Friday, October 29, 2010

What will this blog offer?

The following are the five "topic areas" that future blog posts will fall into.

If you would like to contribute to one of these areas or have another proposed topic - please feel free to let us know either in the comments section of this blog or by emailing the blog team at ComPsychPractice@gmail.com


What is Community Psychology? 

What exactly is Community Psychology? Who are Community Psychology Practitioners and what do they do?

Shared knowledge, approaches, values and skills are important in defining any specialty field: they determine not only the work to be done, but how it is done. This thread will introduce the field of Community Psychology and highlight the resources, perspectives and practices that community psychologist practitioners have to offer.


Community Psychologist Practitioner Spotlight 

The Community Psychologist Practitioner Spotlight (CPP Spotlight) is a new initiative and blog series that promotes community psychology practice and manifests the value of community psychology practice in different types of community settings. This feature will “spotlight” different community practitioners and practice settings each month, to give us all a better understanding of what community psychology practitioners do, and where they do it. (Note: if you are one of the ones “doing the work,” the CPP Spotlight is a great opportunity for you or your organization to show the world what community psychology practice is and why it is important!)

This CPP Spotlight is a part of a larger project, the Community Practice Vignettes project, which involves gathering illustrative stories describing the work of community psychology practitioners. If you are interesting in being featured or if you would just like to share your work experience, you can send us your vignette questionnaire (attached to this blog post).


Education and Student Experiences

How does one become a Community Psychologist, specifically one interested in a career in real-world practice? What are the educational opportunities and processes like for both students and those looking to return to school? What training is necessary or helpful? How can you find your niche within this field?

Currently, programs that train community psychologists include stand-alone community psychology programs, as well as interdisciplinary programs that include clinical psychology, public health, and research methods etc. Both Masters and Ph.D. level degrees are offered. We hope to use this blog thread to discuss the various experiences of students’ earning a degree in community psychology, and highlight the specific path of those who are interested in practice, and go on to non-academic jobs.


Professional Development and Education 

Ever think to yourself, "okay, I've almost got my degree, now what?" The Professional Development section of this blog is dedicated to tips, strategies and profiles on professional development whether you have just received your degree and some training or you are well into your practice careers.


Horizontal Outreach and Cross-Application 

Community Psychology is in a unique position in terms of its existence as a field: while it brings a unique perspective and emphasis on values-based approaches to solving social problems, it overlaps a lot with other fields. Lines dividing fields from one another are even more blurred in work environments where community psychologists aren’t based in psychology departments, but rather in community agencies, government offices, etc.

This blog thread will be devoted to discussing our allies, such as policy makers, social workers, and public health professionals, who are devoted to similar goals and how we can make connections with them.

Are there any cross-applications that you’re interested in exploring? Post them in the comments!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Welcome!

Welcome to a new virtual space dedicated to all issues related to Community Psychology Practice. The field of Community Psychology is devoted to advancing theory, research and collaborative social action in order to promote positive well-being, advance social justice, increase empowerment and prevent the formation of social problems.

Community Psychology Practice refers to those doing applied community psychology work - in non-profit agencies, health settings, government institutions, consultation firms and with community groups. Community Psychology Practitioners often work directly with communities on issues of shared concern.
We hope to use this blog as an interactive forum for getting the word out about our field and what it has to offer, as well as hearing from you - your inputs and suggestions. If you haven’t heard of Community Psychology, or Community Psychology Practice, we will take care of that.

This blog will cover current happenings in the field of Community Psychology Practice, highlight the work that is being done, share and connect with similar fields, and provide advice both to students and those working on career development.

Feel free to follow us here, or sign up to receive blog posts by mail.