual OCD Conference – 2 of our scholarship slots became earmarked specifically for professionals and/or students/trainees with demonstrated commitment to working with diverse populations.
Transformation of former “Spanish Program” into “Bilingual Program,” further integrating content and resources for Spanish-speakers into the core of the Conference.
Incorporation of demographic questions re: race/ethnicity into Conference registration system, allowing us to begin collecting data on the racial/ethnic makeup of our OCD community.
Addition of “Diversity Statement” to Resource Directory, in which clinicians and clinics/programs can self-identify their race/ethnicity and/or any special training or experience they may have in working with diverse clients.

2015

2014

2013

2012

Creation of “Spanish Program” at the Annual OCD Conference, consisting of 2 Spanish-language workshops and 1 support group.
Ran a second BTTI in partnership with Nefesh, the International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals, so Jewish Orthodox clinicians could attend. This BTTI was again run on a Sunday-Tuesday schedule as opposed to a Friday-Sunday schedule.
Communications staff began a more mindful approach to the images selected for marketing materials (e.g. websites, brochures, advertisements, etc.), making a concerted effort to include people of color.

2010

Creation of Resource Directory, including option for clinicians to identify languages spoken in their practice.
Began translation initiative for “What you Need to Know about OCD” booklet – as of 2019, we offer a translated version of this booklet in 15 languages.
Partnership with Nefesh, the International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals, to offer a Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) on an alternate schedule so Jewish Orthodox clinicians could attend without conflict with religious observances. This BTTI was run on a Sunday-Tuesday schedule as opposed to a Friday-Sunday schedule.

2009

Funded research study - "African-Americans with OCD: Reducing Barriers to Diagnosis and Treatment" (PI: Monnica Williams, PhD). Through this study, Dr. Williams found that African Americans have been chronically under-represented in key OCD research used to develop and test new treatments and diagnostic tools. She finds that some of the commonly-used tools for diagnosing OCD (the SCID and the OCI-R) are not reliable in diagnosing OCD in African Americans. This result underscores the importance of recruiting a representative sample of ethnic and racial groups when conducting clinical research.

2007

Funded research study - "Cross-cultural Issues in Assessment and Identification of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the Public School Setting" (PI: Rene Staskal, PhD). This study found that non-White youth were less likely to access OCD treatment, and that when they did receive treatment, it was typically in a school setting. However, the study also found that school psychologists may be under-recognizing OCD, especially in non-White students.

Historical Timeline

More Resources

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