Building A Social Justice Training

Structure in A Pre-doctoral Internship

Program in A University Counseling

CenterPei-Yi Lin, Ph.D. HSPP.

Jay Zimmerman, Ph.D. HSPP.Ball State University

Today’s Overview

Learning Objectives

Experiential Activity

The History and transition from Multicultural Training to Diversity/Social Justice Training at BSU

Beginning with the focus of multicultural work via outreach

Multicultural Seminar and the Development of the Multicultural Project

Transition to a social justice/diversity focused training along with a social justice project

Extend the social justice focus to the three training programs

Three Training Programs at BSU

Three Levels of Trainees

MA Internship Program

• Weekly Diversity Training (1.5 hrs) for two semesters.

• 20 hours immersion group experience

• Reflection log, once a month

• Cultural Autobiography • Social location exploration• Team Building• Topics: International

Students, Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities, Gender, LGBT, Spirituality, Social Class, Multiple Identities, and Disability, Sizism, etc.

Doc Practicum Program

• From a social justice oriented training program in Counseling Psychology department

• Participate the Diversity Outreach Team—Safe Zone and Transgender Safe Zone workshops, Diversity Advocacy Workshop, International Conversation Hour, Kaleidoscope Group, KISS Group, and Conversation Hour with Disability Awareness and development of other programs.

Pre-Doctoral Internship Program

Weekly Social Justice Seminar

Examples of Social Justice Projects

Transgender Project• Project-providing support for the voices of transgender

students through a project based on an adaptation of photovoice (Wang, 1999). The project and connections led to the development of a video used on campus and in training, inclusion of gender identity and gender expression in the Universities Equal Opportunity Policies and Anti Harassment Policies—this also led to the development of the Transgender Safezone and further opportunities for work with the Transgender Community

• Discussion of issues and challenges

International Conversation Hour• BSU was recruiting and bringing a significantly increased number of

international students, primarily from the Middle East and Asia to the campus. Integrating into US and BSU culture, language issues and academic and social issues (dating customs, friendship customs, foods etc) were all challenges for these students and for US students interacting in a more international Campus. ICH was an attempt to foster communication between cultures and support International students in learning and adapting to a new culture. It was begun by an international intern who is now one of the presenters and TD at the Center. From this program strong relationships have been built with International Programs and the Intensive English Institute and the Center has seen the growth of international clients seeking services. Groups have been set up in conjunction with the multicultural Center to take programs to where students feel more comfortable and these are growing in success---KISS Group and Kaleidoscope

• Discussion of issues and challenges

Conversation Hour with Disability Awareness• Modeled after ICH --Conversation hours on Disability

awareness—began with that idea in mind but ended up building a strong connection with the Disabled Student Organization and its members and the Office of Disability Services—created a group that will be educational but also a place for students with disabilities to come together to discuss and address their needs and be a source of voice for students with a disability. The intern was also able to build a team of undergraduates, graduate students and Counseling Psych students so that the project will have sustainability.

• Discussion of challenges and issues

Other Projects

• Non-Traditional Student Advocacy• Student-Parent Needs and Advocacy• Developing Feedback from International

Students for professors about assisting students in learning English.

• Name Project: Impact of Having an Ethnic Minority Name on Student’s Experience

• Providing a forum to give voice to Bisexual Student issues

Impact of Social Justice Work

Challenges to Interns in Developing Social Justice Projects

Internal Barriers• Why am I doing this project?—my motivation and

interest and commitment??? I just want to finish the internship year. Questioning about developing a social justice commitment.

• I have a plan for the target audience but someone from the group wants to take charge—having power struggles with the target members and dealing with frustrations.

• My idea isn’t always what is needed, wanted or seen as important by the target group. My agenda does not meet their agenda.

Challenges in the Process • Learning what bottom-up work means—being a

collaborator and facilitator rather than a leader or expert until your leadership is wanted and requested.

• Learning about institutional barriers and how to deal with them.

• Balancing my own time and energy as well as the other responsibilities

• Learning about the importance of building a relationship before implementing a project.

• Unforeseen challenges and difficulties in the identified marginalized group related to making their voices public in web projects or videos, etc.

Challenges to Training Staff

Questions and Challenges • Time Issues? Working out the multiple foci of

the seminar– Seminar meets every week for an hour throughout

the academic year—is it enough?– Room for self-exploration and development and a

place to deal with the development and challenges of the projects

– Room to reflect on the process of the project, challenges, implementation, failures, etc.

– Room to integrate social justice in counseling and supervision

Questions and Challenges

• Can we focus on multicultural/diversity development and social justice in the same seminar?

• What skills do we teach?• How do we really evaluate? Process V.S.

Outcome; Requirement V.S. Commitment; Success V.S. non-success

• Process over outcome but outcome is important too.

Final Thoughts……

Social Justice is not a choice but a commitment.

Challenges and Barriers are continuous within the training programs, in the Center, and on campus.

But we still keep moving forward—the parallel process between us and interns’ social justice projects.

Rewards and Joys in the process reinforce our commitment and passion.

Rewards and JoysJoy is a by-product of the work

• Comes from a sense of accomplishment• Comes from a sense of having created meaningful

collaborative relationships• Comes from building new and important and on-

going relationships• Comes from a sense of having an important impact

and contributing to people’s lives on the campus and beyond--that will have longevity—leaving something of yourself that will live beyond your internship

• Others?

DiscussionParticipants will be led in a discussion of the

possibilities and challenges of creating a social justice focus in their training programs and Centers

Thank You