Integrating social justice and advocacy into training psychologists: A practical demonstration

Training psychologists to engage in advocacy and social justice is critical to professional development. Scholars recommend a variety of methods to accomplish this training. One approach is to offer goal-driven instruction that aligns with a clear mission, a safe and supportive environment for constructive dialogue, and the opportunity to engage in experiential learning. Experiential learning opportunities may be most impactful if structured as a longitudinal process; however, few practical training examples exist to demonstrate such a procedure. The purpose of this article is to offer a structured, longitudinal training demonstration of psychology doctoral trainees engaged in social justice and advocacy work at a midsize, diverse urban public university. This multiyear effort included (a) a comprehensive needs assessment; (b) qualitative interviews and focus groups with students and staff; and (c) supporting the development and coordination of care at a campus center to address student housing instability, food insecurity, and other critical needs. Implications of this work on advocacy in public service settings are described. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).