Yale Child Study Center’s Post

With stigmas on the rise and the continuing need for advocacy and research in providing culturally competent clinical care, I’ve decided to recommit to just a small part of my obligation as someone who works in the field of both Politics and Psychology (fields that surprisingly overlap). Cultural Humility is.. an ongoing process “of openness, self-awareness, being egoless, and incorporating self-reflection and critique after willingly interacting with diverse individuals” (Foronda et al., 2016, p. 213). It is to “Commit ourselves to an ongoing process of compassionate self-awareness and inquiry, supported by a community of trusted and cognitively-diverse colleagues.” “Be open and teachable.” “Always bear in mind the social structures that have helped shape reality as our clients experience it.” With the end goal being able to approach individuals of any culture and reduce power dynamics between people to foster community, health, awareness, equity, and efficiency. As adults who may not currently be enrolled in academics or have graduated, it becomes more difficult to practice lifelong learning and reflection. Fulfilling just a small part of our obligation by taking just 30 minutes a day to read about your own culture and others, being able to recognize your biases and false beliefs perpetuated by hate and misinformation and media, is just one important piece of our obligation as public servants. I am incredibly open to any more book suggestions!

IMPORTANT before 2/29/24! Before the public comment period ends on February 29, 2024, please go to this link to submit your comment. You can also find additional information about the Model Act and NASP’s efforts to advocate for the continued exemption for school psychologists. https://lnkd.in/ghqGmxDB This language can be placed in the “Add Comment” box or adapted to reflect your additional thoughts. Example General Comment: It is imperative that any revisions to the Model Act for State Licensure of Psychologists maintain the exemption for use of the title “school psychologist” as outlined in Section J.3. The historical, legal, and publicly accepted understanding of what specialist and doctoral level school psychologists do to support students, families, and schools in everyday practice is inextricably tied to the use of the title school psychologist.

Very happy to have attended an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy workshop for adolescents! For someone who strongly advocates mindsets like 'never give up', 'you never try, you never know', and 'fixing problems' rather than coming to terms that there are things that we cannot do, I find that some concepts differ to my values. Because what do you mean by 'cannot do'? e.g. You get rejected by a university. On one hand, you can accept it. On the other hand, you can email to ask for feedback. File for an appeal of the decision. To the extreme end, you may even start advocating for all universities to make transparent all admission processes! To me it sounds like it depends on how much time and effort you are willing to put in to 'keep the ball rolling'. Nonetheless, I think that it is a very interesting concept that I am sure that there are people who endorse this mindset! As a soon-to-be clinical psychologist, it is important to engage in reflections and identify our own values, while also being open-minded enough to let other views in!

In this clip from my Behavioral Health Admissions training course, I explain the Iceberg Analogy. The iceberg is a great metaphor for dealing with inquiries into our admissions centers. If we are not thoughtful, we end up only considering the information that is above the water line. The potential admission pitfalls are all below the water line. The real motivation for change is also below the water line. Increase your conversions by understanding the Iceberg Analogy.

If anyone is interested in learning more about parental alienation, consider joining this seminar series (or even attending the ones that are most relevant to your work). Dr. Jennifer Jill Harman is an expert in this area, and has taught me much of what I know about parental alienation, and I am sure that this seminar series is going to be such an amazing learning experience. "If you are a mental health, judicial, or legal professional in the U.S. interested in learning more about the scientific research on parental alienation (prevalence, assessment, treatment, impact, etc.), then consider joining my bi-weekly seminar series. It is run similar to a graduate seminar, and registrants will learn about/refresh their research methods background, explore how to better communicate and integrate research into practice, discuss ways to prevent misinformation about parental alienation from entering administrative and judicial systems, and network with other professionals. Non-U.S. based professionals can also benefit from the recordings of the seminars and still benefit. Please share with anyone you believe would benefit!" https://lnkd.in/gYDUu7i5

The National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender‑based Violence Issues Paper refers to “trauma-informed, safety-first procedures” and states that “protecting the safety of the victim-survivor and observing procedural fairness are not mutually exclusive”. These are topics I love to talk about! It can be difficult for people to conceptualise how this can work if they haven’t had a chance to explore what trauma informed principles are and how they can be applied to their existing processes. Or better yet, how existing processes can be improved to be as trauma-informed as possible while adhering to the principles of natural justice and ensuring procedural fairness for all parties involved. I have this conversation regularly in my work with universities, government and non-government organisations, corporate clients and police. Our trauma informed investigations training is in demand across multiple sectors. We’ll be running another round of this training in July and August throughout Australia. We will be holding half day trauma informed investigations training workshops relevant to any sector, with an optional half day add on to make it a full day for university staff to explore how to apply the principles in a university context to manage student and staff complaints. Brisbane – Friday 26 July Adelaide – Thursday 15 August Perth – Monday 19 August (in partnership with MATE @ Curtin) Sydney – Thursday 22 August Melbourne – Wednesday 28 August For more details and bookings: https://lnkd.in/gnDYgbez

We will spotlight some of Behrend's research faculty over the next few months. We want to highlight their current research topics, and you will learn something fun about them. Our next faculty member is Melanie Hetzel-Riggin. 1. What is your discipline? Where and when did you receive your degree? I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University in 2005. 2. How long have you worked at Behrend? Ten years 3. What is your current area of research? Clinical Psychology - specifically coordinated community responses to trauma prevention and intervention, community-level prevention 4. What did your 8-year-old self want to be when you grew up, and why? A doctor #behrendresearch

It’s conference season! I am excited for the opportunity to share my advocacy efforts throughout my academic career at the Psychin Out conference on a panel with other amazing scholars. Register today! Presentation Title: From Awareness to Action: Cultivating a Culture of Advocacy and Community in Graduate Programs Presentation Description: Doctoral students in counseling and clinical psychology programs will discuss their experiences of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity (JEDI)-related advocacy efforts within their graduate programs using a liberatory justice lens. Audience members will be engaged in problem-solving, strategizing, and resource sharing. Panelists will discuss the realities of the emotional labor and burnout that comes with this work, as well as the unique barriers and inequities that arise as students of color face and trainees. Additionally, panelists will engage in conversation around sustainability and effective action.They will introduce when and how to work with or within the system, when and how to conserve energy and resources, or when and how to seek support from community partners in change-making efforts. Lastly, panelists will discuss self-care and protective practices before providing attendees with a resource to create individualized strategic plans for their home institutions.

Discover the nuances of the evaluation process of children with #specialneeds with Dr. Kenneth Stefano, clinical psychologist and owner of Kenneth Stefano & Associates, a socio-educational testing and consultation practice. Dive deep into the challenges and strategies of #educationalplanning for children with unique needs.  Tune in as Dr. Stefano shares his expertise on private vs. school evaluations, the importance of understanding educational impacts, and how to empower students in their own learning journey. #StressFreeIEP #EducationalSupport #SpecialEducation #IEPInsights #ParentingTips #SpecialEducationEvaluations

Discover the nuances of the evaluation process of children with #specialneeds with Dr. Kenneth Stefano, clinical psychologist and owner of Kenneth Stefano & Associates, a socio-educational testing and consultation practice. Dive deep into the challenges and strategies of #educationalplanning for children with unique needs.  Tune in as Dr. Stefano shares his expertise on private vs. school evaluations, the importance of understanding educational impacts, and how to empower students in their own learning journey. #StressFreeIEP #EducationalSupport #SpecialEducation #IEPInsights #ParentingTips #SpecialEducationEvaluations https://rb.gy/ddynlg