School News

The National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology (NCSPP) has recognized the Adler School of Professional Psychology with its 2011 Advocacy Award for its significant contributions in education and training of advocacy and public interest issues.

“The Adler School and NCSPP share commitment to developing psychology as a socially responsible practice,” said Wendy Paszkiewicz, Psy.D., Adler School Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, who also assumes the NCSSP presidency this month.

“All of us at the Adler School are honored with this recognition of our work to prepare socially responsible practitioners. We strive to improve society, and this award recognizes the programs that help us achieve our mission.”

The NCSPP, composed of delegates from programs and schools of professional psychology, works to advance the development of the highest quality of graduate training in professional psychology. Its Advocacy Committee presented the award to the Adler School at NCSSP’s 2011 Summer Meeting Aug. 2-3 in Washington, D.C.

In presenting the award, the NCSSP Advocacy Committee highlighted:

• The Adler School’s “Adler Action Days,” days throughout the year designated for students, faculty, staff and community partners to take action on a specific issue of need for social change.
• The work of the School’s two Institutes for Social Change: the Institute on Social Exclusion and the Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice.
• The School’s innovative Community Service Practicum and its comprehensive coursework designed to prepare students to be agents of social change.  Through the CSP, every first-year degree-seeking student devotes 200 hours over six months to work with one of more than 140 social service or healthcare community agencies—not simply volunteering but building sustainable service capacity for social change, through developing education or awareness initiatives, research, programs, community organizing, grant writing, and advocacy work.

Last year, more than 850 of the Adler School’s more than 1,000 students provided at least 650,000 direct service hours to advance community health, through the School’s partnerships with 700-plus community agencies.

For example, the student clinicians-in-training and staff psychologists through Adler Community Health Services provide psychological services—including more than 13,000 consultations, programs and assessments a year—to underserved populations at two residential rehabilitation centers for formerly incarcerated adults; two transition centers for incarcerated adults; and two federally qualified health centers. ACHS clinicians and clinicians-in-training also provides mental health services at an Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice youth center. 

Meanwhile, the Adler School Division of Integrated Community Engagement focuses student service and training on underserved populations through Community Service and Community Engagement practicums, clinical practicums, and internships at more than 400 community sites.  Adler School students also engage through the Institutes for Social Change, courses that immerse them in community work, and initiatives of the School’s more than 20 student organizations.

About the Adler School

The Adler School of Professional Psychology has provided quality education through a Scholar/Practitioner model for more than 50 years. The School’s mission is to train socially responsible graduates who continue the visionary work of Alfred Adler throughout the world. The Adler School offers 13 graduate-level programs enrolling more than 1,000 students at its campuses in Chicago and Vancouver, British Columbia, and through Adler Online.

Contact

Kim McCullough
Director of Communications
(312) 662-4124 or via email