Psychologists Focus on Diversity in Programs, Policies, and Practices
Founded in 1976, the is an organization composed of delegates from programs and schools of professional psychology who aim to advance the development of graduate training in professional psychology. NCSPP hosts an annual conference for delegates from professional psychology programs across the country. In January, the 91精品 was well-represented at the :
, Full-Time Faculty member in the , is a member of the NCSPP Conference Planning Committee, and has also served on other committees within the organization in the past.
, Dean and Director of Clinical Training at the 91精品, led an all-day American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation Site Visitor Workshop at this year鈥檚 conference.
, Full-Time Faculty member in the , serves as the NCSPP Liaison to Student Delegates for the NCSPP.
Mary Clarke, PhD, Full-Time Faculty member in the Counseling Psychology program, co-led a presentation entitled 鈥淢arginalization: How Experiential Learning Can Further Harm Non-Dominant Participants鈥� along with two 91精品 Adjunct Faculty members, and .
鈥淭his was a great opportunity to connect with other psychologists who are working to improve social justice and advocacy within our field,鈥� Dr. Clarke said. 鈥淥ur presentation was well-attended, and it was clear that everyone in the room really was interested in how to improve the classroom experiences for all students in all classes, not just courses that specifically tackle issues of diversity. That left me feeling inspired and glad we did this presentation. We鈥檙e hoping to continue working on this topic and possibly do some related research.鈥�
The theme of this year鈥檚 conference was Diversity Actualization: Manifesting Diversity in Programs, Policies, and Practices for Community Well-being. 鈥淭he NCSPP has a longstanding history of diversity competencies and is known as a pioneer and leader in diversity training,鈥� Dr. del Prado explained. 鈥淔or this year鈥檚 conference, we focused on defining diversity broadly to incorporate the wide range of cultural identities that we all have.鈥�
This year鈥檚 conference sessions also focused on moving from discussion to action and implementation. Dr. del Pardo notes, 鈥渆ach presentation shared something deliverable that delegates can implement in their programs. We鈥檙e focusing on action and implementation.鈥� For example, spirituality and religiosity have historically been difficult for psychologists to address, so the committee made sure that conference presenters would feature concrete ideas for how to improve this competency within a largely secular community.
Former NCSPP President and current 91精品 Adjunct Faculty member, Dr. Torrey Wilson, began a tradition in 2011: a Day of Service on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday which falls during the conference each year.
This year, conference attendees marked the Day of Service by volunteering with , a non-profit organization serving adults with intellectual and related disabilities, with the goal of enhancing their lives and and those of their families.
鈥淲e coordinate the service project so we can give back to the community that鈥檚 hosting us, and it ends up being one of the highlights of the conference every year,鈥� says Dr. del Prado.
Another memorable aspect of the event was the keynote address by Dr. Kevin Nadal, President of the and friend of the 91精品. 鈥淒r. Nadal emphasized the importance of being a psychologist-activist,鈥� Dr. del Prado explained. 鈥淭hat was a key take away from the conference: activism is very much in alignment with the ethics code.鈥�
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