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This report is generated in part from the attendance of the Chair at the Division 42 Board retreat held March 2 to 4, 2001. The task force has met by telephone and email to address the issues of ethnic diversity members of the Division. Of primary concern is the Division’s responsiveness to and support of its ethnic Diversity members. The task force recognizes that the Board has made a commitment to broad based inclusion of diversity psychologists in governance. This was particularly demonstrated by the fact that each of the one of the overarching issues that was placed before each of the break out groups at the recent retreat meeting was "the inclusion of diversity and new members in the work and governance of the Division, as well as leadership development and transition in responsibilities and roles. In that regard, the committee recognizes the need for the Division to support multi-cultural activities, which attract a broad spectrum of diverse psychologists. A positive outcome of these activities is the potential for membership growth in the Division. It is also essential to prepare the Division for what our current APA president and recipient of the Division 42 award, Norine Johnson, has identified as the biggest challenge facing psychology today – that is adapting to the fact that by the year 2050, Diversity in America will make up the majority of the population. It is essential that Division 42, the largest Division in APA, be seen as a leader, in the forefront of integrating Diversity into the practice of psychology.
The Diversity Task Force proposes several measures that can be taken to bring Division 42 into that leadership position. The committee will host a two-hour conversation hour and breakfast in the Division’s program room. Invitations will be issued through the Independent Practitioner and through other related publications and lists to invite diversity psychologists, both senior and junior who are interested in becoming more active in Division governance. Current Board and Committee chairs will be on hand or available by email to act as mentors for those individuals who desire a more active role in division affairs and governance.
The Task Force will apply to OEMA for a CEMRATT matching grant to develop and implement a plan, which will mentor one or more of these delegates into governance positions within the Division. The grant, geared at increasing ethnic diversity in Division governance fits with CEMRATT’s 2001 goals. Included will be attendance at one or more Division 42 board meetings, as well as conference calls and other means of maintaining close communication with a designated mentor.
The IP Editor, Michael Brickey, has graciously offered to devote the fall issue of the Independent Practitioner to articles on Diversity in Private Practice. This unique issue will feature articles by minority and non-minority psychologists who have developed unique and successful approaches to integrating Diversity into their practices, highlighting challenges and opportunities. A special foreword addressing this issue will be written by our president, Dr. Norine Johnson. Profiles of successful Diversity Psychologists in Private Practice will also be presented. We are excited about this issue.
The Division 42 Board Retreat was particularly affirming and we want to extend our thanks to all who were present and participated so whole-heartedly in addressing Diversity concerns. We are particularly grateful to Judith Steward, our president, who has made this one of her major initiatives, and brought us on board, with funding to implement the mentoring breakfast at APA this year in San Francisco. Further, President-elect, Lenore Walker has given the committee her assurance that our initiatives will be continued during her term. We are also appreciative of the foreword thinking, leadership and commitment displayed by the four retreat coordinators/group facilitators, Jean Carter, Michael Murphy, Jeffrey Barnett and Bonnie Markham who included this initiative as a major theme for consideration during the retreat. We are excited about the Division creating a "home" for diversity in independent practice, and welcome your participation in our committee’s activities.
Rita Dudley-Grant, Ph.D., ABPP is Chair of the Division’s Task Force on Ethnic Diversity Issues in Private Practice. She lives and practices in the Virgin Islands and can be reached at ritadgrant@worldnet.att.net or P.O. Box 241, Christiansted, VI 00824. Janis Sanchez-Hucles, Ph.D. is Co-Chair of the Task Force and is on the faculty of Old Dominion University. She can be reached at Old Dominion University, Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23501, jsanchez@odu.edu.
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