“I Want To Be The Help That I Never Received”: Barriers to BIPOC Representation in the Helping Professions & Recommendations to Address Them
Roughly 60 percent of the U.S. population identifies as non-Hispanic white, 14 percent as Black, 19 percent as Hispanic/Latine, 6 percent as Asian, and 3 percent as some other race. Yet, an overwhelming majority of practicing psychologists identify as white (81 percent), with only 8 percent identifying as Hispanic/Latine, 5 percent as Black/African American, and 3.7 percent as other non-white racial/ethnic groups.
The underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the helping professions—defined as careers aimed to support/address people’s well-being, such as social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, or similar—has profound consequences for the well-being of BIPOC communities and for society’s well-being writ large.
In the second half of 2023, CUNY ISLG was approached by a funder to uncover the reasons for the underrepresentation of BIPOC communities in the helping professions, with the goal of developing recommendations for investments designed to address them. Specifically, this process focused on the barriers to becoming a helping professional, as well as remaining and advancing as one.
Researchers conducted a literature review of barriers and strategies for addressing them across different disciplines/professions (i.e., social work, psychology, and psychiatry). They also spoke with 133 individuals who were willing to share about their own experiences. From these endeavors, CUNY ISLG distilled the following recommendations:
Create a continuum of exposure opportunities for future BIPOC helping professionals
Provide training & technical assistance to nonprofit and university leadership on holistic, equitable admissions and hiring
Offer financial support and wraparound services to BIPOC people who are pursuing careers in the helping professions
Incentivize representation in degree programs and workplaces
Create more inclusive curricula and approaches at learning institutions
Offer foundational and remedial courses for underrepresented students and practitioners
Invest in advancement opportunities for BIPOC helping professionals
Create pathways for non-clinical professionals seeking employment in the helping professions
Provide mentorship and interpersonal support during degree programs, internships, placement, and in securing and advancing in permanent positions
Help students prepare for placement and licensure exams
Improve internship placement experiences
Improve working conditions
Promote reforms to orient the field toward justice and equity
Using this report as a roadmap for going forward, CUNY ISLG seeks to continue this work. With all that has been done in the past decade toward righting inequities in the helping professions, the time is ripe to take a meaningful, data-driven approach to supporting BIPOC people in preparing for, entering, and advancing in these fields. CUNY ISLG welcomes any inquiries or collaborations from interested partners.