Workshop Pricing: 

$50: GPA Members

$80: Non-members

$20: GPA Student Members

Supporting BIPOC Trainees/Learners: Strategies for Success in Graduate School, During Internship, and During Postdoctoral Fellowship

On-Demand Workshop, CE: 3 Hours

Presenters:  Leandra Prempeh, PsyD; Justin L. Williams, PhD; Abigail O. Akpobiyeri, MA; Kimberly Resendiz Chavez, MAT, BCBA; Gail N. Kemp, PhD, MPH; Meena Khowaja, PhD; Millicent Phinizy, MS, EdS

Despite efforts to develop a diverse psychology workforce through initiatives aimed at recruitment, retention, and training, racial/ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in psychology (APA, 2022,2023; Cheng et al., 2023). This workshop aims to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for BIPOC-identified graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, ultimately enhancing their success and well-being throughout their academic and professional careers. The presenters will identify anecdotal and systemic inequities faced by trainees at different levels of their academic and professional career journey, then guide participants through culturally responsive reflections and strategies aimed at offering practical support at the individual through institutional level.

(Intermediate)

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will identify two specific challenges faced by BIPOC-identified graduate students and postdoctoral fellows within psychology. 
2. Participants will be able to list one practical strategy at the individual level to enhance culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive mentorship, sponsorship, and/or professional development with BIPOC-identified graduate students and postdoctoral fellows within psychology. 
3. Participants will generate two institution-level action steps that could advance inclusive practices in their institutions, training programs, or professional practices.
   
   

Abigail O. Akpobiyeri, MA (Graduate Training)
I am a third-year clinical psychology student at Mercer University in the College of Health Professions (Atlanta, GA). My research interests include mental health and wellness in elite athletes and the psychological impacts of living with SCD. I have strong interests in health psychology and psychotherapy, with hopes to blend these interests into my professional practice. I serve as the Chair-Elect for the Georgia Psychological Association for Graduate Students. A key initiative in this role includes forging more accessible mentoring relationships between graduate students in psychology and licensed psychologists across Georgia. I am currently a psychology extern at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, working in the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders department. My roles include consultation/liaison services,  outpatient therapy, and outreach programming focused on SCD transition from pediatric to adult care.

Kimberly Resendiz Chavez, MAT, BCBA (Graduate Training)
Kimberly (She/Her/Ella) is a third-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program. She graduated with her Master's degree in Special Education (Adapted Curriculum and Autism) in December 2021, earning her certifications as a BCBA and Special Education teacher. She also graduated from Berry College with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Biology in December 2019. Her broad research interests include disparities in autism diagnoses and service availability, particularly in families with a bilingual and/or Hispanic background. Kimberly has experience working in UGA’s Center for Autism and Behavioral Education Research (CABER) Academy and model classrooms and interning as a registered behavior technician. She is currently in her third year as a graduate fellow for the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE), where she leads an outreach taskforce and focuses on disseminating resources for Latine students and families while sharing personal experiences as a Latine student in higher education. At present, Kimberly is completing a practicum placement at the Marcus Autism Center under the supervision of Dr. Meena Khowaja and CCC-SLP Kadie Ulven. In this role, she assists with bilingual (Spanish and English) and monolingual autism evaluations and early intervention services through Project ImPACT. After graduation, Kimberly hopes to work in a hospital or clinical setting, conducting ASD evaluations and providing either ABA or early intervention therapy. She also wishes to incorporate her passion for outreach into her professional work, continuing to spread knowledge about service availability and opportunities to underserved populations.

Dr. Gail Kemp (Graduate Training)
I am a professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Mercer University and a licensed psychologist with extensive experience in clinical training, research, and teaching within the field of psychology. I also am the Director of the RESIST (Resiliency for Intergenerational/Historical Stress and Trauma) Lab. My research focuses on the cultural, contextual, and psychological factors influencing mental health, with a particular emphasis on Black families and communities. Over the years, I have facilitated numerous workshops and trainings on topics such as cultural diversity, anti-racism strategies, and mental health, including the application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to promote persistence in anti-racism efforts. I have also served as a consultant on anti-racism initiatives for various academic institutions. I am particularly well-suited to lead workshops on the experiences of BIPOC clinical psychology trainees, given my background as a clinical supervisor, mentor, and researcher focusing on the intersection of race, mental health, and systemic inequalities. My work has included initiatives to enhance ethnic minority recruitment and retention in psychology programs, supported by grants such as the APA CEMRRAT Grant for Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Training. This funding supported the development of a mentoring program focused on HBCUs in Georgia. I also am a faculty sponsor for the diversity, equity, and inclusion student-interest group in our doctoral program at Mercer. In this workshop, I intend to draw on both my clinical, research, and teaching expertise to offer a comprehensive perspective on the unique challenges and opportunities that BIPOC trainees encounter in clinical psychology doctoral programs.

Dr. Meena Khowaja (Internship Training)
Meena Khowaja, PhD (she/her/ella) is a clinical psychologist at the Marcus Autism Center/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine. In her current role, Dr. Khowaja’s conducts psychological testing services through the Clinical Assessments and Diagnostics Program and parent-mediated NDBIs through the Early Intervention/ Project ImPACT program. She strives to continuously learn about and provide neurodiversity-affirming care. Her clinical and research experiences have primarily centered around early detection and intervention of ASD, identifying barriers to accessing and utilizing autism-focused services for Latinx parents, developing clinical adaptations to parent training programs based on linguistic and cultural identities, and identification of sociodemographic barriers to the screening and identification of autism. Dr. Khowaja is dedicated to providing culturally responsive supervision with supervisees of diverse cultural, linguistic, and ability status backgrounds. She actively supervises psychology externs, interns, and postdocs and also serves as a mentor to psychology interns. Importantly, she is bilingual in Spanish and English and provides services in both languages; she is passionate about supervising bilingual trainees as the future generation of psychologists serving our ever-diversifying clinic population. Throughout her training and career, she has served in different capacities on diversity committees and various DEI initiatives, including developing and participating in trainee mentorship programs, efforts to recruit and retain trainees and providers of underrepresented backgrounds, improving cultural competence of faculty/supervisors by arranging DEI training initiatives, and creating more inclusive spaces based on individual learning and sensory needs.

Millicent Phinizy, MS, EdS (Internship Training)
Millicent Phinizy is a certified school psychologist in Georgia, 5th year doctoral student at Mercer University, and immediate past chair of Georgia Psychological Association of Graduate Students. Through her LLC she serves as an advocate for families and consultant to elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators regarding school-based mental health services. Her career has included supervision of school psychology trainees and upscaling of district level positive behavior intervention programs. Millicent is presently completing internship at Georgia State University Counseling Center. Present internship responsibilities include provision of health service psychology to GSU’s diverse population of emerging adults and supervising practicum students. Clinical and research interests include culturally relevant assessment, trauma-focused treatment, social justice advocacy, and the psychosocial sequelae of trauma, ACE’s, and chronic stress. She finds peace in her artwork, joy in time spent with her husband and friends, and excitement in the dance and soccer mom life.

Dr. Leandra Prempeh (Fellowship Training)
Dr. Leandra Prempeh is a postdoctoral resident in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University’s School of Medicine. She is completing her residency in pediatric psychology at the Aflac Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). She received a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Mercer University and a master's in Clinical Counseling Psychology at Brenau University. She received her BS in Psychology from Georgia State University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Center for Advanced Pediatrics (CHOA) and the Marcus Autism Center.

Dr. Prempeh’s clinical experience ranges from working with individuals and families ages 0 - 65+.  She has worked in inpatient, outpatient, community-based, and college settings. When working with pediatric populations, Dr. Prempeh emphasizes family-centered care to help foster well-being on a multisystem level. She has experience conducting neuropsychological, neurodevelopmental, psychoeducational, and cognitive assessments. She also has experience in individual psychotherapy, parent management training skills, psychosocial rehabilitation group therapy, and applied behavioral analysis-based intervention. Through mentorship and community outreach, Dr. Prempeh has a special interest in supporting Black and African adolescents and young adults to obtain personalized guidance and resources to help overcome barriers, build confidence, and achieve academic success in the transition to and navigation of higher education. Dr. Prempeh’s research interests focus on postpartum mothers' mental health, emphasizing how maternal well-being affects early childhood development. There is also a focus on developmental concerns in the pediatric population, including cognitive, emotional, and social growth, to identify interventions that support both maternal recovery and optimal child development outcomes. Dr. Prempeh is a member of American Psychological Association and the Black/African American Affinity Group in the Society of Pediatric Psychology.

Dr. Justin L. Williams (Fellowship Training)
Justin L. Williams, PhD, joined Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as a pediatric psychologist in spring 2020. Dr. Williams received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Florida A&M University. She earned her master’s degree in clinical and community psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Williams earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Georgia State University and completed her predoctoral internship through the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Given her interest in hematology and oncology, Dr. Williams completed her postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where she worked with youth with sickle cell disease, cancer, and other hematological disorders; young adults with HIV; and completed psychological evaluations. Dr. Williams’s primary research and clinical interests in the field of pediatric psychology include healthcare transition for youth with sickle cell disease; advocacy and community collaborations; pediatric hematology and oncology; teaching; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In the areas of supervision and mentorship, Dr. Williams clinical supervision to psychology practicum/externship students and postdoctoral psychology fellows. Additionally, Dr. Williams is working with pediatric psychology colleagues across the United States to help diversify the field of psychology.

Workshop References

Disclosures:

This presenter has no financial, professional or personal relationship that might potentially bias and/or impact content of the educational activity/session.
 

Cancellation Policy:

All cancellations must be submitted in writing to Sylvia Cardona via email (operations@gapsychology.org). A $35 cancellation fee will be retained for any cancellations prior to one week before the event.

No refunds will be given within one week of the event.

The Georgia Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Georgia Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Workshop recorded 04/26/2025.