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Writer's pictureLuna's Island

5. Psychological Safety for Neurodivergent Social Workers - How to identify psychological safety

Updated: Oct 1, 2022



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In the last episode, we explored why a psychologically safe work environment is especially important for neurodivergent social workers. In this episode, we will explore what we need to look out for to know if you have a psychologically safe work environment.


A review of what we learned-

  1. Fostering a psychologically safe work environment is especially important for us neurodivergent social workers as we are navigating and practising within neurotypical systems and standardised ways of working that were not designed with us in mind. Neurodivergent thinking and being can often be met with confusion and stigmatising beliefs/opinions. This can lead us to mask to ‘fit in’ with neurotypical structures.

  2. Masking is a survival tool, however, it can cause us to be on edge, flattens our character and prevents us from feeling like we are included or that we belong.

  3. A psychologically safe workplace, based on inclusion and belonging, enables us to access roles and stay in the workplace for longer – benefiting the people we work with, the neurodivergent community and the organisations we work for.

  4. A psychologically safe workplace will eradicate workplace bullying, which is often informed by myths and misconceptions.


How do you know if you have a psychologically safe work environment?



To put it as simply as possible. If you have a truly inclusive workplace, everybody’s neurological needs are likely to be met.


If there are instances where neurological needs are not being met, a psychologically safe workplace facilitates a safe space where employees feel comfortable talking about and asking for what they need to succeed.



There is no quck or easy way to test for psychological safety within a team or organisation. We, as humans and social workers, (neurodivergent or not) are unique and have individual psychological needs that cannot be summaried in a one size fits all checklist. Because of this, in order to evaluate psychological safety, as a leader or team member, you need to reflect individually and with your colleagues.


In this episode, I will ask reflective questions for you to think about over the coming week. Think about how the questions apply to your immediate and wider team (if that applies) and to your organisation generally.


The reflective questions will be based on Dr. Timothy Clark's 4 step model to achieving psychological safety.


Inclusion Safety - Are you curious about neurodiversity? What do you do to be an active ally? How is neurodiversity visible from the recruitment process to being in the post? Are you reflective and curious about the old ‘facts’ you were told about neurodiversity? How do you facilitate a safe space for people to disclose their neurodivergence? How do you respond when people tell you they are neurodivergent? Do you make assumptions about the person or are you curious about their needs?



Learner safety- Do people come to the table with new ideas? Do people share knowledge from training or reading? Do people share what is working well for them and what is not working so well? Or do people tend to stay quiet for fear of looking dumb or being embarrassed?



Contributor safety- Do people ask about things they don’t know or understand? Is it more likely that issues are discussed in hallway conversations or one on one? Is everyone in a team meeting invited to contribute or is it the most senior person(s) who drives the conversation? Do people ask each other or other teams for help at all?



Challenger safety - Do people willingly speak up about things they are unhappy about? If someone has reservations or concerns about a piece of work or project or process, how likely are they to speak up about it to their manager or colleague? Are people blamed for mistakes or close calls? or are mistakes used as a learning opportunity? Are people encouraged to use their skills and knowledge? or is it expected that people stay within the confines of their role?



Asking reflective questions can give you an insight into how psychologically safe your workplace is. It can also help you become an active ally, making purposeful and meaningful steps to create a psychologically safe environment for your neurodivergent and neurotypical colleagues.



Thank you for stopping by for this shorter episode, I hope you take some time to reflect on these questions. And if you are wondering how you can foster a psychologically safe work environment for neurodivergent employees, check into the next episode which will provide some tips I have found useful during my social work career.



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