SIP SMOKE SIGNALS
Society of Indian Psychologist Special Mentor 2019 Update
SPECIAL EDITION
Last Call: Please Consider Mentoring for the 2019-2020 Native to Native SIP Mentorship
Program!
By Dr. Denise L. Newman, Chair SIP Mentorship Program
Sometimes we just yearn to touch base with Native psychologists or our dear colleagues before June’s
Annual SIP Convention in Utah comes around again on the calendar. Sometimes waiting to talk to other
Native professionals can not wait for a once a year meet-up at the annual meeting of American
Psychological Association or that Division meeting you attend regularly. Sometimes, quite honestly, the
travel budget, the family, your leave schedule, or even our health interferes with even the best laid
travel plans. Fortunately, for all of these wants and complications of being the only Native on your
campus, or the only Native on your block, we now offer a real solution. For our Society of Indian
Psychologists family of full members: You are most cordially invited to become a mentor for the Native
to Native SIP Mentorship Program.
We are closing our application period for new mentees on October 1, 2019 for this year’s Native to
Native SIP Mentorship Program. Now is the time we need to call on SIP membership to step forward and
join us as mentors. This is the third full year of our flagship virtual mentoring program that pairs self-
identified Native graduate or advanced undergraduate students, as well as postdocs, interns, and early
career professionals with a mentor of their own.
Our Native mentors are SIP members and retirees, experienced psychologists, academics or
professionals in any field of psychology, who donate their time to talk via video chat at least four(4)
times during the academic year with a thoughtfully matched mentee. In addition to individual one-to-
one time, all our participants attend content-based webinars offered every other month on topics of
interest to the whole SIP community. These webinars offer the option for mentors to obtain
complimentary Continuing Education Units (CEU) that are APA/SIP authorized. Indeed, guests are
welcomed to register for these units through SIP for a mere $30 per credit hour and a half. It is a special
treat to see and hear from our friends at SIP all during the academic year. Please consider joining us as a
mentor, or at least as a guest for our webinars, and remind friends and colleagues you know who can
recommend new members to our community of Native psychologists.
MENTORSHIP-2019-SmokeSignals 2
You can join us on Facebook at www.facebook/groups/SIPMentorship/ for announcements about
upcoming webinars that review topics in Native Psychology. The theme for this year’s series is “On
Becoming a Native Psychologist.” After the SIP Mentorship Program Orientation and Match Day Kick-off
events in October and November, I am pleased to announce that our founding program chair, Dr. Anita
Mihecoby will be back with graduate student and SIP representative, Ms. Melissa Wheeler to lead the
first webinar of the series on December 6, 2019 titled “Mentoring as a Sacred Duty.”
The SIP Mentorship Program connects us all together for activities year-round in a virtual space that
really gives Our Circle the dimensionality of a virtual sphere! Come see how by joining us as a mentor,
mentee, consultant, teacher or guest.
Any questions? Reach Dr. Denise L. Newman, Chair at SIPMentorship@gmail.com
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