Diversity & Social Justice Resource List
A New Resource Guide for Diversity, Social Justice & Equity
Explore the first edition of the VPA Diversity & Social Justice Committee’s curated resource list, created to support meaningful learning, reflection, and action.
Created to Support Learning, Reflection, and Action
The VPA Diversity & Social Justice Committee developed this first-edition resource list to help psychologists and other community members engage more deeply with issues of diversity, social justice, and equity. Curated as an accessible PDF, the guide brings together trusted materials that can inform clinical practice, professional development, teaching, advocacy, and personal reflection. By sharing diverse perspectives and practical educational tools, the Committee hopes to encourage ongoing dialogue, strengthen culturally responsive work, and support meaningful action toward more equitable communities.
What You’ll Find in the First Edition
Books & Picture Books
Selections for adults, children, families, and educators that invite conversation and expand understanding across identities and experiences.
Films & Articles
Documentaries, films, essays, and scholarly or accessible articles that offer context, insight, and opportunities for deeper reflection.
Speakers & Educational Resources
Recommended speakers and additional learning materials to support workshops, presentations, discussion groups, and continued study.
Ways to Use the Resource List
Strengthen Professional Development
Select books, articles, films, and speakers that expand your understanding of culturally responsive practice, bias, identity, and equity.
Support Clinical Reflection
Use the materials to examine how systemic oppression and social location may shape assessment, treatment, ethics, and therapeutic relationships.
Enrich Coursework and Training
Incorporate relevant resources into classes, supervision, internships, workshops, and continuing education conversations.
Facilitate Team Discussions
Share a resource with colleagues, consultation groups, or workplace committees to encourage informed dialogue and meaningful action.
Build Community Partnerships
Identify materials that can support collaboration with schools, community organizations, advocates, and other local partners.
Prepare for Presentations
Draw on the list when developing trainings, discussion groups, or public programs focused on diversity, justice, and inclusion.
Guide Personal Learning
Explore perspectives and lived experiences beyond your own through picture books, films, essays, and other accessible formats.
Return to It Often
Use the PDF as a living starting point for ongoing learning, reflection, and conversation throughout your professional journey.
A Continuing Commitment to Equity and Social Justice
The VPA Diversity & Social Justice Committee created this first edition of the resource list as a practical starting place for learning, reflection, and action. Its selections address equity, inclusion, systemic oppression, culturally responsive practice, and the many ways social conditions affect mental health and access to care.
This is an evolving effort. The Committee remains committed to identifying, reviewing, and sharing materials that elevate diverse voices, deepen understanding, and support psychologists in serving Vermont’s communities with greater awareness and accountability. We encourage readers to engage with the list thoughtfully, share it with colleagues and learners, and return to it as their knowledge and practice continue to grow.
Explore the First-Edition Resource List
Download the PDF, discover resources that support ongoing diversity and social justice learning, and share it with colleagues and communities. Your engagement and recommendations can help this living resource continue to grow.
Dr. Rick Barnett, VPA Legislative Committee Chair and long-term VPA member received the 2026 award for Distinguished Contribution to the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy at the State Level from the APA Division 55, Society for Prescribing Psychology for his efforts in advocating for passage of legislation to allow psychologists-doctorates with advanced training to prescribe psychotropic medications in Vermont.
Dr. Barnett led that 10-year advocacy effort with the full backing of the Vermont Psychological Association and we could not be more thrilled that his success and effort has been recognized nationally. Dr. Barnett recently explained the drive behind seeking prescriptive authority for psychologists:
“There is still a good deal of misunderstanding about what it means to be a ‘prescribing psychologist.’ . . . . The goal isn’t simply to prescribe medication. It is to bring the depth and perspective of psychology together with the science of medicine so that we can help patients make thoughtful, informed decisions about when medication may help, when it may not, and when it may no longer be needed.”
We look forward to seeing the legislation in Vermont implemented and creating a new generation of prescribing psychologists.
Dr. Barnett is also scheduled to be the keynote speaker on clinical psychopharmacology at the American Academy of Clinical Psychology’s 2026 Leadership Summit in October 2026.