By Dr. Anusha Kassan
The Committee for Critical Social Justice (CCSJ) in School and Applied Child Psychology (SACP) has come together through shared values that centre on Indigenous and other non-western ways of knowing, the voices and experiences of underrepresented communities, anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-homophobia, anti-transphobia, anti-ableism, anti-ageism, anti-oppression, diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, human rights, and intersectionality.
Our vision is to see a program that is collectively working towards a more equitable and just climate, which will in turn help inform culturally responsive, socially just, and decolonized school psychology teaching, clinical training, research, service, and community engagement.
Since its inception in 2021, the CCSJ in SACP has focused on several efforts, including publishing newsletters, securing funding, and hosting an annual workshop. In our first year, we offered a workshop centred engaging in difficult conversations. In the following year, we focused on ableism in higher education. For the upcoming year, we are focusing on Indigenization and decolonization, particularly in regard to building relationships with community. Our committee has also worked in tandem with the Counselling Psychology program, gathering for social events and co-hosting a wellness exchange with the Wet’suwet’en Nation. A selection of our newsletters is included here: July 2022, March 2023, September 2023, and May 2024.