Multiculturalism and Social Justice are core values of our program, which we live out throughout the program in a variety of ways. Here are some examples:
Coursework and Training Experiences
Multicultural competence, cultural humility, and the ability to work skillfully and compassionately with diverse clients is core to being a psychologist. Therefore, topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, advocacy, social justice, and multiculturalism are woven throughout the PsyD curriculum and covered in every course and training experience. These topics are viewed as central to working with all clients and to understanding human psychological functioning, not separate issues to be covered exclusively in a single multiculturalism course.
In addition to the integrated coverage of these issues in all courses and experiences, the program also requires two courses specifically in working with diverse populations as a psychologist.
PRP702: Introduction to Diverse Populations
3 Semester Credits
This course is designed to expose students to the current and historical experiences of diverse groups of people in the United States. Topics include race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, immigrant status, disability, socio-economic status, and age. Emphasis will be placed on awareness of the impact of one’s own race, ethnicity and culture(s) on cross cultural interactions, including assessment and therapy relationships. The course will include both didactic and experiential components, and students will be expected to consider our cultural, economic, and sociopolitical systems from multiple perspectives.
Core Curriculum Component: None
Prerequisite(s): None
PRP812: Assessment and Treatment of Diverse Populations
3 Semester Credits
This course is designed to teach students culturally sensitive and competent assessment and psychotherapeutic skills necessary to provide effective, evidence based treatment to diverse populations. In addition, the course is designed to sensitize students to the presence of systematic oppression, bias, and stereotyping that interfere with optimal understanding and treatment of diverse populations. Theory and research are reviewed so as to understand cultural differences and the interplay among concepts of pathology, treatment, and cultural stereotyping. In this course, diverse populations are defined broadly to include issues related to race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, body type, aging, and religion, and we will consider these as integrated aspects of individual and group experience and identity.
Core Curriculum Component: None
Prerequisite(s): PRP702(Introduction to Diverse Populations), PRP800(Basic Intervention Skills)
Student Supports and Resources
Our Preparing Future Faculty Fellowship for Historically Under-Represented Advanced PsyD Students provides training, mentorship, and experience in teaching and faculty roles and responsibility, as well as up to a $6,000 fellowship award, to promising PsyD students who belong to groups that have been historically under-represented in the field. The program is open to advanced PsyD students; information for students who wish to apply is here. Information for Students Who Wish to Apply.
Community Mentor Series: The PsyD program’s Community Mentor Speaking Series was made possible by the Institutional Innovation Grant from Augsburg University. The purpose and format of the series was collaboratively generated by Dr. Hughes-Scalise and BIPOC-identifying PsyD students. The broad goal of the series is to increase connections between Augsburg students and BIPOC professionals in health service fields. The speaker series meets monthly and includes panel-style forums on topics like surviving graduate school, managing imposter syndrome, navigating early career choices, and balancing work and life commitments. The forums feature BIPOC community mentors serving health-service positions and are moderated by Dr. Hughes-Scalise and Dr. Hopkins. The series also includes discussion groups run by Dr. Hughes-Scalise and Dr. Hopkins. These discussion groups allow graduate students to discuss forum topics and increase connection with each other.
LGBTQIA+ support group: The LGBTQA+ interest group is a student group that has been active for over 10+ years (both at MSPP and now at Augsburg). The group of LGBTQA+ identified-students with support faculty decide the structure and goals for each school year. In the past, there have been conversations and sharing about our own personal stories. In addition, there have been discussions related to clinical and professional issues such as the impact of identifying as LGBTQA+ within our clinical experiences. The LGBTQA+ group has also sponsored advocacy, educational and community events with the broader academic community and more specifically with LGBTQA+ allies.
Caregiver support group: The PsyD program offers a support group for graduate students who are also holding caregiver roles for children and adolescents. This group meets every 2-4 weeks, and is facilitated by Dr. Hughes-Scalise. The groups serve as an informal, drop-in space for caregivers to connect with each other about specific challenges and opportunities that arise from balancing graduate school and caregiving responsibilities.
The Student-Faculty Diversity Committee is a shared governance committee, with both a student and faculty co-chair, where students and faculty can plan initiatives, conduct research, and advise the program on ways to support the needs of diverse students, clients, and the community. Recent activities have included research projects on the multicultural climate of the program, social events to support students, and advocacy initiatives, such as community Get Out the Vote events.
Augsburg also has a variety of supports for your diverse identities: Student Resources.
A Faculty Commitment to Multiculturalism and Social Justice
All faculty are dedicated to complete and continue the Augsburg University Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program
Here is a list of publications and faculty activities that center multiculturalism and social justice:
Hughes-Scalise A. presented poster by her and Addicks, S.H. at the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology 2024 Mid-Winter: Development of an Anti-Racist Pedagogy and Leadership Program for Teaching Assistants in Cognitive Assessment.
Berman, M.I. quoted in VA Boston Psychology Diversity Newsletter (2023, July): Diversity Matters
Gaska, K., Salama, C., Hall, M., & Helgoe, L. (2022, June). Enhancing Social Connectedness with a Multicultural Medical Student Population During COVID-19. Presented at the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) 2022 Annual Meeting, Denver and Virtual.
Hughes-Scalise, A. $8000.00 Kenneth B. and Mamie P. Clark Fund 2021-2022 Project Title: Impact of Counterspaces and Caregivers on Academic Identity and Performance in Girls of Color.
Helgoe, L. (2021, October). Leveraging Personality at Work. Virtual. Training for an international audience of Oliver Wyman consultants.
Salama, C., Gaska, K., Helgoe, L., & Hall, M. (2021, July). A Mind-Body Medicine pilot among diverse undergraduate medical students. Presented at the International Conference on Mindfulness, Virtual and Aarhus, Denmark.
Berman, M.I. (2021, April). Spotting weight-biased research. Continuing education symposium presented by Weight-Neutral Diabetes Care Symposium for Diabetes Professionals, online.
Dakoji, S., Hughes-Scalise, A., & Ayanle, M. (2021). Healthcare utilization in an East African refugee
community in Central Minnesota: Emergency room utilization compared to local residents. Submitted for peer review to the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.
Hughes-Scalise, A. $3200.00 Scholarship Grant for Summer Research from Augsburg University Summer 2021
Project Title: Feasibility and Acceptability of ‘Little Women of Color’: A Group for Female- and BIPOC-Identifying 7-12 Year-Olds that Promotes Self-Esteem and STEM Education
Hughes-Scalise, A. $1500.00 Institutional Innovation Grant from Augsburg University Summer 2021 Project Title: Development of a Community Mentor Speaking Series Centering the Experiences of BIPOC Health Service Professionals for Augsburg’s Clinical PsyD Program
Hopkins, P.D. & Shook, N.J. (2021). Ethnic Identity, Help-Seeking Propensity, and Indicators of Psychological Distress in African Americans. Under Review.
Hopkins, P.D., Wood, A.E., Prins, A., & Bourn, L.E. (2021). Mindfulness and Resilience as Protective Factors for Burnout in VA Mental Health Care Providers. Manuscript in preparation.
Theisen, J.J. & Ward, R. (2020, June). Groupthink and inclusiveness. [PowerPoint slides]. Presented to the
Medical Staff at the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center. Anoka, Minnesota.
Berman, M.I. (2020, May). Acceptance-based approaches for weight stigma and client weight concerns. Half-day continuing education workshop presented at the Minnesota Psychological Association First Friday Forum Encore Series, online.
Shook, N.J., Boggs S. T., Fitzgerald, H.N, Ford, C., Hopkins, P.D., & Silva, S.M. (2020). Sexism, Racism, or Nationalism: Factors that Contribute to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election? PLOS ONE.
Hopkins, P.D. $224,991 NIH/NIMHD Diversity Supplement 2019-2020 Two years of funding awarded to assess the effects of momentary mindfulness on smoking outcomes in African Americans.
Addicks, S. H., & McNeil, D. W. (2019). Randomized, controlled trial of Motivational Interviewing to support breastfeeding among Appalachian women. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 48, 418-432. doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2019.05.003
Fortney, G., Hopkins, P. D., & Shook, N. J. (2018, March). Personality traits and spirituality as determinants of religious coping styles. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta, GA.
Berman, M.I., Paquin, J.D., Alie, L.M., Goodman, M., Schechinger, H., Hegel, M.T., & Fassinger, R. (2018, August). Psychotherapy for social justice: Empowering marginalized groups, engendering social change. Symposium chaired at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco.
Berman, M.I., Helms, J.E., Lantz, M., Crowell, C., Owen, J., Lee, N., Sim, W., & Chapman, N. (2017, August). Social justice in psychotherapy science: From individual to social change. Roundtable discussion presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC.
Wright, C. D., McNeil, D. W., Manegold, E. M., Addicks, S. H., Neiswanger, K., Crout, R. J., Weyant, R. J., Foxman, B. & Marazita, M. L. (2017, November). Depression trajectories of perinatal and postpartum women in Appalachia: Results of a latent class growth analysis. Poster session presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy’s 51st Annual Convention, San Diego, California, USA, November 16 – 19, 2017
Berman, M. I., & Hegel, M. T. (2017). Weight bias education for medical school faculty: Workshop and assessment. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(7), 605-606.
Dollar, E., Berman, M.I., & Adachi-Mejia, A. M. (2017). Do no harm: Moving beyond weight loss to emphasize physical activity at every size. Preventing Chronic Disease, 14. DOI: 10.5888/pcd14.170006 Presentations
Hopkins, P.D., & Shook, N. J. (2017). A review of sociocultural factors that may underlie differences in African American and European American anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 49, 104-113.
Hopkins, P. D., & Shook, N. J. (2017). Development of an intergroup anxiety toward Muslims scale. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 61, 7-20.
Hopkins, P.D., Shook, N.J. (2016, May). Ethnic identity as a protective factor against negative psychological outcomes in African Americans. Poster presented at the annual meeting of Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Berman, M.I., Kivlighan, Jr., D.M., & Fassinger, R. (2016, August). Group therapy in a diverse, global society: A tool for meaningful change. Interdivisional collaborative symposium chaired at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Denver, CO.
Sim, W., Berman, M.I., Duan, C., Fuertes, J., Tao, K., Budge, S., Paquin, J., Owen, J., Sloane, N., & Pace, B. (2016, August). Promotion of multicultural psychotherapy science: What do we have to learn? What do we have to offer? Roundtable presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Denver, CO.
Hopkins, P.D., & Shook, N.J. (2016, January). Personal and Ideological Factors associated with Intergroup Anxiety toward Muslims. Poster presented at the annual meeting of Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, CA.
Hopkis, P.D. Association for Psychological Science RISE Award 2016 Awarded $300 for outstanding student research related to socially and economically underserved populations
Ward, D. M., Hayes, S. E.,* Randall, C. L., McNeil, D. W., Crout, R. J., Weyant, R. J., Marazita, M. L. (2015, November). Pain reports of African Americans living in Appalachia: The role of perceived stress. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.
Arias, M. C., Schade, M., Hayes, S. E., McNeil, D. W. Crout, R. J. Foxman, B. Marazita, M. L., Maurer, J. L., Neiswanger, K. & Weyant, R. J. (2015, November). Maternal depression is associated with infant sleep awakenings among women in Appalachia. Poster session presented at the meeting of Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Chicago, IL.
Hopkins, P.D. & Shook, N. J. (2015, May). Creation of an Intergroup Anxiety toward Muslims Scale. Poster presented at the annual meeting of American Psychological Science, New York City, NY.
Carlson-Ghost, M., and Theisen, J.J. (2015, May). Addressing spirituality in supervision. Presentation at the
Spirituality and Mental Health Conference at Argosy University–Twin Cities, Eagan, Minnesota.
Cwik, M. F., Green, J. M., Hayes, S. E.,* O’Keefe, V. M. (2013) Building research relationships with American Indian tribal communities: Experiences and lessons learned. The Behavior Therapist 36, 113-117.
Hayes, S. E.*, Randall, C. L., Robinson, S. A., McNeil, D.W. (2012, November). Chronic pain moderates the relation between depression and culturally-related anxiety in American Indians: Gender differences. Poster session at the meeting of Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. National Harbor, MD.
Hughes, A. (March 2008). Point-of-view Video Modeling: Effects on Play Behavior in Preschoolers with Autism. Paper presented at The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) 34 th International Play Conference, Tempe, AZ.
*Formerly Sarah E. Hayes