Jan Collins-Eaglin, Ph.D., Jeanne Manese, Ph.D., David P. Rivera, Ph.D. Institutions and agencies with minoritized and marginalized people are facing significantchallenges to promote, address, support, and sustain efforts that address fundamental mentalhealth needs. There is growing clinical and empirical literature that attests that People of Color and Indigenous individuals’ (POCI) experiences with racism, discrimination, andmicroaggressions affect their mental and physical health (Alvarez, Liang, & Neville, 2016). Therecent Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action related to admissions in highereducation has heightened concerns about belongingness and finding supportive spaces among students of color and diverse communities on college campuses and beyond. For communities of color and other marginalized communities, addressing systemic change is paramount for prevention of health compromises and promotion of healing and equity.This workshop proposal focuses on the concept and application of capacity building fortransformational change where diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational. Capacitybuilding will be discussed as a process that improves an organization’s facility and capability.(Lambert, Johnson & Fiore, 2015). However, in this workshop, our implementation of capacitybuilding counters much the current demand for increased productivity and/or increased servicesby simply “adding on” to an existing structure that does not allow the time and context forrelationship building, engagement, development, and repair. Capacity building will be discussed,conceptually and practically, as starting from the ground up; that is, building agencies and institutions that are transforming with equity and inclusion centered; and build capacity throughemphasizing quality, collaboration, and sustainability. As part of this workshop, four areas for transforming change and building capacity will be discussed: trauma informed approaches, socially just and sustainable leadership, pipelinecommunity development, and advocacy and activism. In addition, some innovative modelprograms and institutions will be showcased which have benefitted from capacity building.

Michi Fu, PhD, Cheryl Tien, PsyDIn this transformative workshop inspired by NMCS’s theme (Wayfinding, participants will embark on a reflective journey aimed at crafting their own wayfinding map, a tool that allows them to chart the course of their lives by acknowledging the pivotal role played by mentors and elders intheir personal and professional development. The adage "it's important to look back to knowwhere you are going" encapsulates the essence of this session, emphasizing the significance ofunderstanding one's past to navigate the present and future successfully. Acknowledging that our accomplishments are intricately woven into the support we receive from mentors and elders, the workshop draws on the metaphor of standing on the shoulders of giants. This imagery signifies the foundation upon which our work is built, with inspiration flowing from the wisdom imparted by those who came before us. However, amidst the demands of research, clinical work, and professional development, individuals may experience isolation and burnout when disconnected from their support systems. Recognizing this, the workshopseeks to guide attendees in developing a comprehensive list of questions designed to rekindle connections with mentors. These questions will not only serve as a means to bridge the gap but also act as valuable tools for applying insights garnered to their respective areas of focus.

Julie Lynn Williams, PsyD, ABPP This workshop will explore disability justice and what it means in the context of ableism. Withthis purpose in mind, disability will not be framed as the focus of change or correction. Disabilitywill be revealed as the target of systemic and pervasive hate, exclusion, erasure and eveneradication. In this space the disabled body will not be treated as the target of correction,intervention, or “help”. Instead, the world we live in will be examined. Moreover, the ways thatsociety advantages those without disabilities and disadvantages those with disabilities will belocated as points of radical change. The question, how did we get here? will be exploredthrough disability resistant movements and historical disability civil rights legislation. Finally, thisworkshop will offer a way out and more importantly a way to cultivate inclusion of all bodies.Art, music, poetry, and scholarship by and within disability community will be experienced. Thisworkshop is for those who live it and those who are ready to experience radical accessibility.

Alex L. Pieterse, Melanie M. Wilcox The American Psychological Association (2021a, 2021b, 2021c) has increasingly emphasizedits commitment to antiracism, releasing a series of resolutions that apologize for psychology’srole in creating and maintaining racial hierarchy in the U.S. and establishing psychology’s role indismantling racism and White supremacy. These and other calls to move toward antiracist andsocial justice advocacy and action are consistent with the decades of scholarship on the needfor social justice training in professional psychology (Speight & Vera, 2023). Still, recentresearch (e.g., Wilcox et al., 2023) demonstrates consistent difficulty in moving professionalpsychology training from social justice discourse to social justice action. In this presentation, thepresenters will describe how faculty can better integrate training for social justice advocacy andaction into their professional psychology training programs. The current state of antiracism andsocial justice discourse in professional psychology will be reviewed, and updated definitions ofcommon pedagogical constructs (e.g., privilege) will be provided. The relationship betweenmental health disparities, the need for social justice in psychology, extant research, and theways in which training currently falls short will be discussed. Participants will then be providedan overview of relevant competencies in social justice training as well as an emerging structuralcompetencies model for psychology. Finally, attendees will participate in working sessionsdesigned to generate strategies to implement social justice training procedures in their affiliatedprograms or institutions.