Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice
The Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice (GJCCP) is an online journal for practitioners of community psychology and community improvement. We seek contributions from community practitioners in many fields including community development, public health, community organizing and others. Please consider sharing your knowledge, insights and accomplishments with the practice community along with innovations that may help communities throughout the world.
“There was a need in the community”: Practitioners’ Motivations to Providing Mental Health Services to Forced Migrants
Millions of individuals around the globe have been displaced from their countries due to disasters, including persecution, war, disease, famine, and weather events. Many forced migrants (FMs) experience mental health concerns that warrant treatment but often face significant barriers to care, including a limited pool of mental health practitioners (MHPs) who are competent, willing, and able to serve them. In Alaska, the Working Alongside Refugees in Mental Health (WARM) program was developed to address this need. After conducting the first WARM workshop, our team sought to understand how MHPs in Alaska are recruited and retained in working with forced migrants to further develop and maintain our program. We examined MHPs’ motivations to work with FMs through 13 qualitative semi-structured interviews with MHPs who engage in such work. Experiences with FMs and awareness of FMs in their communities, competence, and connections with other practitioners increased MHPs’ motivation and led to service delivery. Community psychology is well positioned to enhance services for FMs through both practitioner-level interventions and systemic interventions. Strategies for increasing and sustaining MHPs’ motivations to work with FMs include: forming connections with other MHPs and trusted individuals and organizations, increasing competence to work with FMs via specialized training networks, integrating experiences working with FMs into training programs, and engaging in advocacy to address systems-level barriers to care.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jordan Snyder, Elizabeth Mangini, Samantha Uchlin, Summer Hunt, Sara Buckingham https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Impact of Surf Therapy on Risk-Taking and Interpersonal Closeness Among Violence-Exposed Youth
Objective: The impacts of the sport-based, psycho-social intervention, surf therapy, have thus far yielded promising results based on self-reported and qualitative assessments. The purpose of this study is to use a multi-method evaluation to investigate the effects of Waves for Change’s surf therapy program for at-risk youth according to the primary intervention aims. Method: Two-hundred thirty-three violence-exposed youth from South Africa participated in a multi-method program evaluation of Waves for Change’s surf therapy program. Participants who were either enrolled in surf therapy or in the waitlist comparison group completed self-report assessments of perceived stress, sensation-seeking, and interpersonal closeness, as well as behavioral measures of risk-taking and self-esteem. Data were collected at two time points, six months apart. Findings: Participation in surf therapy among participants, each of whom endorsed exposure to violence, led to significant reductions in risk-taking behaviors and sensation seeking. Data also suggests that Waves for Change’s surf-therapy increased participants’ sense of interpersonal closeness. There were no significant changes observed in participant stress or self-esteem, which were both assessed with measures that yielded low internal consistency. Conclusion: Findings suggest that Waves for Change’s surf therapy program is an efficacious, trauma-informed intervention for violence-exposed youth. The intervention has been found to strengthen interpersonal connectivity and reduce impulsivity.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sarah Beranbaum, Nicole A. Kouri, Nicola Van der Merwe, Wendy D'Andrea https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Back to Too Much? Feeling Overwhelmed with Social Inclusion During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020 caused prolonged periods of social distancing. After mandates were lifted, social calendars filling up with plans felt like a dream come true to many. At the same time, a stark increase in real time interactions and number of social obligations likely experienced as stressful. The shift to in-person socialization may be especially distressing considering an extended period of reduced and controlled ways of gathering. Here, we analyzed peoples’ accounts of dealing with a sense of overinclusion in pandemic and post-pandemic socializing. In the varied responses in a qualitative sample of 24 participants, we found a disproportionate amount of post-distancing socializing brought up among recalled interactions deemed as “overwhelming”, than other inclusion interactions. Among the “overwhelming” interactions, post-distancing socializing was described as of more negative as positive emotional quality.
Copyright (c) 2024 Devki Patel, Verena Graupmann, Susan Markunas, Allyssa Alteri, Joseph R. Ferrari https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A systematic review of universities’ institutional policies addressing First Peoples Transformative change or reproduction of colonialism?
The rise of EDI and Indigenizing institutional initiatives in settler universities like so-called Canada [1] could suggest significant transformations and reduction of colonial violences. Yet, inadequate university policies can cause multiple negative effects: performative approaches, assimilation dynamics, co-optation, added burdens and microaggressions on First Peoples. The few studies that include ‘’Quebec’’ show major flaws in institutional actions towards First Peoples. Only one report focuses on ‘’Quebec’’ but merely states the presence of university institutional actions. Therefore, a critical analysis of university policies addressing First Peoples in ‘’Quebec’’ is necessary. Method: A systematic review of the policies of all universities (18) in ‘’Quebec’’ was achieved. The results were analyzed with the Wholistic Indigenous Framework. Results: No university in ‘’Quebec’’ has an institutional policy addressing First Peoples. Only 28% of universities have an action plan specific to First Peoples, while 56% have Equity, Diversity and Inclusion action plans. Only 1 of those 5 universities with an action plan specific to First Peoples presents the necessary conditions for respectful, responsible, relevant and reciprocal institutional actions. In other words, only 1 out of 18 (6%) universities has adequate institutional actions towards First Peoples. Conclusion: The Wholistic Indigenous Framework suggests that the action plans engage in tokenism with a checklist approach without a real transformation of power. The results reveal major gaps in higher education to address ongoing colonialism. [1] The terms so-called Canada and “Quebec’’ in quotation marks are used to highlight that they are colonial names and settler-colonial establishments, see for example Alook, A., Eaton, E., Gray-Donald, D., Laforest, J., Lameman, C., & Tucker, B. (2023). The End of this World: Climate Justice in So-called Canada. Between the Lines., or for an explanation https://medium.com/@waterwatchers/whats-up-with-so-called-so-called Canada-ba9e085ec9d2
Copyright (c) 2024 Kai Handfield , Thomas Delawarde-Saïas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Agency or Structure? Community and Individual Level factors impacting Recycling Behaviors
The present study combined Ajzen Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) and Schwartz’s Value Theory (1992) with socio-demographic factors to analyze their impact on intention to recycle. The variables were classified into two categories, namely individual level determinants and contextual level determinants and utilized a hierarchical analysis to determine whether greater predictive power was obtained when combining individual level predictors (personal values, perceived behavioral control and attitude) with contextual level predictors (subjective norms and demographics). Our findings indicate that socio-demographics, personal values, perceived behavioral control and attitude all predict recycling behavior with significantly greater predictive power obtained when combining individual level and community level predictors of recycling behavior. Implications for community psychology are discussed.
Copyright (c) 2024 Andrew P. Camilleri , Joseph R. Ferrari https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Evaluating the Benefits of a Novel Community-based Social Engagement Organization for Improving Mental Health and Reducing Clinical Visits
Cost-effective community engagement is needed to address causes of mental illness related to social issues (i.e., isolation, stigma and lack of purpose) that are typically outside the scope of healthcare. This pilot study evaluated the relationship between clinical healthcare resources and a community-based social engagement organization in a medium-sized community in the midwestern US. Analyses were based on a retrospective longitudinal comparison of clinical visit frequency from two cohorts that joined the Momentum Center for Social Engagement (MC) and either frequently participated (Engaged; n = 9) or had extenuating circumstances limiting participation (Non-engaged; n = 3). The frequency of >1800 visits to the member’s primary mental healthcare provider were compared during the period from November 2016 to May 2021. Engaged MC members reduced frequency of regular visits to their primary mental healthcare provider by 50%, while Non-engaged MC members maintained clinical visit frequency. The financial value of reduced healthcare visits and associated wellbeing improvements was estimated to be $1.0 million, 95% CI: [$0.6-1.4 million], or roughly four times the budget received by the MC from the healthcare provider. Thus, the MC appears to be a valuable approach to improving mental health in conjunction with existing community healthcare services. Clinical implications include considering the unique MC-style community-based support as a component of practice.
Copyright (c) 2024 Barbara Lee VanHorssen, Travis Andrews, Gloria K. Lee https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
“It’s the closest I can get to meditation sometimes”: Volunteering as a Surf Therapy Mentor
Surf therapy is a novel form of small-group, nature-based mental health intervention that has proliferated globally in recent years. Self-reported outcomes indicate that surf therapy can be effective for enhancing mental health and wellbeing, but there is little theoretical understanding into the causal mechanisms of effect and limited strength behind the existing evidence base. This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the personal experiences and observations of volunteer surf mentors’ working with UK-based surf therapy charity the Wave Project. Five surf mentors (3 males and 2 females; mean age = 34.4 years, SD = 7.4, range = 19) were interviewed, data collected that related to first-person experience was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, and that related to third-person observations of client experience using Thematic Analysis. Participation in delivery was affectively impactful for mentors. Affective experience of surf mentors correlated with past research into client experiences. Experiences for both clients and mentors were heavily influenced by environmental and social factors, and these factors interacted. Mentors were found to be both influenced-by and integral-to several key mechanisms of therapeutic effect. Findings demonstrate the research value of the perspectives of surf therapy facilitators and provide guidance for future research and for general service optimization.
Copyright (c) 2024 Karl Potts , Jon May https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
White Supremacy and White Antiracism: Practice Implications for Community Practitioners
In the 21st century, though there is no longer legalized chattel slavery or codified segregation, white supremacy is alive and well in the United States, and it shapes the conditions, organizations, and structures that community practitioners work within. For white community workers committed to being antiracist agents of change, the intersection between white supremacy and antiracism highlights important practice implications. For instance, white antiracist practitioners need to contend with white guilt and create opportunities for popular and political education. Moreover, they must center relationship building, accountability to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, discovering mutual interest, and building collective power. White community practitioners have the opportunity to use their position to be an antiracist force, and drawing on lessons from current literature on antiracism can make these efforts all the more effective and grounded.
Copyright (c) 2024 Josal Diebold https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Theater of the Oppressed as Assisted Regeneration: Challenging the "Expert" and Building a Psychology from and for the People
Theater of the Oppressed inspired a street theater project that began in Mexico City with graduate counseling psychology students. The theater provoked a Pedagogy of the Oppressed, challenging the students and the epistemologies of clinical psychology as the ‘experts’ and giving epistemological and ontological power to the participants. This article argues a depth psychological comprehension of oppressor-oppressed relationalities and integrity to assisted regeneration are necessary for Theater of the Oppressed projects to have a liberatory function. Public, spontaneous dialogue with embodied representations of social issues such as domestic violence has enduring collective healing potentials for the participants and for the facilitators.
Copyright (c) 2024 Kristina Yarbrough https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Gratitude journaling experiences of adults who participated in a 20-day clinical intervention to mitigate stress, anxiety and depression in the Covid-19 pandemic era in Zimbabwe
The COVID-19 pandemic which was first reported in 2019 in Wuhan, China brought about devastating conditions and eventually ballooned into a global pandemic. Some of the devastating consequences of Covid-19 included loss of lives, closure of businesses, job cuts coupled with on-going daily life challenges. In this dark hour brought about by Covid-19, the health of people became top priority and their mental health a cause for concern. This study sought to investigate the experiences of a Zimbabwean sample that participated in a 20-day gratitude journaling intervention with a clinical psychologist to mitigate stress, anxiety and depression in the Covid-19 pandemic era. A purposive sampling of forty-two men and women (age range 20 to 40) who at one point requested the services of a clinical psychologist was done. Participant selection was not necessarily based on diagnosis. Qualitative questionnaires, in-depth interviews and WhatsApp group discussions were used to collect data. Data were grouped into themes and analysed using content analysis. Participants reported improved sleep, positive coping, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, strengthening of social relationships, improved physical health and, psychological health, heightened empathy, and an increase in happiness and creativity. Gratitude journalizing is an important intervention for people grappling with a myriad of psychological problems and/or uncertainties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Copyright (c) 2024 Tanyaradzwa Dianah Mutseura, Julia Mutambara, Tobias Magadure https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Pragmatic Delphi Exploring Barriers and Facilitators to Emergency Responder/Healthcare Workers' Participation in the Blue Light Surf Club Therapy Intervention
Emergency responders/healthcare workers face significant mental health burdens associated with their integral roles within society. Alongside the need for more mental health support, a major contributing factor to this burden are barriers to accessing suitable support. The aim of this study was to build consensus on the barriers/facilitators to a proposed surf therapy intervention supporting this population, the Blue Light Surf Club (BLSC). Where possible the study also explored pragmatic solutions from the perspectives of potential participants. Given the primary aim of building consensus, a Delphi method was utilised alongside 18 emergency responders/healthcare workers from a range of different roles in central Scotland (7 males and 11 females; mean age = 38.2 years; standard deviation = 11 years; range 19-54). Participants were surveyed about their perceptions of barriers/facilitators to accessing the proposed BLSC surf therapy programme. Four rounds of questions were required before a priori defined consensus was reached across all generated items. The outcome of the research was a set of recommendations for the implementation of the BLSC grouped around three themes: Intervention Access, Intervention Delivery and Intervention Structure. These recommendations offer insight and practical suggestions for overcoming established barriers to accessing mental health support for this population. The findings of this study have direct implications for the design stage of the BLSC surf therapy intervention while also supporting a wide range of similar interventions aimed at the emergency responder/healthcare population. These pragmatic recommendations are of value both in terms of their contribution to academic discussion around supporting this population, and the direct support they offer to comparable community-based organisations.
Copyright (c) 2024 Jamie Marshall, Philip B. Ward, Russell Martindale, Brendon Ferrier https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Conquering White Supremacy with Second-Order Change
Copyright (c) 2024 Christopher Corbett https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Brief Introduction to Post Traumatic Growth
Copyright (c) 2024 Judah Viola https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
This paper describes the Pathways to Success Project (PSP), which was designed to help students in a low-income community in Chicago more easily navigate the transition from high school to postsecondary education. Statistics from Chicago Public Schools show that only about two-thirds of high school graduates enroll in post-secondary education. This can leave many students ill equipped to succeed in our skills-based economy, and contribute to the ongoing problems of unemployment and poverty. Programs that provide support for students as they work to enroll in a college, university, or career/technical school can be effective at facilitating this transition and helping students gain the skills they need to compete in the 21st century workforce. In addition, collaboration that builds connections between the K-12 system, colleges and universities, and local businesses and organizations, can create a system of support for such programs and further ease for students the process of transition from school to employment. The pilot intervention described here built on existing college and career activities in 3 local high schools and engaged an existing community-based collaborative (the Bronzeville Community Action Council) to help address these issues. During the project, 202 students participated in 10 interactive visits to two local universities and two large, international corporations. Successes and challenges to implementing system-level change with high schools are discussed.
Copyright (c) 2024 Ray Legler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Is Marketing an Adverse Childhood Experience? Practical Implications and Suggestions for Community Psychologists
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have negative health effects on children that last a lifetime, heighten risks of premature mortality, and are likely to be passed on to subsequent generations. The causes of ACEs are both domestic and community-based. Marketing of the Western lifestyle and diet is an unrecognized but ubiquitous community cause of ACEs. The potential for ACEs is inherent in marketing designed to maximize gains that serve the self-interest of economic actors by exploiting children’s vulnerability. Using classical conditioning, marketing produces a consumer placebo effect that develops into a lasting belief in consumerism as a means to feeling healthy and happy. Despite public health policies to protect children from the ACEs of marketing and promote positive childhood experiences, political opposition to mandating these policies prevails and the governments’ duty to protect the health rights of children goes unfulfilled. The combination of unregulated neoliberal economic power and government inaction renews the call for a public health revolution to protect and promote the health of children, families, communities, humanity, and the planet. The psychosocial demands of organizing and implementing this public health revolution make community psychologists ideal candidates to lead the way in this important endeavor.
Copyright (c) 2024 Stephen J. Almada, Gina Panozzo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Exploring the Impact of Natural Mentors on Sociopolitical Stress: Implications for Educators and Youth Workers
Aims: This study examines college students’ access to natural mentors during the contentious 2020 U.S. presidential election and considers the role of natural mentors as protective factors in relation to coping and sociopolitical stress. Methods: Data were collected from 588 students between the ages of 18 and 29 who were enrolled at 10 institutions of higher education across the U.S. at the time of data collection. Chi-square tests of independence explored differences in access to mentors. T-tests examined differences in sociopolitical stress and coping between those with and without mentors, and multivariable regressions examined whether relationship characteristics influenced these associations. Results: Findings indicated significant differences in access to mentors based on gender, religion, and political affiliation. Furthermore, results indicated that mentored college students reported higher levels of coping. Relationship characteristics did not affect these associations. Conclusion: Results highlight global implications for community practitioners as they support young adults’ civic engagement in divisive sociopolitical climates, especially as elections become increasingly polarizing on a global scale.
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
But Is It Okay? The Need to Still Ask Black/African American Mothers About Violence Exposure During The COVID-19 Worldwide Pandemic
Black/African American communities endure the double pandemic of COVID-19 and police- and civilian-perpetrated anti-Black violence, with Black/African American mothers at risk for exposure to violence in the home. Questions remain about the potential harm in asking about violence exposure, particularly in the current climate. The purpose of the study is to examine Black/African American mothers’ reactions to participating in violence research during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Participants (N = 127; Age: M = 32.46 years, SD = 5.61 years) were Black/African American mothers living in an urban, predominantly Black city in the Midwestern U.S. who completed online measures of exposure to violence before, during, and after shelter-in-place orders, as well as their reactions to participating in violence research. We found that the majority of participants did not find participation more distressing than other day to day experiences, with 100% of those with violence histories reporting such research is important. The current study’s findings can promote inclusion of violence measures in research and healthcare settings, with results guiding trauma-informed care for Black/African American mothers.
Exploring the roles of childhood trauma, psychological distress, and resource use in the context of a climate change-induced disaster
Aims: This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological distress (i.e., depression and anxiety symptoms) and the moderating role of resource use during and after the deadliest wildfire in California among a sample of college students. Methods: Participants (N = 473) completed well-validated measures six months after the 2018 Camp Fire exploring retrospective childhood trauma, current psychological distress, and resource use during and after the fire. Results: Multiple regression and moderation analyses revealed that greater exposure to childhood trauma predicted increased depression and anxiety symptoms following the fire. However, using community-based (off-campus) mental health services during and after the fire buffered the effects of childhood trauma on depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Youth exposed to childhood trauma are more susceptible to depression and anxiety symptoms post-disaster, yet using community-based mental health services may protect against the development of aggravated symptoms with greater childhood trauma.
Copyright (c) 2025 Savannah Simpson, Mariah Kornbluh, Jyoti Mishra, Samuel McQuillin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The C.A.R.E. Model: Dynamical Systems Theory Principles for Reintegrating Individuals Impacted by Incarceration
The process of reintegration into society for individuals impacted by incarceration is intricate and multifaceted. While rehabilitative programs strive to mitigate recidivism through financial and psychological support, many encounter challenges in readjusting to their communities. Acknowledging that these individuals are not isolated but embedded within the broader social frameworks of their families, communities, and the workforce is imperative. Therefore, understanding the psychological determinants influencing justice-involved individuals is pivotal for aligning their conduct with societal norms, as solely attributing their actions to internal factors neglects the array of external environmental influences beyond their control. Given these challenges, we introduce the evidence-based C.A.R.E. model (Collaborate, Amend, Reintegrate, Empower) as a strategic approach. This model, extrapolated from a comprehensive re-evaluation of qualitative research, offers a holistic comprehension of the post-release milieu and advocates for reallocating resources to enhance the interactions between justice-involved individuals and their communities. This manuscript delineates the C.A.R.E. model as a blueprint for reentry programs, underpinned by the tenets of dynamical systems theory, to enrich these interactions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Precious Skinner-Osei, Peter Claudius Osei https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A qualitative insight on stereotypes and prejudices toward mental disorders in Burkina Faso: the interaction of shame and fear as underlying influences of stigma
Background: Worldwide, stigma is recognized as a barrier limiting access to psychiatric care. The scope of the stigma varies across cultural contexts and contributes to the social inequalities in health observed in many low- and middle-income countries. Aim and methods: In this paper, we explore the way mental disorders are stigmatized in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso). We conducted 7 focus groups and 25 individual interviews with patients, family members, caregivers, and key informants. Interviews focused on stereotypes and attitudes toward individuals identified with mental disorders. Results: A set of stereotypes is socially conveyed about people with mental disorders. The perceptions that these individuals are fragile, useless, dangerous, marginal, and adopt strange behaviors are common. These stereotypes could be related to emotional reactions, such as sadness, compassion, indifference, fear, disgust, and shame that justify, in some cases, discrimination and unequal treatments. Discussion: This study suggests that affective reactions are crucial to understand stigma in Burkina Faso. The notion of shame seems to be rooted in a set of cultural norms and values, and fear seems to be related to structural stigma. Our results offer some insights for future anti-stigma programs in a context where resources are limited and where cultural characteristics must be considered.
Copyright (c) 2025 Émilie Pigeon-Gagné, Thomas Delaware-Saias, Maurice Yaogo, Ghayda Hassan, Djeneba Ouedraoogo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
“We just want to tell the story”: A mixed methods exploration of partners’ motivations to join and stay engaged in community- research partnerships
Community engagement and partnerships are at the core of public health. To address long-standing disparities, there is an urgent need to partner with community members and community-based organizations to co-create health interventions and programs. Community-academic partnerships (CAPs)—one model for community partnerships—can increase the capacity and implementation of evidence-based and culturally responsive public health practices. While effective, there is a need to address gaps in understanding perceived motivations and gains among and between partners, particularly in the context of engaging marginalized communities. This mixed methods project explored motivations to join and continue to engage in a CAP designed to advance health equity in Flint, Michigan. Using a survey and qualitative interview, twenty-five community and academic partner representatives were invited to participate. Motivating factors were categorized as individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community level contexts. Overall, findings demonstrate how motivational factors are interactive and multi-dimensional with varied contexts, emphasizing intrinsic drives in individual contexts, social support and external organizational resources through interpersonal and organizational contexts, and demonstration of concrete outcomes in community contexts. Findings from the study can be used to improve design of community partnerships that seek to advance health equity by attending to key factors that drive motivations to engage with marginalized communities.
Copyright (c) 2025 Tatiana Bustos, Sana Simkani, Calandra Reichel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Peer support groups and peer mentoring in refugee adolescents and young adults: A literature review
Peer support and peer mentoring have been used in various contexts as interventions to improve mental health and help people cope with life difficulties. This literature review explores the application of these methods for adolescent refugees. It also attempts to determine the effectiveness of these interventions, the methodology of assessment of their effectiveness and the specific settings where they have been used. We conducted a review of studies that included peer support and peer mentoring interventions for adolescent refugees/asylum seekers. We searched Google Scholar, PUBMED and SCOPUS, for the period from 2011 to September 2021. The review identified only five studies that met our criteria in terms of demographic characteristics and type of intervention. Four of the five studies used only qualitative methods for their assessment. Only one of them used quantitative methods to determine the intervention’s effectiveness. The settings included schools, universities, and other general community spaces. The refugee status varied between asylum seekers and refugee status. There is a need for more rigorous and methodologically consistent research, using more quantitative methods to enable clearer comparison of evidence-based results. The usefulness of peer mentoring and peer support should also be explored in more contexts, such as in Reception and Identification Centers for asylum seekers. Despite these shortcomings of the current literature, all the reviewed papers outline a positive impact of the interventions on young refugees’ lives in terms of mental health benefits, coping with life difficulties, or gaining access to valuable resources.
Copyright (c) 2023 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Use of Creative Podcasting in Combating Ethno-Racial Health Disparities in Primary Care Education: A Brief Report
Racially and ethnically diverse populations are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to report experiencing poorer quality patient-provider interactions as well as perceived discrimination from the primary care team. An approach to address discrimination in primary care is through alterations in primary care workforce development. This paper will focus on how the use of trainee-generated content (TGC) through creative podcasting can be used as a teaching aid to help trainees address implicit bias and discrimination in clinical practice. Doctoral-level health service psychology trainees in an integrated primary care course engaged in creative podcasting to promote deep learning related to racial and ethnic health disparities during the spring 2021 semester. Overall, trainees reported a positive experience with creative podcasting, reporting a strong connection with the material discussed in the podcast and improved self-reflection on biases related to racial/ethnic health disparities. TGC through creative podcasting appears to be an appropriate teaching approach to improve trainee engagement related to topics of implicit bias and discrimination as well as allowing trainees, especially trainees from racially/ethnically marginalized groups, a more equitable learning experience between the trainee and educator.
Analysis of the accessibility of perinatal and early childhood services for parents with physical disabilities: A modelled reading of access barriers
Perinatal and early childhood services are valuable resources for all new parents, particularly in supporting them as they transition to their new role. However, parents with physical disabilities report several barriers to accessing these services, including difficulty physically accessing services, lack of knowledge or negative attitudes of professionals, and lack of adaptation of services. The objective of this article is to analyse, through the Dixon-Woods et al. accessibility model, the barriers to accessing perinatal and early childhood services from the perspective of parents with physical disabilities. Thirteen semi-structured individual interviews, using the life story approach, were conducted. The results highlight barriers to access to services in all dimensions of the accessibility model. Principal barriers reported include non-inclusive criteria for accessing services (taking account both parenthood and disability), lack of knowledge about the services offered and the inadequacy of services in addressing parents’ needs. The sixth dimension (“offers and resistance”) presents a dynamic element, as it relates to the parents’ decision to use – or not – a service to which they are entitled. Using this model allowed for a pragmatic and systematic description of the obstacles encountered by parents, as well as the identification of needs and potential directions for action.
Critical Conscientisation; Linking Insecurity Feelings with Structural Oppression A Case Study of Fisheries Community of Saribi and Submander In the Island of Numfor, Papua province of Indonesia
Many pioneers of critical pedagogy and popular education have suggested that a collective approach of critical reflection and action can help communities to develop a better understanding of their social realities and improve their well-being (Paulo Freire, 1972, Anne Hope and Sally Timmel, 1984, Alastair McIntosh and Matt Carmichael, 2006). This approach of critical conscientisation that includes collective memory work and training for transformation, have been tested with members of fishing communities on Numfor Island in the Indonesian Province of Papua. The results of this research are presented in this paper. The testimonies of participating community members suggest a causal link between their feelings of insecurity, structural oppression, economic policies that promote selfishness and fierce competition among individuals, and their own state of chronical poverty, indebtedness and dehumanisation. Participating community members have identified their increasing dependence on government handouts and a lack of market access as the critical drivers behind the rise of jealousy, anxiety and corruption, and the decline of communal solidarity. These trends are perceived to have escalated the selling of land and the degradation of the natural resource base that are critical to their livelihoods and well-being.
The COVID-19 Crisis: Using the Cracks in Neoliberalism for Social Transformation Towards a More Just Society
Within the current COVID-19 pandemic, cracks observed in neoliberal dominant global economic paradigms reveal how austerity policies have crippled crucial social safety nets, such as health care, with capitalism continuing to adversely impact our climate with ad infinitum extraction of resources for overconsumption. In examining these associations, this collaborative paper critically applies social theories to explore ideas and approaches to creating transformative social change, in an effort to move towards a more just and sustainable society in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and other ongoing systemic crises. The paper presents the pandemic as a social crisis and explores theories of social justice and how they might be applied within the context of neoliberal capitalism, also known as neoliberalism. The authors of this paper argue that to move towards a just society, social transformation is needed, informed by the theories of decoloniality and intersectionality. A conceptual model is presented that demonstrates how these theories can be woven together to inform community psychology action and research, addressing COVID-19 specifically. Possibilities for transformation in the areas of mental health and climate justice are also presented. Finally, recommendations for community psychology researchers seeking social transformation, while navigating this challenging and complex new reality, are shared.
The Power of Community: The Role of Community-Based Organizations in Mitigating COVID-19-Related Impacts on Well-Being Among South Florida's Minoritized Populations
The rapid closure of schools and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact in South Florida, highlighting diverse challenges to community well-being. Community-based organizations (CBOs) have served as a source of support for community members, particularly in stressful times. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, and in collaboration with Breakthrough Miami, a CBO committed to addressing the educational opportunity gap in Miami-Dade County, we conducted a study to assess challenges to the well-being of systematically minoritized families during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included longitudinal survey data collected via ecological momentary assessment and in-depth interviews with Breakthrough Miami families to gather richer and nuanced data regarding indicators of well-being and CBO engagement. Quantitative results indicated that as perceived stress increased over time, so too did emotional and informational support. Follow-up qualitative interviews indicated that 100% of families identified Breakthrough Miami as a source of academic support during the pandemic. Additionally, families cited the important role Breakthrough Miami played beyond their standard academic programs and services in coping with the most significant sources of stress reported through the pandemic: meeting basic needs and threats to socioemotional well-being. Implications for CBOs are addressed.
Copyright (c) 2023 Brittney R. Davis, Brittany A. Jaso, Ashli S. Cleveland, Laura P. Kohn-Wood, Aaron S. Heller, Kilan C. Ashad-Bishop https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Serving Others to Inspire Community Change around the Globe: An Interview with Balbir Mathur
A generous thank you to everyone that helped make the three issues of Volume 1 a success! Reviewers for the first three issues International Editorial Board Donors and Funders We very much look forward to Volume 2 and all the issues we will publish in the future.
Welcome to the Special Issue for the 2011 SCRA Biennial Conference
We are very pleased to offer this Special Issue of the GJCPP for the 2011 SCRA Biennial Conference. All of the papers, presentations and materials in this Special Issue were peer reviewed, or contributed by special invitation of the conference organizers. This is a very rich issue, with video, narrated slide presentations, posters, and other materials from the conference. We also have several of the invited addresses from Award Winners. We hope that you will learn from all the materials presented. Please do not hesitate to contact the authors, or leave comments at the end of each submission.