SPP 177: School Safety

Please join #psychedpodcast for this important topic with Dr. Paula Gill Lopez

https://facultyprofile.fairfield.edu/?uname=pgilllopez

Paula Gill Lopez received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. While working as a school psychologist in Richmond, CA, she co-wrote curriculum and conducted workshops in cultural awareness, anger management, conflict mediation, and gang violence prevention for the West Contra Costa Human Relations Department. In 1994, Paula was hired at Fairfield and is now an Associate Professor, chair of the Department of Psychological and Educational Consultation and directs the school psychology program. She has presented nationally and internationally and published articles on dropout and bullying prevention, mentoring, and social-emotional learning. In 2008 she attended her first mindfulness conference – Hearts & Minds – at Georgetown University and found her personal and professional passion. Since then Paula has attended many mindfulness conferences and retreats and has trained in several major programs, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness in Education (MiEN), Mindful Schools, and Inner Resilience. She has presented self-care and mindfulness workshops throughout the state of CT and nationally. Paula authored a two-part article on self-care published in the December 2016 and January/February 2017 issues of the National Association of School Psychologists Communique’, which currently has over 300 reads. She was an invited the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Annual Convention in Atlanta in 2019. She has written blogs and two book chapters on self-care, as well as recorded a podcast. She and her student research team are currently compiling data that investigates the benefits of practicing self-care and mindfulness for school practitioners, graduate students, and whole school climate. The research teams have presented at state and national conferences, and published findings. She has lobbied NASP to include self-care in the revised Professional Ethics document coming out in 2020. Paula is a PREPaRE trainer, teaching prevention, preparation, intervention, and recovery of crisis to students and community members. She is the chair of the CT School Safety & Crisis Response Committee.