Small Acts, Big Impact: Understanding and Addressing Microaggressions

Title: Small Acts, Big Impact: Understanding and Addressing Microaggressions

Thursday, October 2, 2025

9:00am-11:00am

UAlbany ETEC Building (Make sure to put in UAlbany ETEC Building into your GPS, if you use the general address, you will be brought to the main campus.)

Continuing Education Credits Available: Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center, Inc. (WNY R-AHEC) is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Boards for Social Work (#SW-0685), Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Practitioners (#MHC-0268), and Speech Language Pathology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers, physical therapists and assistants, occupational therapists, and assistants, licensed mental health counselors, and speech language pathologists.

In the complex world of our work today, it is essential to be able to recognize, address and prevent microaggressions. These subtle forms of bias and discrimination can have a negative impact on our interactions, relationships and even entire organizations. This engaging and interactive workshop will discuss how microaggressions manifest in our personal and professional lives, as well as how to identify, understand and begin to address them.

During this workshop, you will:

· Gain a better understanding ow what microaggressions are and their various forms

· Explore the effects of microaggressions on individuals and how they may impact your ability to relate to clients

· Learn how to recognize and respond to microaggressions more effectively

· Discuss strategies for intervention and ways to create inclusive and respectful relationships

Presenter Bio:

Jason Benitez

As Vice President of Inclusion, Jason Benitez is responsible for providing catalytic leadership to position the Capital Region of NY as a location of choice for people and private sector investment. To do this, Benitez works to ensure that the region is a place where everyone feels that they belong, are accepted, supported and valued, in the workplace and community. As champions and advocates for regional belonging, Benitez and the Chamber offer leadership, strategic action, resources, educational programming and community collaboration, driving a commitment to cultivate prosperity for all.

Jason previously worked for 15+ years in Higher Education, at 3 institutions; the University at Albany, SUNY Schenectady and Union College, where he served as Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion. While at Union, Jason’s efforts assisted the College in being recognized with the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (HEED), given by Insight Into Diversity, for 6 consecutive years. In 2022, the Business Council of New York State awarded the Capital Region Chamber with the statewide Chamber of the year award, specifically citing the Chamber’s Inclusion efforts as one of the notable accomplishments.

Jason has previously served on the national Board of Directors for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, as Chair of their DEI Sub-Division, as well as for the Board of Trustees for the Northeastern, NY chapter of the Make a Wish foundation. He currently serves as a Board Trustee for WMHT, the Capital Region’s local PBS station. Benitez holds a Bachelors, Masters, and Certificate of Advanced Study, all from the University at Albany. He lives in Slingerlands, NY with his wife and 2 children.

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