Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP) to Host DSM-5 and Cultural Formulation Conference

BOSTON– The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP), a leader in educating mental health professionals and the largest graduate psychology program in New England, will host a conference today, titled DSM-5 and Cultural Formulation: From Theory to Practice in Working with Latino Immigrants. The conference will take place at MSPP, and will focus on the mental health and socio-political issues faced by immigrant Latino populations as well as the implications for mental health services.

“In our diverse community, it is important to consider clients’ perspectives from a cultural standpoint,” said Nick Covino, president of MSPP. “The DSM-5 has adopted this viewpoint, and it is important that today’s mental health clinicians are able to learn from the latest mental health findings.”

The forum will focus on the impact of culture in the changes of DSM-5 and how to incorporate cultural information into practice. Presenters will speak to the political and social circumstances of those migrating from Central and South America, highlighting the contrast between the views of Central American refugees versus the mainstream view of the media. Keynote speakers include Roberto Lewis-Fernández, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and Director, New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence and the Hispanic Treatment Program; Michelle Contreras, PsyD, Core Faculty, MA, Counseling Psychology Department and Director of the MA in Counseling Psychology in Global Mental Health at MSPP; and Nilda M. Laboy, PsyD, Chair, Counseling Psychology Department at MSPP;

For more information, contact Mari Carmen Bennasar, PsyD, Director, The Lucero Latino Mental Health Program. To register for the event, please visit: https://netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=MSPP&WebCode=EventDetail&evt_key=d0f60ee4-e857-4087-979a-24021c031087.