The ISPIC cohort becomes acquainted at a 2-day Orientation hosted by Northern Illinois University.
!NEWS--NEWS--NEWS--NEWS!
ISPIC Diversity Training Days
On September, 7, 2007, Jessica Henderson-Daniel, Ph.D, ABPP, presented a keynote address, "Learning about human differences: The peculiar jigsaw of cognition and affect" at ISPIC's first annual Diversity Training Day. She also participated in a panel with ISPIC's own Diversity Mentors and conducted a skills-workshop to promote culturally competent service delivery to African-American youth and their families. Dr. Daniel has a faculty appointment at both Boston University and Harvard Medical School. Her duties include teaching, serving as adviser to the Boston University Minority Student Collective, co-directing an APA-approved pre-doctoral training program at The Children's Hospital and Judge Baker Children's Center, and helping to direct the Adolescent Health Training Program at Children's Hospital. Her current research projects are: Black women in law school; music video messages; and the Black Church.
On September 5, 2008, the Diversity Training Day focused on culturally competent service delivery to LGBTQ youth. Constance Patterson, PhD, and Chavez Phelps led the group of interns and supervisors in discussing case studies and applying current research in the field. The presentation followed a panel discussion where ISPIC's Diversity Mentors discussed the intersection between mental health service delivery in the schools, race/ethnicity, and sexual minority status.
ISPIC Recognizes Higher Education Cooperation Act
ISPIC would like to formally recognize the contribution of the Higher Education Cooperation Act (HECA) program for its support of innovative, cooperative projects, which address statewide goals and higher education priorities as articulated in The Illinois Commitment. The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved allocation of $38,000 (04-05), $35,340 (05-06), and $50,600 (06-07) to ISPIC to aid in providing training to interns and inevitably improving the educational and mental health services of children in Illinois.
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation Contributes
ISPIC was granted $51,920 from the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation in order to carry out its Diversity Plan and its Retention Plan. ISPIC has graduated 37 professional school psychologists (11% with racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds) since its inception in 2002. Over 75% have remained in Illinois, and many are practicing in rural or urban settings. ISPIC will employ these funds to increase the number of interns trained, specifically those with diverse backgrounds and those interested in working with underserved populations.
ISPIC Seeks Permanent State Funding to Increase Stipends
Representative Rich Brauer (R), at the encouragement of Joe Nyre, PhD (Hope Institute), sponsored HB 5764 which would enable ISPIC to receive non-competitive grants from the Illinois State Board of Education. If passed, this bill would provide $150,000 to support basic operating expenses and an additional $250,000 to supplement interns' stipends, raising the minimum ISPIC stipend to $22,660.