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Milton Fuentes

Interim Chairperson, Social Work and Child Advocacy, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Office:: Dickson Hall 249
Email:: fuentesm@montclair.edu
Phone:: 973-655-7967
Degrees:: BA, Saint Peters College; MA, Montclair State University; PsyM, Rutgers University; PsyD, Rutgers University
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Profile

Dr. Milton A. Fuentes received his MA in psychology with a Latinx psychology focus from Montclair State University and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Rutgers University. He completed a pre-doctoral fellowship in clinical and community psychology at Yale University and secured post-doctoral training in epidemiology at Columbia University. He is the 2012 President of the National Latinx Psychological Association and was recently awarded fellow status in the American Psychological Association for his outstanding contributions in the field of psychology. Dr. Fuentes is also the recipient of the 2023 Society for the Teaching of Psychology Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. He serves as a consultant to academic campuses, community-based agencies, and corporate clients, helping them center equity, diversity, and inclusion in their mission and strategic planning efforts. Dr. Fuentes is currently a professor in the psychology department at Montclair State University and a licensed psychologist in New York.

Office hours: Happy to help! By appointment only. Email me a few good days and times. I'm at fuentesm@montclair.edu.

Specialization

Dr. Fuentes’ research interests are in the areas of Latinx psychology, diversity science, child/ family psychology, EDI-informed pedagogy and motivational interviewing. Dr. Fuentes collaborated closely with several scholars to produce a concentrated series through Rutgers University Press that examines child maltreatment across minoritized, cultural groups. In each volume, they explore child maltreatment at the intersection of feminism, multiculturalism, and social justice. Each volume has been endorsed by leading experts. To learn more about these volumes, please go to https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/series/violence-against-women-and-children/.

Links

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Documents

Research Projects

Open science: Friend, foe, or both to an antiracist psychology?

The article provides an overview of the open science framework; an examination of White supremacy ideology in research and publishing; guidance on how to move away from these pernicious values; and a proposal on alternate value systems to center equity, diversity, and inclusion with the aim of establishing an antiracist open science framework.

Rethinking the Course Syllabus: Considerations for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

This article provides a comprehensive and useful guide for developing a syllabus that assists with the integration of EDI, as the syllabus is the first opportunity for faculty to communicate their philosophy, expectations, requirements, and other course information.

Applying critical consciousness through the use of testimonios to rethink Latinx cultural values

Skin Color Matters in the Latinx Community: A Call for Action in Research, Training, and Practice

Our findings suggest a critical need to engage in a more concerted effort to assess and discuss the relevance and importance of skin color within the Latinx community. The authors offer some suggestions on how to facilitate these efforts in clinical, training, and research arenas.

Irrational thinking and psychological distress: A cross-racial/ethnic examination

From abstract: "Results highlight the strong effect of race and ethnicity on the relationship between thought patterns and components of mental health, as well as the correlation between other socio-demographics with psychological well-being."

Examining recruitment and retention strategies for racially and ethnically minoritized students in health service psychology doctoral programs

Abstract: Racially and ethnically minoritized students remain underrepresented in doctoral programs in health service psychology, despite efforts to increase diversity across the field. Although programs utilize strategies to support recruitment and retention, limited research has examined which strategies are most commonly used or associated with student representation. The present study analyzed self-reported diversity efforts from 18 American Psychological Association–accredited doctoral programs, based on narratives submitted as part of accreditation self-studies. Using thematic analysis, five primary recruitment strategies and seven primary retention strategies were identified, including outreach to diverse communities, fostering a supportive program climate, and integrating diversity-related training. Programs most often evaluated the effectiveness of their efforts by assessing demographic data. Exploratory quantitative analyses indicated that offering grants/fellowships, demonstrating responsiveness to diversity-related needs, and providing space for open dialogue were associated with higher representation of racially and ethnically minoritized students, though absolute numbers of minoritized students per cohort were often small. Findings offer preliminary insights into how some doctoral programs approach the recruitment and retention of minoritized students and suggest practices that may foster a more inclusive pipeline in health service psychology training.

Preventing Child Maltreatment across Cultures

This concentrated series examines child maltreatment across minoritized, cultural groups. Each volume explores child maltreatment at the intersection of feminism (e.g., womanism, mujerismo), multiculturalism, and social justice. Each volume has been endorsed by leading experts.