This course fulfills the IDFPR implicit bias awareness training requirement to maintain OT licensure in the state of Illinois.

Evidence suggests that everyone - including healthcare professionals - holds implicit biases that are shaped by one’s background, cultural identities, as well as contextual and personal experiences. As a result, implicit bias impacts one’s practice and can lead to health disparities amongst historically marginalized groups. This training will cover the distinction between implicit and explicit bias as well as cover the role of systemic oppression as one major cause for implicit bias. Using the Triple Aim as a framework, this training will describe how implicit bias impacts occupational therapy practice.  To effectively address the effects of implicit bias, the training reviews multiple strategies to recognize, interrupt, and mitigate implicit bias. As one way to work toward occupational justice across practice settings, occupational therapy practitioners should not only reflect on the effects of their implicit biases but also actively work towards reducing its impact.  

Objectives of this course include:

• Explain implicit bias and how it varies from explicit biases
• Recognize the causes of implicit bias
• Identify the effects of implicit bias and its consequences in occupational therapy practice
• List strategies to recognize, interrupt, and mitigate implicit bias for occupational therapy practitioners