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Welcome to the webpage for the OPA Diversity Committee.
This page includes a variety of information including the statement of
purpose for the Diversity Committee of OPA. In addition, you will find a
copy of the Cultural Assessment completed by the Committee in November,
2004, a list of current members, minutes from past Committee meetings,
and a brief list of diversity resources.
I invite you to look around the website to see some of
the exciting things the Committee is doing. We plan our activities
during monthly, one-hour conference calls. If you would like to become a
member of the Diversity Committee, please send me an
email. We always welcome new members.
Erica S. White, PhD
Chair, Diversity Committee
The Diversity Committee of the Ohio Psychological
Association
Statement of Purpose (4/17/02)
The purpose of the Diversity Committee of The Ohio Psychological Association
shall be to integrate cultural sensitivity and a commitment to racial and
ethnic diversity throughout the organizational structure of OPA and the
broader community of psychology in Ohio.
As a means of promoting OPA’s commitment to diversity, the
committee shall work with OPA to:
- Create greater diversity within the membership and
leadership
- Develop, enhance and sustain relationships with other
professional organizations throughout the state that share OPA’s value
regarding diversity
- Develop initiatives that support the inclusion of
other forms of diversity, including but not limited to sexual orientation,
spirituality, disabilities, age, and/or gender.
The Diversity Committee is charged with the responsibility
of moving the Association and its leaders to a point where consideration of
diversity issues is intuitive. Ultimately, each OPA committee should
consider diversity, cultural competency, and related issues in every
deliberation, and every decision should reflect due consideration of the
impact of that decision on a diverse psychology community. The committee is
charged with the task of keeping this in the forefront of thought throughout
the association. Key areas in which this must occur are: Education,
Advocacy, Membership, Public Interest, Ethics, Planning/Development and
Communication/Technology.
What is a
Cultural Assessment?
Sue (1995) suggests that agencies strive to become what he called
Multicultural Organizations. He indicates that Multicultural Organizations
value diversity rather than just tolerating it. Additionally, Sue notes
that Multicultural Organizations work to develop a multicultural vision for
the agency. The first step that Sue recommends for an agency committed to
transforming itself into a Multicultural Organization is to conduct an
internal audit of its current multicultural status. Another vital step that
Sue indicates must occur is that the leadership of the organization needs to
have a firm commitment to multicultural development. OPA has taken these
admonitions to heart. The Executive Council has charged the Diversity
Committee with conducting a cultural assessment of OPA to identify areas of
strength and areas of concern that need to be improved. After extensive
research and consultation with a number of professionals in the field, the
Diversity Committee developed a Diversity Assessment Questionnaire that will
be made available to OPA members in the near future. Even more important
than gathering information about OPA’s cultural development, however, is the
fact that OPA’s leadership is firmly committed to acting on the results of
the assessment to ensure that the needs of all members are met. The
Diversity Committee is honored to be a part of this process.
Sue, D. W. (1995). Multicultural
organizational development. In J. G. Ponterotto, J. M.
Casas, L. A. Suziki, & C. M. Alexander (Eds.),
Handbook of Multicultural
Counseling
(pp. 474-492). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
By Colin
Christensen, Member of the OPA Diversity Committee
OPA Diversity
Committee Assessment Results
Click here to view the November, 2004
Cultural Assessment article by Cathy McDaniels Wilson, PhD and Colin
Christensen, PhD
OPA Diversity
Committee Minutes
October 5,
2007 Meeting Minutes
September 7, 2007 Meeting
Minutes
June 1, 2007 Meeting Minutes
May 4, 2007 Meeting Minutes
February 10,
2007 Committee Report
January 5, 2007 Meeting Minutes
December 1,
2006 Meeting Minutes
November 10, 2006 Meeting
Minutes
November 6, 2006 Committee
Report
October 6, 2006 Meeting Minutes
May, 2006
Meeting Minutes
April 5, 2006 Meeting Minutes
February,
2006 Meeting Minutes
Archives
Links & Resources
Asian American
Psychological Association
Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi)
National Latino(a)/Hispanic
Psychological Association
OPA LGBT Subcommittee
Wright State
University Research and Evaluation Enhancement Program (REEP) Newsletter -
October 2005
OPA Diversity
Committee Members
Erica S.
White, PhD, Chair
Alena Betton, PhD
Bobbie Celeste, PhD
Belinda Chaffins, PhD
Colin Christenson, PhD
Nabil El-Ghoroury, PhD
Jennifer Franklin, PhD
Desiree Haynes, PhD
Priscilla Kingston, PhD
Cathy McDaniels Wilson, PhD
Wanda McEntyre, PhD
Christina Rideout, PhD
Lynne Rustad, PhD
Michael Ranney, MPA, OPA Executive Director
Committee Members can be contacted through the OPA
Central Office or through the Diversity Committee Chair listed above.
Contact the
OPA Central Office
or the above listed
Committee Chair if you are interested in participating with this group.
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