(PS7-C75) Piloting a Mentorship Program for Underrepresented Groups in Clinical Psychology

Saturday, November 19, 2022

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST

Location: Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor

Author(s)

LS

Laura A. Simon-Pearson, M.A.

Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student
Hofstra University
Astoria, New York

Co-Author(s)

EL

Elizabeth S. Lax, M.A.

Clinical Psychology Trainee
Hofstra University
Long Island City, New York
ED

Ecem Demirli, M.A.

Doctoral Student (Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology)
Hofstra University
Norwalk, Connecticut
BB

Brittany Bonasera, M.A.

Student
Hofstra University
Seaford, New York
SS

Sana Shad, M.A.

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Hofstra University
Brooklyn, New York
ER

Erin E. Reilly, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
University of California San Francisco
San Franciso, California

Despite ongoing initiatives to promote greater diversity and inclusion in clinical psychology and higher education more broadly, students from underrepresented groups commonly report experiencing higher levels of discrimination and perceived stress than their peers (Cokley et al., 2011), which leads to lower levels of retention in academia (Callahan et al., 2018) as well as negative physical and mental health outcomes (Juang et al., 2016). In an attempt to develop initiatives to better support and retain students from underrepresented groups in academia, specifically in clinical psychology, the current pilot study aims to assess the effectiveness of a mentorship program for students from underrepresented backgrounds training in a Ph.D. program. The goal of the Mentorship Program is to provide a space for these students to connect with and learn from established professionals who also identify as underrepresented. Mentees identifying with underrepresented backgrounds are matched with mentors based on common goals and discuss issues related to diversity and professional practice. The objectives of the pilot study are as follows: (1) Recruit mentors (clinical psychologists; n = 15) and mentees (n = 15) from underrepresented backgrounds; (2) Gather qualitative and quantitative data over a 6-month period regarding the participants’ experience in the program; (3) Use this feedback to refine the program for future use, and (4) Disseminate findings from the program to the larger field of clinical psychology to enhance future mentorship programs. The program has recruited 23% of the target sample size in the first semester (n=4 mentees and n=3 mentors). The average age of mentee participants is 29 years, 75% identify as female, and 25% as male. The average age of mentor participants is 38 years, and 100% identify as female. Baseline responses from mentors indicate the following themes regarding a mentor’s role: guidance and support, validation of mentee’s experiences, and navigating the field as a minoritized student. Baseline responses from mentees reveal the following themes participants are looking for in a mentor: professional guidance as early career psychology trainees, work life balance, educational acculturation, and personal identity in the field of clinical psychology. All participants responded “Yes” to feeling as though having a mentor would enhance the quality of their training experience while in this doctoral program. In addition, 75% of mentees have previously had a mentor in an educational setting, and all participants reported believing that the mentorship program will be “very helpful” for them. At 3-month follow up, 67% of mentees reported being “very satisfied” with the initial contact and the recruitment process and all mentees reported being “very satisfied” with their experiences in the mentorship program. At 3-month follow up, mentors provided feedback that more detailed instruction on the mentorship role would be helpful (e.g. frequency of mentorship meetings). Future mentorship programs may benefit from making mentorship role expectations more explicit, as well as strengthening recruitment efforts for students from underrepresented backgrounds.