Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

 

Policy

The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) strives to be an organization where everyone feels welcomed as their authentic selves.

To achieve this, SBM is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its leadership, membership, programs, activities, and decision making. For SBM, Diversity means promoting and celebrating representation of various perspectives, voices, demographic backgrounds, experiences, and talents. Equity/Accessibility means working to provide additional support and accommodations so every member has access to the same opportunities and is able to participate to their preference. Inclusion/Belonging means aspiring to an environment where every member has the opportunity to participate, be heard, and feel like they are valued for their authentic self.

DEI work is an ongoing journey, requiring open and honest communication as well as continuous learning and adapting. SBM invites all members to join us on this journey.

 

Commitment

As a nonprofit professional membership association serving those who work in the field of behavioral medicine, SBM is committed to DEI for many reasons. DEI improves scientific impact, patient outcomes, financial performance, and decision making. More importantly, it also supports “learning, innovation, … and human dignity.”

SBM's 2021-25 strategic plan includes DEI efforts for every plan outcome, to make sure DEI is a priority throughout the society and not a standalone program. Annual reports from all SBM councils and committees also include a required section on how the group supports SBM's commitment to diversity and engages individuals from diverse backgrounds.

SBM staff and senior volunteer leaders complete an annual assessment of diversity efforts and related stats, identifying success, gaps, and improvement actions.

 

Initiatives

Diversity: 

From our leadership to our membership, and in every program and activity, diversity is at the heart of innovation and growth. At SBM, we promote and celebrate a mosaic of perspectives, voices, demographic backgrounds, experiences, and talents.

Diversity Initiatives

• Encouraging diverse applicants SBM membership and for all SBM roles and opportunities, including awards, fellow status, Board positions, committee memberships, journal editors, editorial boards, and reviewers
• Collecting race/ethnicity, gender, profession, age, and other demographics for use in aggregate to evaluate SBM’s diversity and identify gaps
• Promoting membership and events specifically to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU’s), Latinx-serving universities, and Native American-serving universities. 
• Developing strategic partnerships with organizations serving clinical and industry professionals
• Offering the Monica Baskin Diversity Institute for Emerging Leaders to help early-career members develop into equitable and thoughtful leaders by fostering a deep understanding of the principles of diversity and inclusion. Participants report being more comfortable discussing DEI in their professional environment and feeling more confident motivating others toward DEI goals.
• Ensuring the SBM Leadership Institute encourages diverse applicants, features diverse presenters, and includes a session on diversity in its workshop
• Inviting diverse slates of Annual Meeting keynote and master lecture presenters
• Hosting Behavior Change Grand Rounds webinars on topics like DEI in healthcare and diversifying the investigator workforce
• Hosting quarterly Cancer Special Interest Group Diversity Cafés for members to discuss DEI issues
• Advocating for diversity in the healthcare and behavioral medicine workforce
• Sending letters of support for National Institutes of Health Common Fund FIRST Cohort Program applications, which support diverse hiring and recruitment

 

Equity:

Equity and accessibility are about ensuring that every member of our community has the opportunity to thrive. We recognize that providing additional support and accommodations is essential for everyone to have access to the same opportunities. Our initiatives are designed to dismantle barriers and create a foundation for equitable participation.

Equity Initiatives

• Offering discounted membership dues for students and for individuals from low- and middle-income countries
• Waiving all Annual Meeting registration fees for first-time attendees from under-represented backgrounds, and offering significant discounts for individuals from low- and middle-income countries. SBM invites these and other individuals to our Making Connections Luncheon to ensure they have access to SBM leaders.
• Ensuring the Annual Meeting is accessible to everyone, by offering free live captioning services, details on chair size, all-gender restrooms, food that always includes a vegetarian option and has all ingredients labeled, a private nursing room, and a designated “quiet room” for prayer, meditation, or simply taking a break from the conference excitement. Children are allowed to attend Annual Meeting sessions and attendees are welcome to breastfeed anywhere. SBM complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and only books conference spaces that comply with ADA and are mobility and hearing accessible. The conference run/walk event features a paved trail, accessible restrooms, and accessible shuttles.
• Hosting local meetups that require no travel, in cities not hosting Annual Meetings
• Requiring anonymized reviews for journal articles and meeting abstracts to limit bias
• Recommending underrepresented scientists for National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review (CSR) study sections. Members can submit their names for this opportunity anytime via our online form. 
• Offering a Health Equity Special Interest Group
• Giving out the Redford Williams Health Equity Student Award to students who demonstrate exceptional creativity in research to eliminate health inequities or to improve the health of underserved or medically vulnerable populations
• Funding the Bridging the Gap Research Award to help underrepresented postdoctoral students prepare competitive research grant proposals
• Updating SBM’s website functionality, email practices, and social media posting for greatest accessibility
• Helping create the updated Journal Reporting Standards for Race, Ethnicity, and Culture as an official organizational collaborator
• Hosting the SBM Peer Reviewer Academy for individuals to obtain peer reviewing training and experience outside of their institutions
• Advocating for different scientific and patient populations through statements and calls to action like these on equitable healthcare, anti-racist research, improved women's health, research workforce diversity, an end to hate crimes, and an end to structural racism and social injustices
• Publishing an Annals of Behavioral Medicine (ABM) special section focused on LGBTQ health equity, ABM ongoing sections on sexual orientation and gender identity minority health, a Translational Behavioral Medicine (TBM) special issue on health equity, and a TBM virtual issue on health equity in behavioral medicine

 

Inclusion: 

Inclusion means building an environment where every voice is heard, every contribution is valued, and everyone feels they belong. It's about making sure all members, regardless of their background, can engage, contribute, and feel recognized for their authentic selves. We want all members to see themselves reflected in the organization’s activities and leadership.

Inclusion Initiatives

• Showcasing professionals from many backgrounds in our “what is behavioral medicine” video series, which includes the varied reasons they feel a sense of belonging in SBM and consider us their professional home
• Using inclusive language and imagery in all communications, from our official brand voice and tone, to our website and social media, to our official statements and day-to-day interactions with members
• Requiring event attendees and vendors to abide by our anti-harassment and discrimination policy so SBM is a safe place for everyone
• Involving the Annual Meeting host city and its diverse residents in our event in thoughtful ways, from our welcome ceremony to land acknowledgements
• Providing inclusive language resources to Annual Meeting presenters
• Providing mentoring for every career level, from students just getting started to later-stage investigators considering retirement and beyond
• Requiring all achievement award nominees to explain their unique DEI contributions
• Including preferred pronouns on event name badges and allowing journal authors to change their name and/or pronouns on a published paper without a correction notice and without notifying co-authors
• Supporting the Coalition for Diversity & Inclusion in Scholarly Communications and its statement of principles
• Updating journal keywords to be more inclusive, and developing Guidelines for Peer Reviewers that include ways to address racism, hetero-sexism, and white supremacy in the review process
• Publishing diverse member stories and career journeys in our Outlook member newsletter
• Training scientists to involve the community in their research at all stages

 

Join Us on This Journey

DEI is a journey of continuous learning and adaptation. We invite every member of our community to join us in this vital endeavor. Whether through participation, feedback, or advocacy, your involvement is key to enriching our collective journey toward a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse organization.

If information is missing from this page or if you'd like to join us on this journey and get involved, please email SBM Executive Director Lindsay Bullock.