CCAP Diversity Committee

Land Acknowledgment

The University of Guelph is on the land of the Attawandaron/Chonnonton/Neutral Peoples. This is also the treaty land of the Mississaugas of the New Credit. The colonial processes by which we came to live on this land were and are deeply unjust, and have caused and continue to cause great harm to the original people of this land. We endeavour to be accountable to this reality in ways that go beyond apology or an acknowledgment on a website, and that aim to reconcile this injustice in our training, professional contexts, and beyond. We welcome feedback on our efforts. 

Anti-Racism Statement

As members of the discipline of clinical psychology, we acknowledge and condemn the systemic racism that exists in our world, including within our own field and educational system. Anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism is a mental and public health crisis that continues to harm the well-being of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)* in Canada and around the world, as can be seen in the disproportionate police violence against Black and Indigenous Canadians, and the many disparities in access to healthcare, other basic services, and social and economic opportunities these groups experience. As faculty members, staff, and graduate students, we acknowledge our own privilege, and that as members of the profession we have benefited from a system that has largely excluded the voices of BIPOC. With this privilege, we are committed to ongoing learning, and action to create an equitable society, both as individuals and as a discipline. 

Mission Statement

The Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (CCAP) program commits to prioritizing diversity and equity for individuals and students who are underrepresented in psychology on the basis of race, ethnicity, immigrant/refugee status, language, religion, nationhood, age, body size, disability (e.g., physical, psychological, cognitive), income, sexual orientation, gender expression, and other identities. We also recognize the importance of intersectional identities, which can further compound inequalities. We acknowledge that the discipline of clinical psychology has participated in the production and perpetuation of systemic inequities, and that rebuilding trust with communities who have been harmed will require steadfast learning and action. Members of the CCAP Diversity Committee, including students, faculty, and staff, aim to create, advocate, and remain accountable for concrete actions that address and rectify these inequities. We acknowledge that for our education and services to become equitable, changes must take place at both individual and program levels alongside wider disciplinary, structural, and institutional changes. In order to prioritize diversity and equity in our education, training, research and practice, two guiding commitments inform the Committee’s current (2020-21) actions:  

1.    Preparing all members of the CCAP program with the knowledge and skills to respectfully continue to learn about, engage with, and respond to the needs of diverse people in clinical services, research, education, and community engagement.

• Support the development of a core diversity and equity-focused course and further integrating diversity efforts within existing courses
• Liaise with the Clinical Program Meeting Committee to support regular clinical program meetings and workshops on how to serve diverse individuals and communities from an anti-oppressive framework
• Create an accessible library of resources tailored to addressing the diverse needs of people
• Advocate for diverse clinical training opportunities
• Develop partnerships and collaborate with underserved campus and community organizations 

2.    Reducing barriers to meaningful engagement and strengthening representation of diverse people in the CCAP program, at all levels, for students, faculty, staff, and clients.

• Identify, learn about, and advocate for larger, department-wide changes that aim to make the CCAP program and services safer for BIPOC and other underrepresented groups
• Advocate for the recruitment, hiring, and retention of faculty and staff who are underrepresented in psychology to all levels involved (e.g., the University of Guelph, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, Department of Psychology, and the Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology Program)
• Recruiting new cohorts of graduate students who are underrepresented in psychology
• Reducing barriers to access of CCAP clinical services for diverse groups
• Create a safe, inclusive, and accessible environment for diverse individuals at our program clinic

This Mission Statement will grow and change with increased knowledge, engagement, and feedback. The framework will inform the development of the forthcoming feasible and actionable short, medium, and long-term goals.

*Terminology is rapidly evolving; in this mission statement we use "BIPOC" to refer to Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. This term stems from acknowledging that there is an important historic impact of racism on Black and Indigenous people in North America. This is not to diminish the impact of racism on other people of colour, including Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern, bi/multi-racial and many other ethnic groups who make up the global majority. There are limitations to using the term "BIPOC", but for the time being, it best represents the aims of this statement. We will update terminology in this statement as better and more inclusive terms are introduced to the lexicon. 

Feel free to contact a member of the CCAP Diversity Committee by emailing: CCAPDiversity@uoguelph.ca