Diversity
Commitment to Anti-Racism
The Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention and Treatment program is committed to practicing anti-racism by fostering diversity and inclusion while promoting equity in all its activities, policies and practices.
Current and historical acts of oppression and prejudice disproportionately devalue people of diverse identities including race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identification, ability and socioeconomic status, among others. We are committed to recruiting and retaining staff and students from all backgrounds, including marginalized and historically excluded groups. We are also dedicated to training all students to do effective clinical work with diverse children, adolescents and families.
We understand that anti-racism must involve institutional-level change, and we are committed to identifying and challenging bias and racism in every decision we make to achieve more equitable outcomes for our students. The program’s leadership; Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Committee; and faculty are continually working to create a learning environment that centers diverse ideas, perspectives and lived experiences, and honors all identities.
The diversity of our students, faculty and staff enhances the excellence of our program. Our shared goals regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aim to improve the quality of our program, the training of our students, the services our students and graduates provide to their clients, and the mental health of our broader community. Our program’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Committee uses a variety of strategies to build and promote an anti-racist, equitable and inclusive culture for all students.
We recognize that a diverse student body benefits everyone: students, instructors and the program as a whole. According to a 2015 report by the American Psychological Association (APA), only 15% of the psychology workforce is BIPOC, compared to 38% of the U.S. population. According to Pew Research projections, the United States will be majority BIPOC by 2050.
Nationally, a 2021 APA survey reports that students in a sample of master’s programs across the U.S. were 37% BIPOC and 52% white on average. Through critical examination of our recruitment and admissions processes, the University of Washington Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment program is committed to attracting and retaining students from all backgrounds, including those from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as historically underrepresented populations.
