Community Psychology: Foundations for Practice

Drawing upon the wisdom of experts in the field, this reader-friendly volume explores both foundational competencies and the technical how-to skills needed for engaging in community psychology practice. Each chapter explores a core competency and its application in preventing or amending community problems and issues. With case examples throughout, this text offers a practical introduction to community outreach and intervention in community psychology.

Victoria Scott, Ph.D., MBA, is a community psychologist who has devoted her professional career to working with non-profit organizations to optimize their performance through consultation, training, research, and evaluation.  She is actively engaged with the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), Division 27 of the American Psychological Association, which is a national organization devoted to strengthening communities around the world through theory, research, and action.  Dr. Scott is especially passionate about improving the quality of health care and health care outcomes. She holds an academic appointment at the University of South Carolina where she is both a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavior Science and Director of Research & Evaluation at the Office of Continuous Professional Development and Strategic Affairs. Dr. Scott is blissfully married to her best friend, C. Justin Scott, and mother of their beautiful daughter, Vienna.

Susan M. Wolfe, Ph.D. is a community and developmental psychologist with over 28 years of professional experience. She has worked across a variety of settings that include public hospitals, a community college district, a public school system, universities, research institutes, and the federal government. She has worked across topic areas such as domestic violence, homelessness, education, adolescent development, maternal child health, technological innovation, children’s mental health, nursing homes, and policy. She is currently CEO of Susan Wolfe and Associates, LLC where she provides research, evaluation, capacity building, and coalition development services to non-profit organizations, government, foundations, school districts, and public health organizations. She has a diploma from the Michigan College of Beauty Culture, a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Michigan-Flint, a Master of Arts degree and ABD in Ecological Psychology with a cognate in Organizational Psychology from Michigan State University, and a PhD in Human Development and Communication Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas. She lives in Cedar Hill, Texas with her husband, Charles Hipkins. Her family includes two sons, two-stepsons, two daughters-in-law, a granddaughter, three grandsons, a Chihuahua, a Chiweenie and two cats.