Armando Toscano: Social and

Community Psychologist
• Specialization:
• Designing and developing social interventions
• Focus on improving well-being of vulnerable
groups, especially immigrants
 Role at Core-Lab
• Key responsibilities:
• Oversees current and future project
development and management
• Designs initiatives addressing social and
professional integration challenges for
immigrants
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team for
holistic support
 Core Interventions
• Key interventions include:
• Psychological support: individual counseling
and psychoeducation
• Practical assistance: CV creation and job
search support
• Works with corporate partners to secure job
opportunities for immigrants
 Core-Lab: Organization Overview
• Focus areas:
• Promotion of mental health and social-
professional development
• Empowerment of both Italians and immigrants
 Services Provided by Core-Lab
• Key services include:
• Italian language teaching
• Assistance with creating market-relevant CVs
• Facilitating connections with partner
companies for job opportunities
 Holistic Approach
• Approach to integration:
• Combines psychological support with practical
assistance
• Focuses on both mental health and economic
stability
• Aims for sustainable outcomes in cultural
adaptation and integration
 Psychologist's Strategic Role
• Key responsibilities:
• Promoting and developing company projects
• Works beyond individual clinical interventions
• Builds collaborative networks with companies,
institutions, and organizations
Expanded Role of the Psychologist
• Contributions to social design:
• Promotes mental health and
social/professional inclusion
• Coordinates practical support for job search,
CV creation, and language teaching
• Builds solid partnerships with local companies
 Multidisciplinary and Strategic
Impact
• Psychologist as a key actor:
• Contributes to planning and implementation
of complex interventions
• Bridges the gap between work, community,
and psychological support
• Supports Core-Lab’s mission of promoting
social and professional development
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Armando builds and maintains relationships
with partner companies and institutions.
• Focuses on improving the quality of life and
social integration of immigrants.
• Collaborations for Employment
• Works with job agencies to offer employment
opportunities for immigrants.
• Assists with the creation of CVs and preparation
for job interviews.
• Collaborates with public institutions for
visibility and providing training courses (e.g.,
Italian language and professional
development).
• Partnerships with Private Institutions
• Engages with non-profits, research institutions,
and educational centers for specialized skills and
resources.
• Ensures a multidisciplinary approach, integrating
psychological, social, and professional support.
• Provides comprehensive support to address
clients' psychological, social, and professional
needs.
Coherence between activities, methods,
theories, and epistemology
• Epistemological Theory: Systems Theory
• Systems Theory emphasizes the dynamic and
interconnected nature of community life.
• It highlights how various elements of a system
influence each other.
• Ecological Systems Model
• Focuses on multiple levels of influence:
individual, interpersonal, community, and
societal.
• Helps explain how various factors interact
causally within a community setting.
• Kurt Lewin's Influence
• Kurt Lewin's work in social psychology, group
dynamics, and action research serves as a
theoretical foundation.
• His theories are particularly relevant for social
and community institutions.
• Kurt Lewin's Group Dynamics
• Group dynamics theory helps understand the
perspectives and motivations of different
stakeholders (individuals, community leaders,
organizations).
• Facilitates collaboration and drives positive
change.
• Ecological Systems Theory
• Individuals are influenced by multiple levels:
microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and
macrosystem.
• Recognizes how people move between various
social spheres with differing beliefs and
mental models.
• Theory of Mind
• Important for understanding how individuals
perceive their environments and relationships
at different levels within the ecological
framework.
• Challenges in Engaging Beneficiaries
• Difficulty in motivating individuals, particularly
immigrants, to access Core-Lab services.
• Lack of trust, unfamiliarity with services, and
low awareness contribute to low participation.
• Professional and Psychological Role of the
Psychologist
• Psychologists, like Armando Toscano, must
understand and address social and cultural
dynamics.
• Aligning with community leaders (religious,
influential figures) to overcome barriers.
• Community Leader Involvement
• Leaders act as cultural and psychological
mediators.
• Facilitate trust-building between the
community and Core-Lab.
• Help psychologists understand community
concerns and barriers.
• Bridging Clinical and Community Needs
• Strategic collaboration with community
leaders reduces the gap between services and
participation.
• Psychologists build meaningful relationships
with both individuals and the community.
• Psychologist as an Access Facilitator
• Expands role beyond clinical support to
broader social and professional resources.
• Implements community engagement
strategies to overcome psychological and
social barriers.
• Importance of a Culturally Sensitive,
Community-Based Approach
• Psychologist’s role is professional yet deeply
integrated into the community's social
structure.
• Establishes trust and promotes collective well-
being through community alliances.