“For the discipline of psychology, issues of cultural and individual diversity are of such substantive significance to the understanding of human thought and behavior that they have become central to our thinking about teaching, research and practice, and public policy” (American Psychological Association 2003).

DIVERSITY REPRESENTATION COMMITTEE

For information and assistance please contact Dr. Timothy Moragne, Director of Minority Affairs (moragne@nova.edu) or Carlos Perez, Enrollment Manager (perez@nova.edu).

SOUTHEAST INSTITUTE FOR CROSS CULTURAL COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

ETHNIC MINORITY ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS (EMAGS)

EMAGS is a student organization formed in 1994 by a group of students interested in multicultural issues in the mental health field. Living in an area characterized by a diverse cultural population, we strongly believe that our academic and clinical training should correspond to the needs of our community.

This organization was created to help graduate students expand their knowledge in providing services for major ethnic minority groups in the area. Through our monthly meetings and annual conference we hope to increase student’s awareness of the need to develop culture specific communication/helping styles and to accommodate different ethnic and cultural expectancies in the psychotherapy counseling situation.

EMAGS not only serves as a medium to disseminate multicultural information, but also facilitates the building of a regional network of students interested in multicultural issues and supporting a diversified student body.

EMAGS Events!!

Diversity Luncheon

Every semester EMAGS sponsors the Diversity Luncheon where we encourage faculty, staff and students to bring dishes from their own country or from other countries and enjoy eating, talking and making new friends while learning about other cultures!

Donation Drives

Every month EMAGS holds drives to support different organizations and individuals in the community in need including:

- Holiday Gift Drive for the needy families in the community
- Thanksgiving Food Drive for needy families in the community
- Clothing Drive for the Salvation Army
- Book Drive

Community Service

EAMGS enjoys helping our community.

We give our time to a variety of organizations including:

- Habitat for Humanity
- Nursing home visit

Multicultural Issues

Brown Bags
EMAGS holds brown bags every semester dealing with multicultural issues.

Annual Conference
Every year EMAGS in conjunction with CPS holds an annual conference dealing with a pertinent multicultural issue and how it relates to the psychotherapy/counseling environment.

Socials
Come and meet others with the same interest in diversity at our socials held every semester. Keep on the look out for fliers of our next social!

How to join EMAGS!!

- Come join us at our meetings every other Thursday at 12pm. (Look for fliers around CPS for details of our next meeting)
- You can also join our listserve by e-mailing us at emags@nova.edu to find out about upcoming
events.

2008-2009
Executive Board

President - Julie Hamrick
Vice President - Ime Ekong
Treasurer - Royce Butler
Secretary - Ashley Miles
Marketing/Historian - Jose Miranda
Social Chair - Paula (Builes) Bowman
Conference Chair - Cassandra Norcross
Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator - Celina Ford
First Year Rep - Martine Luntz
Faculty Advisor - Dr. John Lewis

GAY STRAIGHT STUDENT ASSOCIATION

The Gay Straight Student Association is committed to promote a welcoming climate for sexual-minority students (i.e., Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) and non-sexual-minority students who are interested in working together to achieve a better understanding of the GLBT population. It strives to enhance training and research in GLBT counseling and psychotherapy.

As part of its mission the GSSA seeks to

- Provide an advising and support service for sexual minority students.
- Provide non-sexual minority students with a better understanding of the needs, lifestyles,
assessment and psychotherapy with the GLBT population.
- Encourage research in GLBT issues.
- Represent the Center for Psychological Studies at national and international conventions in the
specific area of GLBT counseling and psychotherapy.
- Provide in service colloquia and other seminars in the area of GLBT counseling and psychotherapy.
- Assist the Director of Academic Affairs and the Director of Clinical Training in modifying and
augmenting professional training in the area of GLBT counseling and psychotherapy.
- Provide outreach volunteer services in order to assist the local GLBT population.

Consistent with its mission the GSSA has also become active in various community service venues.  For example, GSSA was a co-sponsor and members served as volunteers at the SunServe Social Services Center.  This organization holds an annual GLBT family conference entitled “Valuing Our Families”. GSSA members have also volunteered their time at the Poverello Center (a local HIV/AIDS community based food bank and thrift store) and at the Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Community Center (GLCC).

The GSSA is currently advised by Dr. Moragne. The GSSA encourages everyone to attend its meetings.

2008-2009
Executive Board

President - Bryan Ritchey
Vice President - Heather-Ayn Indelicato
Treasurer - Cassandra Nocross
Volunteer Coordinator- Celina Ford
Social Chair- Donna Antonello
Marketing Director - Jose Miranda
Public Relations Director - Jose Miranda
Historian - Jessica Blanco
First Year Rep - Martine Luntz
Faculty Advisor - Dr. Moragne

DOCTORAL PROGRAM MULTICULTURAL/DIVERSITY TRAINING

Definition and Recognition

Recent demographic statistics in the United States reveal that society is becoming increasingly more ethnically/racially/culturally diverse. Psychologists can expect to be working with a clientele that are substantively different in terms of values and expectations about mental health treatment. The APA guidelines for the effective treatment of cultural and linguistic minorities, advocate that psychologists develop multicultural awareness, knowledge, and competence. This track is designed to provide coursework, research, and practicum experiences to better enable students to work effectively in our demographically changing society.

NSU Resources

CPS’s diverse faculty, and its multidisciplinary staff all provide solid resources for training students in multicultural psychology. Faculty participating in the track includes John Lewis, Stephen Campbell, Bady Quintar, and Lenore Walker. Other faculty will be involved in supervising research and clinical work in the multicultural track.

Requirements for the Track

Students wishing to specialize in the multicultural track will complete all existing core requirements and students will participate in pre-practicum research, research, and clinical practica with core faculty. Students will also complete 12 hours of coursework in the areas of Psychotherapy with Lesbians and Gay Men (PSY 4671), Gender Issues in Psychotherapy (PSY 4674), Feminist Therapy (PSY 4677), Assessment of the Culturally Diverse (PSY 1605), Advanced Cross Cultural Counseling (PSY 4659), or International Psychology (PSY 4565). A year-long practicum experience could involve working with clients in a multicultural setting. In addition, Research Practica, Major Paper, and Dissertation will be completed on a topic in multiculturalism with a track faculty member.

Students should seek advisement from John Lewis, Director of Academic Affairs of their intention to complete the requirements of the track.

RESOURCES

- Information for Students from Diverse Backgrounds
- Disability Issues in Psychology
- APA Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs
- APA Office of International Affairs
- APA Division 22: Rehabilitation Psychology
- APA Division 25: Society for the Psychology of Women
- APA Division 44: Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual
Issues
- APA Division 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues
- APA DIVISION 51: Society for the Study of Men and Masculinity
- APA Division 52: International Psychology
- Other APA Divisions
- APA Multicultural Guidelines
- New Journal of Diversity in Higher Education

RECENT CPS MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH

The following is a sampling of recent research focused on multicultural issues:

Multicultural Dissertations, Major Papers, and Self-Directed Studies

2007 – 2008

Eva Benmeleh (Valley-Gray)

Bilingualism: The Pre-School Years

Markisha Bennett (Walker)

Juvenile Injustice System: Racial Disparities in Mental Health Diagnoses and out of Home Placements for African American Juvenile Offenders

Paula Builes (Schneider)

Looking at Terrorism in Colombia, the Effects it has on it’s Victims and their Families, and Possible Treatment Options.

Jordana Rachel Carmel (Walker)

Domestic Violence: An Uncovered Secret in the Jewish Community

Ivette Cruz (DeLucia)

Translation and Linguistic Validation of the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire – Revised for Spanish Speaking Patients with CF

Rachel Duros (Walker)

Posttraumatic Stress and Cross-National Presentation in a Battered Women Sample

Celina Ford (Lewis)

Suicide Across Cultures: A Closer Look at Suicide Risk Factors in Ethnic Minority and Immigrant Youth Populations and the Implications for Prevention and Treatment

Sandra Jimenez (Walker)

Domestic Violence and its Psychological Effects Among Battered Colombian Women

Anyika King (Reitman)

Influence of Television Advertising on Food Preferences of African American Youth

Laura Maynard (Dorfman)

Infanticide: A Demographic, Cultural and Clinical Study of Child Murder.

Sabrina Tassy (DeLucia)

Treating Conduct Disorder in Haitian Families: Implications for Clinicians

Gisell Vińa (Reitman)

Behavioral Parent Training with Hispanic Families: How Important is Culture in Determining Treatment Efficacy?

DIVERSITY CONFERENCES

2009

January, 2009
International Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy Inc. (IABMCP): 35th Annual Advanced International Winter Symposium
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
URL: www.iabmcp.net/conference-schedule.htm

February 11-14, 2009
37th International Neuropsychological Society (INS) Annual Conference
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
URL: www.the-ins.org/meetings

March 26-29, 2009
1st International Conference on Psychology and Education - Practices, Training and Research
Covilha, Portugal
URL: http://www.icped.ubi.pt

March 26-28, 2009
Sixth International Conference on Positive Behavior Support
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
URL: http://apbs.org

April 1-5, 2009
Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting 
Denver, Colorado, USA
URL: http://www.srcd.org/biennial.html

June 28-July 2, 2009
XXXII Interamerican Congress of Psychology
Guatemala, Guatemala
URL: http://www.sip2009.org

July 9-11, 2009
Division of Counselling Psychology Annual Conference
Warwickshire, London
URL: www.bps.org.uk

July 19-23, 2009
9th Conference of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS)
Florence, Italy
URL: http://www.isqols.org/

August 4-5, 2009
5th Critical Multicultural and Diversity Conference
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
URL: http://cdcp.oise.utoronto.ca/

December 11–14, 2009
Asian Association of Social Psychology Biennial Conference
New Delhi, India
URL: http://www.asiansocialpsych.org/AASPConferences/