by Braden R. Berkey, Psy.D.
The first 100 days of a first term presidency is viewed as the period when the new leader’s power and influence is at its greatest, and what the administration accomplishes during this time is seen as predictive of how much traction its agenda will have.
Donald Trump has published his goals for the time period at https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/_landings/contract/O-TRU-102316-Contractv02.pdf
A number of these actions will directly impact our work as healthcare professionals committed to diversity. Access to health care will be dramatically impacted by the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and cancellation of all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities (of which Chicago is one). Colleagues and clients will be impacted by the removal of protections for immigrants, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program.
The APA’s Ethical Principles assert that “psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people” and“are aware that special safeguards may be necessary to protect the rights and welfare of person or communities whose vulnerabilities impair autonomous decision making.
Psychologists are aware of and respect cultural, individual, and role differences, including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status and consider these factors when working with members of such groups. Psychologists try to eliminate the effect on their work of biases based on those factors, and they do not knowingly participate in or condone activities of others based upon such prejudices.”
What will your first 100 days of the Trump administration look like? This is the time to demonstrate the critical need for universal healthcare, advance diversity and protect those who are vulnerable. Think about issues you care about and how the new administration will impact them – Then think about being part of these conversations and taking action to defend our values. Some ideas can be found at these sites:
Common Cause www.commoncause.org
ACLU www.peoplesoath.org
GLAAD www.ourfirsthundreddays.com
Black Lives Matter – Chicago www.blacklivesmatterchicago.org
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights www.icirr.org
Southern Poverty Law Center www.splcenter.org