Latino Bilingual Track
Description
The Latino Bilingual Track within the School of Professional Psychology combines academic and clinical training experiences intended to prepare students to work with Latinos of origin and Spanish speaking populations.
The Track provides students with a way to cluster their training through a defined curriculum of academic classes, research and clinical practice that solidify core knowledge in the cross cultural assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, of individuals, child/adolescents, families and couples of Latinos of origin and Spanish speaking populations. The Track also seeks to support student development of other interests within the field of Latino Psychology.
It is our goal to train outstanding practitioner-scholars who can deliver and/or develop cutting-edge empirically-driven and validated treatments for this unique population.
Faculty Mentors
Faculty areas of specialization include mental health evaluations; neuropsychological evaluations; individual, child, family, group and couple’s psychotherapy; treatment of anxiety, depression and trauma, eating disorders, obesity, parent-child relations, child and adolescent behavior problems, cross-cultural interventions, stress management, body-mind integrated treatments, wellness practices.
Research
Mentors include a mix of core and part time faculty in addition to community psychologists who provide teaching, supervision and research mentoring to track students. Interests include, but are not limited to, work with children, adolescents and adults, assessment, eating disorders, school-based interventions, disabilities and cultural consultation all with Latino populations.
Core Faculty
- Shahana Koslofsky, PhD., Interim Director, Assistant Professor
- B.J. Scott, Psy. D., Assistant Professor
- Katherine Elder, Ph.D., Associate Professor
- Shawn Davis, PhD. Researcher, Associate Professor
- Robin Shallcross. Associate Professor, Ph.D., ABPP
- Katia Hall. Spanish Professor
Affiliated Community Faculty
- Lucrecia Suárez, LCSW
- Fabiana Wallis, Ph.D. (Conexiones - CTR)
- Sabrina Gomez, Ph.D (Forest Grove School District)
- Eleanor Gil-Kashiwabara, Psy.D. (PSU)
- Sandra Gonzalez, Psy.D. (Private Practice)
- Tod Sloan, Ph.D. (Lewis & Clark)
- Joe Gallegos, Ph.D. (University of Portland)
- Alicia Lopez (Curandera)
- Linda Noval, Psy.D. (Psychologist living in Perú)
- Nagel Lindberg Hofman, Ph. D (Kaiser)
Requirements for Track Members
- Students who are accepted to the Latino-Bilingual Track will be required to complete the following:
- Spanish proficiency as scored in the OPI of the ACTFL test.
- Intermediate mid level is the required point of entry into the Track
- Intermediate high level is the required point of entry in to Practicum I
- Advanced level is required before graduation
- Students will be required to take Spanish class until reaching advanced level
- Completion of the following required courses
- Intermediate to Advanced Spanish Language Courses (when needed)
- Basic Counseling Skills Lab-Bilingual (required in first year)
- Intro to Diagnosis and Treatment Planning Lab-Bilingual (required in first year)
- Psychotherapy with Latinos I and II (5 credits - recommended in first and second year)
- Multicultural Assessment (doctoral students)
- 3 Extra credits (class, seminar, or independent study) on special topics focused on Latinos.
- Participating in one Latino Immersion Course-International Study (1 credit – recommended in summer first year).
- At least two of the three clinical training experiences must focus on Latino populations. Priorities will be given to clinical training placements supervised by bilingual and/or culturally competent supervisor; one for master's students (first and second year).
- Dissertation must be completed within an area of Latino Psychology as the primary research focus for doctoral students; thesis for master's students (thesis for Master level students).
- Maintain good academic standing, a positive attitude, self-awareness, interest and a collaborative approach throughout the entire time at SPP.
Admission & Selection
- Maximum of 6 students are selected each year as member of the LBT.
- Students are identified on the basis of their academic strength and fit with the Track based on the admission selection process.
- Before arrival to school those students identified are invited to participate in 1st year bilingual labs and in Spring are requested to apply to the track as members or affiliates to confirm level of participation.
FAQ’s
How is joining a Track better than just creating my own educational plan?
Joining a Track provides students the opportunity to do emphasis training in a certain domain within a smaller learning community. Students in the LBT will have priority in mentoring and research opportunities by core and affiliated faculty as well as placements in practicum and clinical fieldwork settings that provide services to Spanish speaking individuals.
Joining two tracks?
Due to the heavy work demand, SPP faculty do not recommend students to be accepted in two tracks. This does not stop students from creating an individualized educational plan in which they could develop skills to be competent in different areas of psychology with Latinos.
As developing a track is always a work in progress, if you are interested in two tracks, make sure you discuss your interest with both track Directors, in order to get a better understanding of how to accomplish the development of the desired skills. Students can be members of other tracks and be affiliated with the LBT.
Advanced Standing?
See suggested course sequence for regular students. Advanced Standing Students will be supported in creating their Individualized Education Plan, which will include determining if any of the LBT required courses can be transferred in.
Practicum/field work placements
As any other student, LBT members will be placed at the SPP Training Clinics for Practicum I. All Practicum II and Clinical Fieldwork placements will be determined in discussion with the Track director and the Director of Clinical Training for best matches. The LBT is interested in developing, as much as possible, practicum experiences that offer services to Latinos and have a bilingual bicultural supervisor. Students can help develop such practica in direct communication with the LBT Director and the Director of Clinical Training.