Community Psychology Practice in Taiwan from 1990s to 2015

Tsai-Chung Chou, National Chengchi University

Chia-Feng Chen, National Chengchi University

Hui-Chun Hsieh, National Chi Nan University

13th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action

Poster Session B: June 17, 2011

The aims of this paper are to trace the development of Community Psychology (CP) Practice in Taiwan since 1990s and to explore its possibilities in the near future.

AimAim

The historical events included :

Educational Training The first CP course was

offered in the early 1990s. The number of CP course offered in undergraduate and graduate programs was 7 in 2010. The training was not popular compared with other psychological or counseling subjects across the country.

EventEvent

The number of CP course in Taiwan from 2004 to 2010

1 1 1

4 4

6

7

1

2

1

2

1

0 00

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

undergraduategraduate

EventEvent

Community Psychology Practice

There were 25 Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) in Taiwan, but the core values of CP, for example, needs-based planning and evaluation, consultation, coalition building, etc., were only practiced in 1 or 2 CMHCs (Taichung County and Kaohsiung City).

EventEvent

Support Network Building The CP Practitioners have held

some symposiums at the annual conference of the Taiwanese Psychological Association and the Taiwan Guidance and Counseling Association in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The theme of sessions focused on the experiences of CP learning, teaching, working, and professional development.

EventEvent

Now there existed a few professional challenges:

• The Psychologists Act was passed in 2001, as a result, most graduate students of psychology or counseling major pursue the goals of becoming a Psychologist and doing private practice. Until 2011, there are 1643 persons passed Counseling Psychologist Exam. and 841 persons passed Clinical Psychologist Exam. in Taiwan.

ChallengeChallenge

• The major research issues and grants in some psychology departments were heavily related to neuroscience. Other psychological areas are marginalized. The fMRI/MEG equipment is been setting up at NCCU. The budget is about 70 millions.

ChallengeChallenge

• The national mental health policies focused more on solving the problems of suicide, disaster (PTSD) and substance abuse, rather than on preventing mental illness or promoting mental health.

ChallengeChallenge

• Most teachers of CP course lacked a formal disciplinary in CP, as a result, the core values of CP were often mistaken. The background and research interests of the most teachers are still focused on Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Health Psychology.

ChallengeChallenge

The accumulated developmental strengths

included:

• Some professionals of CP have close engaged in the government’s research projects of Department of Health and Ministry of Education, e.g. teen pregnancy (2001), CMHC empowerment evaluation (2004), mental health administration (2008~2009), mental health policy (2010).

DevelopmentDevelopment

• The psychology department of NCCU gained a National Science Council grant in the Library Acquisition Project for Social Sciences and Humanities (including Gender, Family, School and Community). There are nearly 200 CP related books to be collected in 2010-11.

DevelopmentDevelopment

• The NCCU Cross-Disciplinary Master’s Program of Counseling and Guidance will launch in academic year 2011. The courses provided include community psychology, community counseling, preventive psychology, and program evaluation.

DevelopmentDevelopment

The Taiwan CP practices of near future could develop in

the following fields:

• International collaboration: e.g., China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and other Asia regions

• Internet and web 2.0: e.g., website, facebook, twitter, blog, etc.

FutureFuture

• Interdisciplinary collaboration and community coalition: e.g., NGOs, religion groups, social entrepreneur, local key persons, etc.

• Respect for cultural diversity: indigenous people, and disaster preparedness (flood-related)

FutureFuture

• Empowerment of disadvantaged groups: e.g., poverty, teen pregnancy, unemployment, etc.

• Evaluation of community programs and services

FutureFuture

• Policy advocacy (including central and local government): mental health, and well-being policy

• Community well-being: e.g., primary prevention, mental health promotion, population intervention, local community flourishing, etc.

FutureFuture

• Social support systems: good friends program or peer support group

• Community development: environment justice, and community change

FutureFuture