In his opening keynote at the 6th Conference on School Psychology in Hanoi, Vietnam this summer, Dr. Michael Hass, Attallah College Professor and Program Coordinator of the School Counseling and School Psychology graduate programs, congratulated the Hanoi National University of Education and University of Education, Vietnam National University for opening the first graduate programs in school counseling and school psychology in Vietnam that meet international standards.

This news is a milestone in a nearly decade-long effort by universities and organizations all over the world, including Chapman University, to help develop sustainable and effective training programs in school psychology that meet the needs of local communities.

Advancing the Field Through Collaboration

Chapman students and faculty at the 5th Conference on School Psychology in Vietnam

Chapman students and faculty at the 5th Conference on School Psychology in Vietnam in 2016

Dr. Hass is the chair of the Consortium to Advance School Psychology International (CASP-I), a nonprofit established in 2010 devoted to promoting school psychology internationally. The 2018 conference in Hanoi, organized by CASP-I, was the most recent in a long-term effort to advance the school psychology profession and services in Vietnam.

As part of this effort, Dr. Hass and other Attallah College faculty including Drs. Kelly Kennedy and Jeanne Anne Carriere, have been active in CASP-I since its inception, leading travel courses to Vietnam and conducting research projects in collaboration with Vietnamese partners.

As a member of the Fulbright Specialist Program in 2015, Michael Hass worked with scholars from Vietnam National University to develop curriculum and conducted professional development workshops on ADHD, learning disabilities, and supervision for faculty members, students, K-12 teachers, and community mental health practitioners.

Developing School Psychology Curriculum and Services in Vietnam

Over the course of the last nine years, CASP-I has been specifically collaborating with institutions in Vietnam to establish pilot educational programs in the discipline of school psychology.

Chapman students and faculty at the 4th Conference on School Psychology in Vietnam

Chapman students and faculty at the 4th Conference on School Psychology in Vietnam in 2014

Now, in 2018, the two universities in Hanoi will begin to recruit students for graduate programs in school counseling and school psychology. There are the first programs in Vietnam designed collaboratively with CASP-I to meet US and international standards.

Moving forward, Dr. Hass will coordinate a Faculty Mentorship Program CASP-I developed to support these programs.

“More than 30 faculty across the US have volunteered to join this program to help their Vietnamese colleagues implement high-quality programs,” said Dr. Hass.

In his closing keynote at the 2018 conference in Hanoi, Dr. Hass issued a call to all attendees: “When all of you leave here and return to the schools and universities where you study and work, I encourage you to strongly advocate for the kinds of services that well-trained school counselors and school psychologists can provide. Nine years from now, my hope is there will be programs throughout Vietnam and, more importantly, well-trained professionals in all schools in Vietnam.”

Featured Image Caption: Dr. Michael Hass speaking at the 6th Conference on School Psychology in Hanoi, Vietnam