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In 1995, the president of PPA, Richard F. Small, Ph.D. established
the Ethnic Minority Issues Task Force to address the growing need
within the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA) for more
awareness and understanding about Pennsylvania's many diverse
ethnic and cultural populations. The goal at that time was for
the task force to "investigate and recommend action in areas
of recruitment, serving the underserved and educating the public
as well as psychologists" (PPA Executive Committee Minutes,
June 17, 1995, p.3).
This task force produced a strategic plan for incorporating issues
of diversity into the fabric of PPA's functioning entitled "Into
the Next Millennium: The Changing Face of Psychology and the Community
in 1997." Recognizing the important obligation of all psychologists
to be well versed about multicultural issues, the Board of Directors
of PPA voted to establish the task force as a standing committee
under the Public Interest Board. The Committee on Multiculturalism
was implemented in 2000.
In many ways, the work by the Committee on Multiculturalism has
paralleled the growing focus on diversity nationwide. In January
1997, the American Psychological Association (APA) produced "Visions
and Transformations: The Final Report by the Commission on Ethnic
Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Training in Psychology."
This work represented a monumental commitment on APA's part to
address long-standing issues within the association and the educational
pipeline of psychology. The U. S. Surgeon General's office produced
a supplement to its mental health report entitled Mental Health:
Culture, Race, and Ethnicity (2001). APA's most recent contribution
to the area of diversity has been the new "Guidelines on
Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational
Change for Psychologists (2002)."
This resource guide is the next major step in the evolution of
the Committee on Multiculturalism. This guide grew out of the
desire to provide the psychological community and the citizens
of Pennsylvania with information about the commonwealth's and
the nation's ethically and culturally diverse populations with
whom many psychologists interface and serve daily. The availability
of resources to enhance our knowledge and service delivery benefits
everyone.
To offer comments or for more information please contact Eleonora
Bartoli, Ph.D.
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