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Diversity and Inclusion
NJPA is a member of the Inter-Mental Health and Psychological Associations Coalition (IMPAC) Joint Statement - The New Jersey Inter-Mental Health and Psychological Associations Coalition (IMPAC) Recognizes the 400th Anniversary of the first Africans who arrived in 1619, ushering in the Era of American Slavery In 1619, the first twenty Africans were forcibly taken from Africa and brought to Jamestown, Virginia, to be used as slaves. This set into motion 250 years of human chattel slavery and was followed by nearly another 100 years of Black Codes, Jim Crow, and lawful race-based violent oppression. It is widely accepted that much of the early economic growth and development of this country was the direct result of the widespread use of slavery. It is painfully apparent that while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 intended to outlaw race-based discrimination, today we stand in the wake of yet another 50 years of oppression largely due to structural racism, a modern form of racial oppression that psychologically shackles the propensity toward self-determination in the same way that the chains of chattel slavery fettered physical freedom. As psychologists, social workers, professional counselors, and other mental health professionals it is crucial in our roles as healers, and researchers to develop a deep understanding of the emotional, psychological, and physical consequences of this legacy. The New Jersey Association of Black Psychologists (NJABPsi), the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey (LMHANJ) and the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) recognize the intergenerational and interpersonal trauma caused by the heritage of slavery and by the inequalities that continue to exist. Together as equals, IMPAC stands in remembrance of those who suffered from slavery and the vicissitudes of slavery. We maintain hope and commitment that the next 400 years will be wrought with healing, equality, justice, and freedom for all. Friday, April 12, 2019 - The Inter-Mental Health and Psychological Associations Coalition (IMPAC)
NJPA Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (CODI) In 2018, The NJPA Executive Board approved a CODI proposal to create an Immigration Emergency Action Group that will explore how to address the mental health needs of those directly and indirectly affected by the immigration crisis. This group will also explore the feasibility of working toward changing existing immigration policies and laws based on psychological research that demonstrates the detrimental short and long-term effects of the current practices (E.g., separation of immigrant families). CODI sends a diversity delegate to each APA Practice Leadership Conference in Washington DC. NJPA has had a long history of fully funding diversity delegates through the years that began when APA instituted training on diversity at the SLC in 2000. Through the generous support of APA’s Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP), as well as the Office of Ethnic Minority Affair’s (OEMA) Grants for Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention, & Training (CEMRRAT), our own diversity initiatives have been enhanced. 2019 NJPA Fall Conference 2018 CODI NJPA Fall Conference Program Diversity Town Hall -- Engaging Clients across Cultural Divides: Using the New APA Multicultural Guideline
Presenters: Susan Cohen Esquilin, PhD, Lale Bilginer, PhD, Phyllis Bolling, PhD, Briana Lee Cox, PsyD, Caridad Moreno, PhD, Morgan Murray, PhD
On November 2, 2018, the CODI presented a continuing education program within our 2018 Fall Conference titled Engaging Clients across Cultural Divides: Using the New APA Multicultural Guideline. This program provided an overview of the APA Multicultural Guidelines: An Ecological Approach to Context, Identity, and Intersectionality, published by APA in 2017. A particular focus was on the implications of these guidelines for the development of relationships between psychologists and clients, in both assessment and treatment contexts. The presentation included a discussion of the "layered ecological model" used by the guidelines. There was a focus on the first two of the ten guidelines which indicate that social identities are "fluid, complex, and dynamic" and exist within ever changing larger social environments. In the context of helping relationships, attention is focused on the self-definition of both the client and helper, how these self-definitions interact with issues of power and privilege, and the need for "cultural humility" by psychologists. There was an opportunity for self-exploration and small group discussions regarding participants' self-identities and the impact of identity differences between psychologists and clients. NJPA felt this experience enhanced sensitivity to issues of diversity and inclusion for New Jersey psychologists within their clinical practices and professional interactions. The CODI program was followed by a social event - photo above. 2017 CODI NJPA Fall Conference Program Power Dynamics and Domestics Violence: The Psychologist’s Role 2016 CODI Town Hall - NJPA Fall Conference The 2016 CODI Town Hall on “Microaggressions: Why we need to Listen” was enthusiastically attended by approximately ninety NJPA members early on the morning of 22 October 2016. Participation by the members present clearly indicated a commitment to openly exploring issues of cultural competence both within the organization as well as with the diverse clientele we as psychologists service within the state of New Jersey.
2015 Diversity Town Hall - NJPA Fall Conference |