Appointment of Puerto Rican, Dr. Stacey Lambert, Director of Diversity Education and Inclusion, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP)

USA - English

• Latin America - español

"My background has always been in working with the underserved, in particular minority populations, the homeless, people with severe mental illness and the elderly.  Throughout my career I have maintained a broad social consciousness and a sense of social responsibility."- Stacey Lambert, PsyD

BOSTON, Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The career of Puerto Rican, Dr. Stacey Lambert, includes: clinical psychologist, associate research scientist in the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, followed by eleven years at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida where she recently served as associate professor and Director of Internship Training for the Nova Center for Psychological Studies.  In her new appointment Dr. Lambert comments that many universities are adding a chief diversity officer to their administration because diversity increasingly is viewed as a resource rather than an obligation.  She notes that her new role at MSPP involves "distributing a shared set of values."

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101216/MM18901LOGO)

Dr. Lambert's career represents a coupling of two commitments:  the relationship between minorities and poverty and, in academia, training the next generation of students to work in community health.

During her four years at the Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Lambert completed her internship and post-doctoral training, working at a community mental health center in New Haven, one of the poorest inner cities in the United States.  There she provided psychological assessment and intervention services.  "Witnessing the social injustice that some people have healthcare and some cannot, inspired me to spend my career focused on public mental health where due to economic disadvantages, minority populations are over-represented and healthcare disparities are immense," she said.

Following her clinical experience, Dr. Lambert built a distinguished career in academia.  At Nova Southeastern University, in addition to teaching, Dr. Lambert's major administrative role was the school's internship programs.  She also worked as a private consultant on accreditation issues, and served as a site visitor for the American Psychological Association.

In her new responsibilities, and addressing social responsibility as one of the core values of MSPP, Dr. Lambert speaks of the increased numbers of minorities graduating from college, while the numbers entering into graduate school are minimal.  " Although we have a great need for trained psychologists, some services are primarily provided by Caucasian clinicians.  That disconnect is the social responsibility of a school such as MSPP," she explained.

A primary focus of Dr. Lambert's work at MSPP will be assisting with the expansion of its Lucero Latino Mental Health program in building a national reputation for the program. According to Dr. Lambert, "The school has the potential to make a significant contribution in meeting the mental health needs of the Latino population."

Founded in 1974 as a nonprofit institution of higher education, the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP) integrates academic instruction with extensive field education and close attention to professional development.  The school assumes an ongoing social responsibility to create programs educating specialists of many disciplines to meet evolving mental health needs of society.  MSPP is committed to bringing psychologists into nearly every facet of modern life.  For additional information, please go to www.MSPP.edu.

SOURCE Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology