weighing the effects teaming up on community health · art therapy michael banghart, past...

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A mAgAzine for Alumni And friends of the Adler school summer 2011

Adler school of Professional Psychology

Weighing the Effects mental health and community voice in public policy

Teaming Up on Community Health Adler school students partner with neighborhood organizations

GEMEINSCHAFTSGEFÜHL (geh-MINE-shafts-geh-foohl)

1. (literally) “community engagement” or “social interest,”

this Adlerian term is used to describe one’s connectedness

and interest in the well-being of others that enhances or

pre-conditions psychological health.

2. the revolutionary notion that Alfred Adler proposed in

turn-of-the-century Vienna that drives the ground-breaking

and far-reaching curricula and commitment to community

engagement at the Adler school.

Board of Trustees

mary cahillane, m.B.A., Board Chair Vice President, finance and investment the spencer foundation

Victoria chou, Ph.d., Vice Chair dean, college of education, university of illinois at chicago

Audra Akins, m.A.t.d. doctoral student, instructional technology and design, northern illinois university.

Betsy Brill, m.B.A. President, strategic Philanthropy, ltd.

Janet campbell, m.s.W. coordinator of child and Youth mental health, ministry of children and family development

raymond e. crossman, Ph.d. President, Adler school of Professional Psychology

ralph deWitt, m.P.A. chief of the investigations Bureau, cook county (illinois) state's Attorney's office

William W. greaves, Ph.d. director, Advisory council on gay and lesbian issues, city of chicago commission on human relations

James m. houlihan former cook county (illinois) Assessor

david J. Kreischer, m.A. managing Partner, higgins Kreischer and Associates, llc

sid mohn, Ph.d. executive director, heartland Alliance for human rights and human needs

harold mosak, Ph.d. co-founder and distinguished Professor, Adler school of Professional Psychology

Juan salgado, m.u.P. President and chief executive officer, instituto del Progreso latino

lindsay setzer retired, former director, maples Adolescent treatment centre

Bernard shulman, m.d. director of Psychiatric services, diamond headache clinic co-founder, Adler school of Professional Psychology

david sinski, m.A. executive director, After school matters

Javier ubarri, m.B.A. chicago Bancorp

eric c. Warner, P.t., m.s. chief executive officer, Accelerated rehabilitation centers

Alumni Association Leadership Board

gary howell, President, m.A. 2004 counseling, Psy.d. 2008 clinical Psychology

christy schoenwald, Vice President, m.A. 2009 counseling Psychology– Art therapy

michael Banghart, Past President, m.A. 2002 counseling

mark Bilkey, Psy.d. 1997 clinical Psychology

tim devitt, Psy.d. clinical Psychology

leigh Johnson-migalski, m.A. 1999 counseling, Psy.d. 2006 clinical Psychology

nancy Johnston, m.A. 2006 counseling and organizational Psychology

ninfa A. martínez, m.A. 1994 marriage and family therapy

colleen mitchell, Psy.d. 2008 clinical Psychology

roger Peden, m.A. 2001 counseling and organizational Psychology

michael K. ryle, m.A. 2008 Police Psychology

megan scheible, Psy.d. candidate clinical Psychology, student representative

Adler School of Professional Psychology

The Adler School Leadership Team

raymond e. crossman, Ph.d. President

larry Axelrod, Ph.d. dean, Vancouver campus

martha casazza, ed.d. Vice President of Academic Affairs

Anthony chimera, m.B.A. Vice President of development

Jo Beth cup, m.s.m. Vice President of Administration

Jeffrey green, m.B.A. Vice President of finance and technology

Wendy Paszkiewicz, Psy.d. Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs

lynn todman, Ph.d. executive director, institute on social exclusion

Chicago Campus 17 north dearborn street chicago, illinois 60602

Vancouver Campus 1090 West georgia street, suite 1200 Vancouver, Bc V6e 3V7, canada

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Gemeinschaftsgefühl summer 2011 © Adler school of Professional Psychology • All rights reserved • Produced by Adler school of Professional Psychology • department of marketing & communications • 17 north dearborn street, chicago, illinois 60602 • telephone: 312-662-4000 • e-mail: [email protected] • Associate Vice President of marketing & communications: mark Branson • director of communications: Kim mccullough • Adler school student contributors: rachel eddy, Korey Watkins • design: Kym Abrams design Photography: charlie simokaitis, corbis, getty images • Printing: unique Active • contributing Writer: maureen Kelleher

04 Leading Social Change At the forefront in military psychology, lgBtQ mental

health and online education practice

07 Teaming Up on Community Health Youth sports. community banking. minority hiring on public

works projects. What’s mental health got to do with it?

13 Conversations on Social Change talking with Adlerian scholar, psychologist and

author Paul rasmussen, Ph.d.

15 Leading Thought in the Field forward thinking and news from the Adler school

faculty and institutes

17 Weighing the Effects Advancing practice and community voice on decisions

that affect community mental health

23 The Global View Partnering, presenting and advocating socially responsible

practice throughout the world

25 Our Alumni: Leading Change in the World cultivating hope and healing in the displaced persons

camps of haiti

In THIS ISSUE

summer 2011 gemeinschAftsgefÜhl3

nation and other countries. this work is advancing the practice

of health impact assessment to guide public policy makers in

decisions about infrastructure, transportation, employment,

housing, and a host of other seemingly unrelated areas that

ultimately affect our cities’ mental health.

the mhiA is an example of how the Adler school leads as an

innovator in social change through our mission of preparing

socially responsible practitioners, engaging communities, and

advancing social justice.

As a teaching institution committed to academic and practice

excellence, we recognize that preparing socially responsible

practitioners means preparing practitioners who appreciate the

needs of growing urban communities. this issue describes im-

portant work of our faculty, students, and alumni in those urban

communities—from the neighborhoods of chicago’s West side,

to the makeshift settlements in and around Port-au-Prince,

haiti, to the fragmented post-war communities of sri lanka.

our faculty has developed an approach for our community

psychology coursework that goes farther and deeper than

volunteerism or community service. on chicago’s West side,

our faculty and students have found that youth sports,

community banking, and public work projects are closely tied

to the determinants of one neighborhood’s mental health.

And, one of our Vancouver alumni, Jennifer Van Wyck, finds

ways to support community and health within the displaced

persons camps outside Port-au-Prince.

Jennifer’s report reminds me that change is not only pos-

sible, it’s our responsibility—to question, to think differently,

and to lead. When we engage cities in collaborative partnership

that strengthens communities, provides service, and prepares

students, we lead social change.

most of the world’s population growth in coming decades

will take place in urban centers. All projections point to this

significant worldwide change in how humans are living in the

21st century.

Policy makers and researchers across disciplines are explor-

ing the increasingly complex experience of hundreds of millions

of people in burgeoning urban population centers. last month,

united nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon stated, “We

know what policies would strengthen urban good governance

and improve the way cities handle such key issues as hous-

ing, land use, equitable access to land, inheritance and shelter

rights, sanitation, and energy efficiency.” All these issues of

urban life are social determinants of mental health.

i have lived in major cities my entire life, and the Adler

school is located in two of the world’s great cities—so i appreci-

ate the many positive and healthy aspects of urban living. At the

same time, there are specific risks to the collective well-being

and mental health of growing urban communities. What we call

in this issue of Gemeinschaftsgefühl “urban dis-ease.” At the

Adler school, we’ve been exploring the issue of urban dis-ease

for a while. And, we’ve pioneered ways to address it.

last summer, our institute on social exclusion (ise)

convened the united states’ first-ever conference on social

determinants of mental health—bringing together public health

officials and policy makers, health service providers, and

academics and practitioners from seven countries. our keynote

speaker david satcher, former u.s. surgeon general, called our

conference “cutting edge” in its focus. And in his remarks, he

called for the start of a global movement to change policies that

affect social determinants of mental health.

Within months, we took the next significant, cutting-edge

step. As you will read in this issue of Gemeinschaftsgefühl, our

ise convened a team of faculty, students, policy makers, public

health officials, and community members to develop a first-

of-its-kind mental health impact Assessment (mhiA) to take

systemic action.

only months into this pioneering project, we’re fielding in-

quiries about the mhiA and its potential application across the

raymond e. crossman, Ph.d.

President

FrOm THE prESIdEnT

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“As a city, we’re truly proud of the Adler

school’s commitment not only to our

citizens but to the rest of the world.” so

said chicago mayor richard m. daley in

remarks to more than 500 alumni, faculty,

students, staff, community represen-

tatives, and leaders from throughout

chicago and the nation who gathered

January 11 for the grand opening of the

Adler school’s new chicago campus.

throughout the night, guests toured

the state-of-the-art campus designed

Chicago Celebrates Adler School Campus Opening

the united states’ first clinical

psychology doctoral program with a

military psychology track has been

established at the Adler school—amid

a growing shortage of behavioral health

professionals serving u.s. troops just

as suicide and post-traumatic stress

disorder is on the rise.

Joseph Troiani, ph.d., a retired u.s.

navy commander, clinical psychologist,

and coordinator of the Adler school’s

military Psychology track, points to the

need for the new track citing:

• the occurrence rate of post-traumat-

ic stress disorders (Ptsd), now double

the rates of prior conflicts such as the

Korean War, the Vietnam conflict and

the first gulf War. the Ptsd rate among

women was recently identified at close to

40 percent.

• the nature of modern conflict, such

as use of improvised explosive devices,

that has produced significant rates of

increase in traumatic brain injury (tBi).

• Advances in military medicine that

have produced falling death rates but

increased incidence of tBi, spinal

cord injuries, and other brain injuries

requiring long-term clinical psychological

services including medical and rehabili-

tative psychology.

the Veterans Administration also

continues to expand both hospital and

clinic-based behavioral health services

to meet the needs of increasing numbers

of veterans turning to the VA system

for services—providing significant

opportunity for military psychologists.

by chicago-based and internationally

renowned oWP/P cannon design;

met faculty, students and staff; and

learned more about the school’s current

and future initiatives including anti-vio-

lence programs in chicago’s englewood

and Back of the Yards communities.

learn more about the technologically,

environmentally, and architecturally

innovative new campus at

adler.edu/page/campuses/chicago.

nation’s First psy.d. program with military psychology Track Launched

LEAdInG SOCIAL CHAnGE

from left: chicago mayor richard m. daley, with Adler school President raymond e. crossman at the new campus opening


Adler online—which leads the

Adler school’s blended and online

learning programs and services—has

been recognized by a u.s. national

higher education consortium for best

practice in innovating faculty and

student support systems for blended

education.

the sloan consortium, a leader-

ship association in higher education

engaged in online learning, recog-

nized the Adler online initiative as one

of the nation’s top five practices for

innovation, replicability and success in

advancing access, learning effective-

ness, faculty and student satisfaction,

and scalability.

Zoaib mirza, m.A., director of Adler

online, and paul Collins, Associate

Vice President of technology, accept-

ed the 2010 effective Practice Award

at the eighth Annual sloan-c Blended

learning conference and Workshop,

march 29 in oak Brook, ill.

Adler Online recognized for national Best practice

zoaib mirza, m.A. director, Adler online

for the first time ever, candidates

running for chicago mayor came

together during the 2011 campaign to

specifically address issues of education,

housing, youth, civil rights, and public

safety facing the lgBtQ community. the

historic mayoral candidates’ forum took

place at the Adler school on february 9.

“i want to thank you—for your dedi-

cation and your love for the city—and

most importantly Adler, for hosting this

event and for what you do to make this

a stronger and better city,” candidate

rahm Emanuel told forum attendees,

just weeks before his election as

Historic Forum Speaks to LGBTQ Issues

chicago’s new mayor.

the Adler school worked closely with

leadership from the Association for latin

men of Action (AlmA), the Aids founda-

tion of chicago, Affinity, Amigas latinas,

equality illinois, lgBt change, and

the civil rights Agenda representing

a coalition of 32 lgBtQ advocacy

organizations that organized the event.

media coverage of the forum included

chicago’s ABc, nBc and univision

affiliate stations; the Chicago Tribune;

the Huffington Post; and the Windy City

Times. for more information including

a link to video, visit adler.edu.

Center for LGBTQ mental Health Announced

this fall, the Adler school will establish

the center for lgBtQ mental health at

its chicago campus to provide new cur-

ricula, advocacy, thought leadership and

research on lgBtQ mental health for the

public as well as students of the school.

the center will lead to the development

of new coursework, certificate programs

and degree programs at the Adler school.

it is also expected to become a resource

to the Adler school and to the public

regarding lgBtQ health services and

mental health through an emerging

advocacy and research agenda.

the center’s founding director will

be hired this summer to begin working

closely with faculty to develop plans

and programs for students’ education

and training. Additional priorities will

be to build local and national partner-

ships for advocacy and research.

rahm emanuel speaks at the Adler school, shortly before his election as chicago’s new mayor.

6

Transformative Change in

Mental Health

Pre-conference meeting of the society

for community research and Action

(scrA) Biennial conference

June 15, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.


17 north dearborn street, chicago

for more information: www.scra27.org

the Adler school will host this interna-

tional mental health pre-conference

focused on contributions that community

psychology perspectives and practices

can make in restoring “community” in

mental health systems and services.

FOr ALUmnI

Networking: The Way of Connection

Today and for a Lifetime

July 21, 4-5:30 p.m.


17 north dearborn street, chicago

for more information: adler.edu/events

gain new tools to clearly, succinctly,

and compellingly convey during the job

search how you impact an organization

or group of people through what you

offer. reserve your place for this free

workshop at [email protected].

Homecoming 2011: Chicago Campus

october 22, 7-9 p.m.


Watch for the announcement: adler.edu

Conferences + Events

the proceedings from this pioneering

conference of the Adler school’s institute

on social exclusion—featuring keynote

speaker and former u.s. surgeon

general david Satcher, m.d., ph.d.—

Faculty Bookshelf

was the nation’s first to convene think-

ers and practitioners from diverse

backgrounds to effectively address

social determinants of mental health.

Verjee, Program director for the Adler

school’s m.A. in community Psychol-

ogy Program in Vancouver, explores

the development of service learning

from a critical race feminist perspec-

tive within context of the university of

British columbia’s work. how could

the university develop service partner-

ships with individuals and communities

Begum Verjee, ed.d.Program director of m.A. community Psychology, Vancouver campus

of color when the institution remains

a site of white, male, and class-based

structures, discourses and practices?

through counter-storytelling, women of

color as students, staff, faculty, and non-

university community members relayed

their experiences—forming the basis for

a service learning model founded on a

transformative view of education.

The Social Determinants of Mental Health: From Awareness to Action

isBn # 978-1456324162

Women of Colour Talk Back: Towards a Critical Race Feminist

Practice of Service-Learning isBn #978-3838329581

Begum Verjee, ed.d.

8

Teaming Up on Community Health Quite a lot, as students are learning in community Psychology

classes taught by nataka moore, psy.d., and Josefina

Alvarez, ph.d. at the Adler school. their pedagogy takes the

Adler school’s recognized focus on community engagement to a

new level, immersing beginning master’s and doctoral students

in local issues that strongly impact community mental health.

in community Psychology, students get a wide-angle lens on

community mental health that is very different from the field’s

traditional focus on the therapeutic counselor/client relationship.

“in order to make the individual well, we have to support the

community as a healthy one,” says martha Casazza, Ed.d., Vice

President of Academic Affairs at the Adler school. “that all

comes from Alfred Adler—it’s a basic tenet we’re following.”

to orient their students immediately to the mindset, moore and

Alvarez led them into field work in two challenged chicago neigh-

borhoods to partner with community organizations working

for change. the students dug deep into concrete issues that

affect the neighborhoods—and saw firsthand social deter-

minants of community mental health and how to transform

them positively.

the approach is designed to benefit both community resi-

dents and Adler school students. “We asked [the community]

‘What can we do? how can our students develop projects that

advance your work?’” moore says.

it’s very different from the traditional university research

model, which views neighborhoods as subjects of research.

casazza says, “other programs may sit in a classroom and

develop a project based on what they read in a textbook or

hear in a lecture, and then go out to the community and ask if

they can conduct research. You’re looking for subjects to

Youth sports. Community banking. minority hiring on public work projects.

What’s mental health got to do with it?

(continued on next page)


study your project through. the way we do it shows respect. it’s

showing the community we recognize them as the experts in

the community, and they’re going to guide us.”

last fall, moore’s 32 students worked with Westside health

Authority (WhA) in chicago’s Austin neighborhood to research

key issues like community banking and minority hiring. WhA

is a community-based nonprofit organization, founded in 1988

with the mission to use the capacity of local people to improve

the health and well-being of West side residents.

it works with a broad base of hospitals, clinics, social service

organizations, churches, and community residents in the areas

of youth development, violence prevention, technology, employ-

ment, economic development, and health promotions. through

WhA’s asset-based community organizing project “every Block

a Village,” community residents connect with each other for

mutual support and community-building within a 68-block area.

Already, WhA is examining a module that the Adler school

students developed for youth mental health prevention and

intervention. the authority is preparing to apply the module in

its after-school programs. the students also created a mas-

ter proposal for WhA’s Youth sports—critical to helping WhA

sustain its new little league that kicked off in march with a

baseball clinic for 300 youths.

“What the group did well was listen to some of the staff here

and put their words into a document that will one day help us

get funding,” says Jonathan Currie, a community organizer for

WhA. “their research has been put to work in WhA’s after-school

department in our efforts to implement mental health program-

ming. our growing recreation and sports programming can also

use the master grant proposal for any related funding opportuni-

ties that arise.”

moore says, “[students] really had to make the connection

about how youth programming and exercise impact the mental

health of children. they learned if you’re concerned about the

mental health of youth in a community, it often comes down to

developing programs—and that requires funding.”

for the Adler school students, the process began with in-class

presentations from WhA leaders and neighborhood residents.

the class then took a resident-led tour of Austin, a low-income,

predominantly African-American community that is chicago’s

largest neighborhood both geographically and in population.

students saw first-hand that even a challenged neighbor-

hood has significant assets of which mental health practitioners

should be aware. “All the houses had lawns; people were so

friendly. they had a beautiful park. that wasn’t what i was

expecting,” first-year master’s student rachel Eddy says.

other assets were harder to see—which underscored the

importance of resident guides to point them out. eddy says a resi-

dent who visited her class spoke on the tour about the respect

that young people, even drug dealers, have for community elders.

“[The Adler School students’] research has been put to work in WHA’s after-school department in our efforts to implement mental health programming.” Jonathan currie, community organizer, Westside health Authority

Austin little leaguers and their coach confer at a recent practice.

(continued on page 12)

“Students really had to make the connection about how youth programming and exercise impact the mental health of children.” nataka moore, Psy.d., the Adler school

10


190hours

360,000+people

the length of a community service

Practicum during a student’s first

year at the Adler school

the minimum hours that

students devote to on-site

work in the community during

the practicum

lives affected through these

efforts and more through the

Adler school and its students

each year

BY THE nUmBErS

The Adler School Community Service practicum

recognized as an “innovative Practice in graduate

education” by the American Psychology Association Board of

educational Affairs, the community service Practicum (csP)

is another curricular hallmark at the Adler school in prepar-

ing future practitioners to address systemic improvements to

community mental health.

every student engages in a csP—a non-clinical and

community-based practicum—during his or her first year

of study. for more about csP or becoming a community-

based practicum site, visit adler.edu.

hours of direct community

service students provide

annually through csP

alone: writing grants,

creating curricula, providing

research, conducting client

focus groups, supporting

legal advocacy campaigns,

and much more—that helps

communities advance

systemic change for improved

community mental health

6months

70,000+hours

12

christie ledbetter, clinical Psychology doctoral student, part of this year’s community Psychology course experience working with community partners in chicago’s Austin neighborhood

“if there’s an elder on the street who says ‘You need to get

out of this area,’ that young person will respect them,” eddy

says. “how there are still these strong traditions was a com-

pletely new idea for me. i probably wouldn’t have caught that

[without a resident guide].”

After observing the neighborhood and getting a base of fa-

miliarity, the class developed an assessment of Austin’s needs

and assets. groups began tackling the research projects.

christie ledbetter, a first-year clinical Psychology doctoral

student, was on the team addressing community youth sports.

“We wrote a grant document on the importance of a youth

sports league within the community and the importance of

youth sport participation for healthy development, and to help

fortify and expand the youth baseball and basketball leagues,”

she says. “since i am not a chicago native, this project opened

my eyes to surrounding areas of the city and afforded me the

chance to connect.”

eddy’s group researched traditional, charter, and vocational

high schools to inform Austin residents as they organize to win

a new high school for the community. Austin’s only neighbor-

hood high school closed in 2007—and winning a new high

school capable of serving the entire area is a high priority

among residents.

“We tried not to draw conclusions,” eddy says. “We tried to

give them all the information, so they could decide what to do

with it.” doing the research also taught her the importance of

perspective as a clinician.

“to do a project with a community like that was really eye-

opening. You have to look at it from every angle. You can’t form

opinions without exploring the situation. not every patient is

going to be similar to you.”

in Vancouver, students in the first cohort of the campus’

new master’s program in community psychology will

see the local face of issues like access to programs that

advance opportunities for children and youth, through site

visits to community agencies, says Begum Verjee, Ed.d.,

who directs the program.

for now, students are getting exposure through guest

speakers. Verjee says, “People are coming in from the

community and from government to talk about the work

they are doing. it offers the students a sense of the work

possibilities open to them.”

those possibilities include meaningful work as urban

social and health planners, coordinators for crime

prevention and restorative justice, community organizers,

and consultants on community-based research, impact,

and investment.

on both Adler school campuses, in Vancouver and

chicago, the enhanced hands-on emphasis provides

solid preparation for the community service Practicum

(csP), one of the Adler school’s trademark educational

experiences. (See sidebar)

the csP experience offers students frontline exposure

to social issues by placing them with agencies to become

involved with community organizing, grant writing, needs

assessment, program design, evaluation, and more. the

Amercian Psychological Association has recognized the

Adler school’s csP as a best practice in graduate education.

now, students are entering csP with a stronger

sense of how to tackle community change.“they have a

greater appreciation of why they’re doing their community

service Practicum. they are coming prepared to meet

with supervisors and say,’i understand this problem and

here are some tools i have to address it,” moore says.


Paul RasmussenA Conversation With

As we examine social determinants

of mental health today, how do

Alfred Adler’s concepts hold up?

in my opinion, very well. But this

needs to be qualified. in many ways,

psychology has moved on to other ways

of thinking about the human condition.

the language that Adler and [rudolf)

dreikurs used has not been part of the

contemporary dialogue.

But Adler and dreikurs were way

ahead of their time. i would argue it’s

probably going to be a few more genera-

tions of psychologists before the broader

discipline catches up. however, given the

language differences, when that catching

up does occur, one may not recognize the

Adlerian ideas unless they look because it

probably won’t be Adlerian terminology.

Adler and dreikurs were smart and

amazingly insightful. But they weren’t

prophets or gurus, and their insights and

descriptions were constrained by their

cultural realities. As a result, some of

the perspectives they took and the way

they described some things no longer

make sense.

however, the idea that each person is

striving to find a place of safety, comfort,

worth, and significance will never be

constrained by cultural changes. nor will

the need to look at the person holistically.

that we are talking more and more

about the bio-psychosocial model is

evidence that the discipline is moving that

direction. eventually, the idea of social

interest, probably in the form of social

cooperation, will become popular.

You’ve explained that social coop-

eration along with social interest—

gemeinschaftgefühl—requires increasing

the cooperative responsibilities of those

who control resources—so the psycholo-

gist’s role can’t be directed simply at

helping the disadvantaged take advan-

tage of resources. Can you elaborate?

it can’t just be helping the

disadvantaged take advantage of

whatever resources the advantaged

choose to make available. those advan-

taged folks need to reflect on what they

really need and control their greed, and

make sure the resources they control are

made available.

You can take pretty much any contem-

porary sociopolitical issue and see this

debate. the more the advantaged hog the

pie, the more likely the disadvantaged

to fight for more pie. the advantaged pie

Scholar, psychologist and author Paul rasmussen, Ph.d., recently

joined the core faculty at the Adler school teaching doctoral courses in Adlerian

techniques in case conceptualization and intervention. he also directs the Adlerian

certification program and coordinates the program in parent training.

COnVErSATIOnS On SOCIAL CHAnGE

holders need to be realistic with just

how much pie they need. this is part of

social interest.

the issue is very much part of the

protest and upheaval that we are

currently observing in northern Africa.

America and many religions were cer-

tainly founded on these principles. But

any time resources become limited and

valuable, greed will motivate people to

take more than their necessary share.

Turning now to your book: The

Quest to Feel Good (2010) examines

emotions—particularly negative emo-

tions—as critical adaptive mechanisms.

What was your goal in writing it?

there is a big schism between

the clinical literature on emotional

disorders and the non-clinical literature

on emotions. there are clearly excep-

tions, but counselors and clinicians don’t

often read the non-clinical literature on

emotion, and the emotions researchers

aren’t that interested in intervention. i

don’t think there is much qualitative

difference between an emotional disorder

and “just” an emotion, so there is value

in looking at the emotion literature to

understand emotional disorders.

this book is an attempt to bridge the

gap i’ve observed—to do so at a level that

is scholarly respectable, but at the same

time be accessible to others who aren’t

mental health professionals. i think we

ought to focus on what people are all

about. they want to try to feel as good in this

existence as they possibly can.

so we really define the quality of our lives,

not independently of thinking, but by how we

feel about our lives. rationalizations are just

verbal manipulations to justify what one’s

done to resolve a bad feeling or to create a

good feeling. logic is almost nonexistent.

so, to me, emotions are really primary to the

human experience. that’s what i’m trying to

argue with the book.

What do you find exciting about teach-

ing at the Adler School at this point in

your career?

What i find exciting about teaching at

the Adler school is the opportunity to

work with bright, motivated students who are

activity engaged in thinking about the human

experience, and to interact with highly com-

petent colleagues with a similar passion for

teaching and learning. Also, as one grounded

in Adlerian theory, i am particularly excited

to be at the premier center for advancing

Adlerian thought and practice.

14

Watch video of our faculty and leadership discussing social change. Visit adler.edu and click on “conversations on social change.”

Adler school student Korey Watkins contributed to this article.


Wendy paszkiewicz, psy.d., Associ-

ate Vice President of Academic Affairs,

and nancy Bothne, m.S., director of

community engagement, with student

leader melissa dreffin, recently secured

a mccormick foundation grant through

the illinois campus compact, supporting

the Adler school’s socially responsible

Practice (srP) Project.

LEAdInG THOUGHT In THE FIELd

Grant Supports Socially responsible practice project

the grant will support the school’s

work developing community engagement,

data collection, assessment, literature

review, and an action-plan white paper to

be published in may.

the “strategic civic leader fellows

grant” awarded to the Adler school is

among several that illinois campus

compact provided to its member institu-

Wendy Paszkiewicz, Psy.d. Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs

newest Core Faculty named to Adler School

Paul Rasmussen, Ph.D., core faculty,

doctor of Psychology in clinical

Psychology Program. see feature,

page 13.

Karen Koch, Psy.D., Program director,

master of Arts in counseling: forensic

Psychology Program.

Michele Kerulis, L.C.P.C., interim direc-

tor, master of Arts in counseling: sport

& health Psychology Program.

Robert Musikantow, Ph.D.,

core faculty, master of Arts in counsel-

ing: organizational Psychology Program.

Maricruz Ramos, N.C.C., L.P.C.,

core faculty, master of Arts in

counseling Program.

the illinois Academy of criminology

has honored Victoria priola-Surowiec,

psy.d., department chair for forensic

and Police Psychology programs at the

Adler school, with its prestigious Ann

o’Brien stevens Award, presented annu-

ally for outstanding contributions to the

field of criminal justice by a woman.

priola-Surowiec receives Illinois Award for Outstanding Contributions to Criminal Justice

in their nomination letter to the acad-

emy, Priola-suroweic’s students—police

officers who see first-hand the impact

of her work in the field—said: “she is a

dedicated professional who has delivered

beyond her duties an avenue for police

officers that has changed the way polic-

ing is performed. she is truly an innovator

and a positive contributor to the field of

criminal justice.”

Priola-suroweic received the award at

the academy’s annual awards ceremony

may 6 in chicago. she is a member of

the Association for innovation in law

enforcement, the international Associa-

tion of chiefs of Police, and the Police

executives research forum.

Victoria Priola-surowiec, Psy.d.

tions to projects that support

collaboration between academic affairs

and student affairs creating a campus

infrastructure that supports and

demonstrates civic engagement and

student involvement in three areas:

co-curricular service, leadership devel-

opment, and curricular activities.

the Adler school launched the srP

Project last fall as an initiative of its

new strategic plan to reflect on its

organizational core competency of

socially responsible practice. through

a yearlong schedule of conversations,

events, and activities, faculty, staff,

students, and alumni gathered to discuss

and debate socially responsible practice,

as well as express through art, music,

and other experiential means.

the white paper published this

month updates the Adler school’s 2006

socially responsible practice document,

and describes the existing educational

model, outcomes and culture. for more,

visit adler.edu.

16

starting in June, the institute on

social exclusion (ise) will pilot a best

practice-based mentoring program

that has grown from its work the last

two years guiding a highly successful

anti-violence program for at-risk youth

on chicago’s southwest side.

the new mentoring program will

work with at-risk African-American boys

14 to 17 years of age, providing them

with strong adult mentors who can

positively impact the boys’ levels of self-

esteem, self-concept, academic perfor-

mance, guidance, and emotional support.

ise developed the pilot based on

literature review of best practices for the

targeted population and needs assess-

ment of prospective mentees.

the Adler school has welcomed new

leadership to its institute on Public

safety and social Justice (iPssJ).

Elena Quintana, ph.d., comes to

iPssJ this month as its new executive

director. she had previously served as

director of evaluation for the chicago

Project for Violence Prevention (cease-

fire) at the university of illinois at

chicago since 1999.

While there, Quintana developed a

hospital initiative to prevent retaliations

immediately after shootings, a chicago

Public schools initiative serving youth

at highest risk, and an iraq initiative

to resolve general community conflict

in Basra, iraq.

Quintana completed her doctorate in

clinical-community psychology at dePaul

university and her undergraduate work at

university of california–santa cruz.

dan Cooper, m.S., has been named

Assistant director of iPssJ. he joins the

Adler school from Bethel new life, a

community development corporation on

chicago’s West side, where he served

for three years as director of evaluation.

he has also served as an adjunct faculty

member at the Adler school, teaching

community psychology.

cooper has worked with community-

based organizations and coalitions

throughout chicago on issues ranging

from violence prevention, youth develop-

ment, and organizing and coalition build-

ing, to housing, economic development,

deb Bailey is lead faculty coordinator

for the Adler school Vancouver cam-

pus’ general service Agreement with

the British columbia ministry of Public

safety and solicitor general to develop a

“learning Package and Provincial

toolkit—enhancing frontline effective-

ness to respond to Youth gangs.”

the project involves developing two

ISE pilots At-risk Youth mentoring program

Institute on public Safety and Social Justice Welcomes new Leadership

Vancouver project Helping Communities Address Youth Gangs

and strategic planning. A Ph.d. candidate

in community research and action at

Vanderbilt university, cooper holds a

master of urban planning and policy from

the university of illinois at chicago and a

master of science in community research

and action from Vanderbilt university.

the work of the iPssJ is to analyze

current public safety and security policies

with regard to social justice; engage in

practical field work that encourages

residents and public safety officials to

work together to build safer, healthier

communities; and stimulate public

discourse on the balance between public

safety and social justice issues. for more,

visit adler.edu/ipssj.

resources: 1. a provincial toolkit and

curriculum for communities to address

youth gang issues and 2. a greater

Victoria learning package including an

evaluation and final report that docu-

ments the training session development

process, proceedings, and learnings,

and next steps for addressing youth

gangs in greater Victoria.

read about more projects, research and news from the Adler school institutes at adler.edu/institutes.


Longtime community leader Jean Carter-Hill lives on the 6100 block of South

Ada Street in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. As of march, five houses on her

block stood vacant, including one next door to her home.

“There was a fire in the building,” she says. “I’ve been in touch with the police

and fire departments, trying to get it demolished. It’s a hazard.”

Weighing the Effects

18

Police have arrested people for entering that building, she

says, and she frequently calls a neighbor who is home during the

day to monitor for trouble. “sometimes it kind of makes you sick

to think about all the things that go on that you can’t do anything

about. i’m about ready for some mental help myself,” carter-hill

says, laughing. then, more soberly, she adds, “for real.”

to Lynn Todman, ph.d., executive director of the institute on

social exclusion (ise) at the Adler school, traditional psychologi-

cal approaches like one-on-one counseling or helping people

develop “coping” skills are only part of the answer to addressing

the anxiety and stress carter-hill and her neighbors face.

this kind of situation also calls for legislative and policy

decisions that address the root cause of their stress and anxiety.

An example is the recent proposal to amend chicago’s vacant

buildings ordinance to require banks to secure and maintain

their foreclosed properties, and increase fees and stiffen penal-

ties related to registering foreclosures.

to ensure that policy makers account for the mental health

implications of their decisions, todman leads a diverse team of

academics and community leaders developing a mental health

Jean carter-hill, executive director of imagine englewood-if and member of the institute on social exclusion’s mhiA project team, on the block where she lives.

(continued on next page)

"We seek to address both poor community mental health and the lack of community voice in public decision-making processes."lynn todman, Ph.d., executive director, institute on social exclusion

impact Assessment (mhiA) tool—the first of its kind in the

united states and only the second in the world.

the mhiA project advances established practices in urban

planning and public health—assessing the environmental

and physical health impacts of public decisions—into mental

health. By doing so, the project is attracting buzz and informa-

tion requests to the Adler school from researchers, community

leaders, and policy makers, both nationally and internationally.

the goals of the mhiA, todman says, are “to create a pro-

cess by which mental health professionals can impact public

policy decision-making, and ensure that communities have

a voice in the decisions that affect them. We seek to address

both poor community mental health and the lack of community

voice in public decision-making processes.”

too often, government decisions made without considering

mental health implications have harmed communities in the

long run. take, for instance, the decision in the 1940s to house

low-income families in densely populated high-rise housing

projects. chicago’s robert taylor homes, completed in 1962,

provides a notorious example of a housing project that fostered

economic decline and social decay. it was demolished in 2007.

“sometimes we make decisions without understanding fully

how those decisions are going to impact people and their com-

munities,” todman says. “the mhiA is a tool that can be used

to help ensure that the government doesn’t make decisions

that harm the health and well-being of communities, espe-

cially low-income and other vulnerable communities.”

todman and the team began developing the mhiA after the

ise last June convened the nation’s first conference highlighting

the social determinants of mental health—which include hous-

ing quality, neighborhood conditions, food security, employ-

ment opportunity, working conditions, public safety, and public

service systems.

“the enthusiasm sparked by the conference propelled us to

action,” says Jared Berger, an Adler school doctoral student

who works at ise. from there, the team implemented a pilot

mhiA last fall in which it assessed the likely mental health

implications of the proposal to change chicago’s vacant building

ordinance. the team examined literature and solicited commu-

nity and other stakeholder input to develop a series of hypothet-

ical pathways illustrating the relationship between the proposal

and the mental health of the englewood community.

A policy brief was written and presented to the sponsoring

alderman, Pat dowell, who asked todman to testify before the

full chicago city council when the measure comes up for a vote.

community input is essential to a valid and meaningful mhiA,

todman says. “too often, people in communities like englewood

are ‘acted upon,’” she says. “they don’t even know policy is

coming, and then they have to live with it. the idea of the mhiA

is for residents of such communities to weigh in on and influ-

ence those decisions to help ensure that they promote good

health and well-being.”

to that end, englewood community representatives, including

carter-hill, as executive director of imagine englewood-if, are

critical partners in the ise’s new 18-month mhiA project to be

announced this spring.


(continued on page 21)

20

"We seek to address both poor community mental health and the lack of community voice in public decision-making processes."

22.4 percent of residents unemployed

17.3 percent of children screened with

elevated lead levels

19.4

percent of births premature

BY THE nUmBErS

The Englewood Community

21.6 percent of households on public

assistance

17percent

of housing units

vacant

*sources: 2000 u.s. census data, metropolitan chicago information center analysis of u.s. census microdata, chicago department of Public health community Area health inventory

$19,247 median household income


Transforming the System

the first step of the mhiA process is screening potential

legislation and policies for analysis. the ise team has reviewed

a range of ideas: from an ordinance that would increase the

use of city funds for affordable housing, to a proposal lowering

the age of gun ownership to 18, to a proposed increase in the

minimum wage, to abolishing the open admissions policy at

chicago’s public colleges.

englewood representatives on the mhiA team have been

central to the screening process, identifying the most salient

community issues.

“guns, violence, and jobs—those are the issues that matter,”

said diahann Sinclair, who serves on the board of teamwork

englewood, a leading community development body in the

neighborhood and a partner in the mhiA project. housing is

also at the top of the priority list.

once a policy proposal has been selected for assessment,

the researchers will determine the scope of health impacts to

assess and create a work plan for analysis. the assessment

itself will profile the community’s current mental health condi-

tions and evaluate the policy’s potential impacts, positive and

negative, on the collective mental health and well-being of the

englewood community.

Where relevant, the assessment may suggest strategies to

manage any adverse impacts or amplify any positive impacts

the policy might have on community mental health. findings

will be shared through a final report. how legislators’ and policy

makers’ ultimate decisions eventually affect the community’s

mental health will be evaluated and monitored over time.

mhiA team member Begum Verjee, Ed.d., Program director

The assessment will profile the community’s current mental health conditions and evaluate the policy’s potential impacts, positive and negative, on the collective mental health and well-being of the Englewood community.

22

the leading support from two significant foundation

partners is enabling development of the groundbreak-

ing mental health impact Assessment (mhiA)

project through the institute on social exclusion at

the Adler school.

in January, the robert Wood Johnson foundation

announced a $250,000 grant to support the project

“as a critical opportunity to improve people’s health

beyond the healthcare system—in the communities

where people live, work, and play.”

As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted solely

to public health, the robert Wood Johnson foundation

supports projects aligned with its mission to improve

the health and health care of all Americans, and its

goal to help society transform itself for the better.

Weeks later, the W.K. Kellogg foundation awarded

$150,000 to the Adler school to further support the

mhiA project. the W.K. Kellogg foundation, estab-

lished in 1940, supports children, families, and

communities as they strengthen and create conditions

that propel vulnerable children to achieve success

as individuals and as contributors to the larger com-

munity and society. its grants are concentrated in

the united states, latin America, the caribbean, and

southern Africa.

“these grants acknowledge the significance of our

work and its implications for the mental health and

well-being of residents in disadvantaged communities,”

says Lynn Todman, ph.d., executive director of the

institute on social exclusion and mhiA project leader.

“the Adler school is uniquely qualified to undertake

this work because everything we do, like the mhiA,

occurs at the intersection between social issues

and psychology.”

lynn todman, Ph.d. executive director, ise mhiA Project leader

Leading foundations:

mHIA is ‘critical opportunity’Pictured below: Jean carter-hill community garden, nicholson technology Academy in englewood

for the Adler school’s m.A. in community Psychology Program

in Vancouver, says, “A lot of community programming is just

putting Band-Aids® on wounds rather than looking at how

systemic issues could be transformed through policy changes.

i’m really excited to look at the transformative processes

rather than just offer Band-Aid® treatments.”

todman says, “We’re excited to be advancing hiA practice

in this way. the mhiA also is a perfect example of what drives

the faculty and staff of our institute and the Adler school as a

whole: advocacy, community engagement, and practice and

intellectual innovation that are directed toward creating a so-

ciety in which everyone has access to basic rights, resources,

and opportunities.”

3

1

2


Adler School faculty and alumni are

engaged throughout the world.

1 USA (Massachusetts): lynn todman, Ph.d., executive director

of the institute on social exclusion, delivers a webinar series

this summer through the harvard graduate school of educa-

tion for state superintendents of education, harvard graduate

school partners, and key program stakeholders on how

educators can apply the social exclusion framework guiding

system and structural change in public education.

2 USA (Washington, D.C.): raymond e. crossman, Ph.d.,

President of the Adler school, participated April 5 in “effective

alcohol and other drug abuse and violence (AodV) prevention

programs and strategies on college campuses for lgBt

students,” hosted by the u.s. department of education higher

education center for Alcohol, drug Abuse, and Violence

Prevention. the expert panel was a historic first meeting

convened by the u.s. government to make higher education

more safe and inclusive for lgBtQ students. crossman also

spoke in march on the Amercian council on education’s first-

ever panel on lgBtQ issues at its annual conference.

3 Puerto Rico: Adler school core faculty Joe troiani, Ph.d.,

presented on military psychology clinical practice and need,

and maria Vannucci, Ph.d., was selected for poster

presentation on a model for post-doctoral training, at the

national council of schools and Programs of Professional

Psychology (ncsPP) mid-winter conference in san Juan in

January. Wendy Paszkiewicz, Psy.d., Associate Vice President

for Academic Affairs, serves as ncsPP president-elect.

4 Rwanda: in collaboration with heartland Alliance for human

needs & human rights, the chicago campus hosted a two-

week visit by rwandan clinical psychologist eugene rutem-

besa. rutembesa came to the school during the fall to learn

about its graduate programs and trauma concentration, as

well as experience its community engagement through com-

munity service Practicum and clinical programs.

5 Ethiopia: debra Paskind, m.A., Atr-Bc, lcPc, core faculty

in Art therapy, travels with art therapy students this summer

to hwassa and dilla, ethiopia, to provide services and training

through a pilot program with heartland Alliance and its local

partner organization. expected activities include working with

The Global View

8

74

6

59

24

children and women in a shelter, facilitating self-help group

meetings, and providing staff development including training

for local counselors and paraprofessionals in therapeutic uses

of art to enhance self esteem, improve communication skills,

and foster improved interpersonal skills.

6 South Africa: Joshua ndlela, intern psychologist at nelson

mandela metropolitan university, came to the Adler school

chicago campus as part of a ford foundation scholarship dur-

ing the fall to experience community Psychology classes, ob-

serve faculty and student working with community partners in

the field, and lead discussion groups on work in south Africa.

7 Sri Lanka: in february, martha casazza, ed.d., Vice President

for Academic Affairs, and lynn todman, Ph.d., assisted a

team from heartland Alliance working with its rehabilitation

program for former child soldiers in war-ravaged sri lanka.

in advancing international programming to extend the Adler

school’s commitment to social justice practice worldwide,

the school is establishing sabbatical for faculty, exchanges

with global scholars that have included guests from rwanda

and south Africa, and opportunities for students to engage in

academic work and community service in costa rica, ethiopia,

and other countries.

8 India: inquiries from indian students have more than tripled

in the last year amid growing international student interest in

attending the Adler school. As of April 15, the school fielded

inquiries from nearly 1,200 international students, compared

with 528 in 2010. so far this year, students have applied to the

Adler school from 23 countries.

9 Thailand: Art therapy faculty of the Adler school in the fall

provided training for faculty of srinakharinwirot university

in Bangkok in areas of art therapy leading to preparation for

practicum experiences. during their chicago stay, the thai

faculty took part in intensive study and co-curricular experi-

ences including art therapy intervention methods with specific

populations, and art therapy in practice at Adler school practi-

cum sites.


OUr ALUmnI: LEAdInG CHAnGE In THE WOrLd

Cultivating Hopein december, Jennifer Van Wyck arrived in haiti to begin a year of providing mental health services in the displaced persons camps outside Port-au-Prince. impoverished communities there continue struggling to rebuild, more than a year after an earthquake devastated the country. more than half of the nation’s 1.5 million people left homeless by the quake remain living in camps.

Van Wyck, who earned her master’s in counseling psychology from the Adler school’s Vancouver campus, is one of five co-founders of Phoenix Vision society (phoenixvision.org). Phoenix Vision’s focus on multi-dimensional trauma healing “coincides with the holistic philosophy so ingrained in the Adler school curriculum,” Van Wyck says. “i really believe in the philosophy of the Adler school; i practice daily the integration of community and social advocacy.”

A woman pauses for a photo from a haitian camp where Adler school alumna Jennifer Van Wyck works with residents to rebuild their lives.

26

in three different

internally displaced peoples (idP) camps. the first one is home

to 50,000 people. i am the only mental health worker and work

there only two days a week.

i deal mainly with child abuse and rape. i work out of the hos-

pital, so i see many extreme cases. i also do healing groups for

haitian community workers, teens, women with post-traumatic

stress disorder, and one that focuses on positive parenting,

because physical child abuse is standard here.

in my free time, i have one-on-one sessions with individuals

with severe cases of trauma. i visit many clients in their homes

and do family counseling. i’m also implementing a mental health

program for the volunteers, because burnout is a common and

real problem.

the second camp i work is in champs de mars, the heart of

downtown Port-au-Prince and the location of most riots. living

conditions are deplorable.

i actively work with 20 women completing microfinancing

education that we provide in collaboration with another organiza-

tion. our main focus is relocation, microfinancing, and healing

from trauma and daily re-traumatization, to enable the women

to successfully maintain a small business. they are the poorest

of the poor, and lack energy, motivation, and commitment, but

we are making progress. i’m currently creating a microfinancing

protocol, and we disburse our first loans within the month. We

will then start to relocate the women to a safer area, based on a

protocol i’m creating with another non-governmental organiza-

tion (ngo).

the last idP camp where i work is just outside Port-au-Prince.

the president here is very motivated to improve living conditions.

right now, the people have no water, food, or electricity.

People are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Whenever i

I am working

Jennifer Van Wyck, at right

arrive, all the children shout my name and run toward me,

hanging off of me while i walk around the camp. often when i

arrive, people are in my tent waiting for group to start.

my work has focused on multi-dimensional healing. in my

regular groups we talk about the effects of life on the residents’

psyches. We do visualizations to help heal traumatic incidents

and the pain of their daily lives. in one group, we all cried when

one mother described how her children have to sift through

garbage piles to find food.

the goal is to help create community and support. in a city

that is rife with overpopulation, never have i heard so many

people saying that they feel alone.

At the same time, i have procured and distributed 15 hand-

washing stations with water filters, and a semi-regular supply

of soap to address fears of cholera, which thankfully has not

become a major problem in the camp. i have also organized a

group to come in and provide cholera education and training.

i have started a community garden project. With camp

leaders, we have developed a system supplying the produce to

the poorest in the camp. With the help of an agricultural expert

we are working on creating an irrigation system.

in a single year, the people of haiti have braved an earth-

quake and endured a cholera outbreak, hurricanes, and violent

elections. they struggle daily with no jobs, living in tents with

nothing to protect them or give them a sense of safety.

there is much to be done. But in three months, we have

cultivated hope in people’s hearts. We have empowered

communities. We have approached healing from a variety of

different angles, and assisted people in processing their grief

and starting over.

the strength of these incredible people has understandably

been shaken. our vision is to heal and repair it.

Jennifer Van Wyck, Adler school graduate

Presorted standard

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innovation and community.

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