The Scientist-Practitioner-Advocate Model: Addressing Contemporary Training Needs for Social Justice Advocacy

Expanding on ideas originally proposed by Fassinger and O’Brien (2000), we describe the scientistpractitioner-advocate model for doctoral training in professional psychology, designed to more effectively meet the needs of clients whose presenting problems are rooted in a sociocultural context of oppression and unjust distribution of resources and opportunities. This alternative training model incorporates social justice advocacy, thereby equipping graduates to address social contexts implicated in clients’ suffering instead of only the symptoms manifest in a treatment hour. The tripartite model capitalizes on synergies between the new advocate role and the traditional researcher role (e.g., social action research designed to promote change), and between the advocate role and practitioner role (e.g., consciousness raising, public persuasion, and empowerment). At the intersection of all 3 domains is a new type of practicum in social justice advocacy, supported by training in intergroup dialogue facilitation. We describe proposed knowledge, skills, and attitude components of the advocate role, together with a 10-credit curriculum adopted by the University of Tennessee, Counseling Psychology Program. In 2009, this program was the first to be accredited by the American Psychological Association with a scientist-practitioner-advocate training model. Practical challenges in implementation are described. Finally, we discuss implications for course development, student selection, and evaluation of training outcomes.