AAMC Restorative Justice Training

October 28, 2023 | Olivia Vallejo

In February 2023, I attended the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Restorative Justice in Academic Medicine (RJAM) Facilitator Training.

This in-person RJAM Facilitator Training is done in collaboration with the University of San Diego's Center for Restorative Justice and welcomes faculty, staff, and allied health professionals from medical schools and teaching hospitals to teach them a relational framework for navigating difficult issues (e.g., academic integrity, campus climate, Title IX, DEI, misconduct).

Additionally, this workshop is intended to help practitioners respond effectively to instances of individual or communal harm in ways that support active accountability, deeper understanding, shared decision-making, and the prevention of future harm.

Upon my attendance at this training, I was able to connect with fellow UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) colleagues who also had a strong interest in rolling out RJAM at DGSOM. Together, we were able to form the DGSOM RJAM Steering Committee.

Phase 1 of the RJAM roll-out is to socialize as many community members as possible to restorative justice principles and their application in academic medicine.

In September 2023, we organized a number of RJAM 101 training sessions led by an experienced facilitator, Toni McMurphy (https://www.infiniteimpact.live/about).

In the coming year, we plan to offer more RJAM 101 trainings, along with practitioner training for those interested in becoming facilitators as part of an ambassador program. More details are to come.