Professional activities of nonacademic community psychologists

Since the field of community psychology was established in 1965, practitioners and researchers interested in the area have studied the various roles taken by community psychologists. In general, proposed roles for community psychologists emphasize direct involvement and active participation in the community. Researchers have studied the graduate training, practicum experiences, and academic activities of community psychologists since the early development of the field. However, little attention has been paid to the roles taken by nonacademic practitioners.;The purpose of the present study was to expand on previous research by identifying the activities of nonacademic community psychologists. A survey was used to examine the professional activities of nonacademic members of APA Division 27 (Community Psychology). Respondents were asked to provide information about their involvement in a range of activities including traditional clinical services and community activities. In addition, the research activities of these members, including the professional journals read, were examined.;Results suggest that a large percentage of respondents in the current sample do not pursue activities which have been suggested for community psychologists, such as community change, consultation and prevention. Many respondents do seem to pursue community activities of program development and supervision and public policy activities of program advising and evaluation. In addition, many respondents appear to be engaged in traditional clinical activities of psychotherapy and testing. Thus, the overlap between clinical and community psychology, as suggested by these findings, appears to be growing stronger, if changing at all.;Training was reported most frequently for psychotherapy and testing activities. Relatively few respondents who were frequently engaged in community psychology activities received graduate training in these activities. Thus, many respondents who pursue community psychology activities have not received training in these activities, although graduate programs have emphasized such training.;Overall, these findings suggest that many of the roles proposed for community psychologists since the field was established in the 1960s have not been adopted by present respondents. In contrast, many respondents have pursued clinical activities, even though proponents of community psychology have suggested that its ties to clinical psychology should be weakened. Obstacles which may have hindered professionals in fulfilling these roles include difficulty finding employment in community psychology and political obstacles.