Association Announcements
The Good Governance Project, launched in January as part of APA’s first strategic plan, is evaluating APA’s governance system to see what, if any, changes are needed to optimize organizational effectiveness.
Right now, the project team is gathering information from meeting key stakeholders. Project consultants from Cygnet Strategy have met with APA’s Council of Representatives, State Leadership Conference attendees, and Consolidated Meeting members and staff liaisons. They have also conducted several dozen individual interviews from a cross-section of APA leaders past, present and future. The interviews allowed for in-depth understanding of the issues and helped prepare for the onsite guided group discussions.
At each of the guided group sessions, the consultants collected responses to a series of questions and discussions. That collated data are being evaluated by six subgroups from the project team. Each group is doing an in-depth analysis of one question across all of the sampled groups, looking for “truths, trends and unique ideas” in preparation for the team’s virtual meeting. The data will provide a better picture of the perception of governance, openness for change, primary themes of what works and what doesn’t, and what additional information is needed. To reach additional stakeholders, the team will design self-guided discussion instructions for groups to use on their own and an online survey instrument to gather input from interested individuals.
The Good Governance Project team will also be at APA’s Annual Convention, in Washington, D.C., Aug. 4–7, holding sessions with APA’s council, division leaders and other members.
In November, the team will complete a final review of all the data, present key findings, prepare an interim report and discuss initial possibilities. The Board of Directors will discuss initial findings and implications at its December meeting and it is anticipated they will bring those to the council for discussion in February.
For more information about the project, go to APA Good Governance.
If you have questions or ideas, please contact Nancy Gordon Moore, PhD, MBA, executive director of APA Governance Affairs.
Three students join the Executive Committee of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students to serve three-year terms. They are:
- Matthew Fitzgerald, chair-elect.
- Joshua Kellison, member at large, communications focus.
- Gregory Wilson, member at large, education focus.
APA’s Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology (CDIP) seeks nominations for two new members to begin three-year terms on Jan. 1.
The committee’s mission is to promote the:
- Psychological well-being of people with disabilities.
- Inclusion of knowledge about disabilities and disability issues in education, training programs, policies and professional development of psychologists.
- Development and implementation of psychological service delivery modes responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.
- Awareness of disability in psychological research as well as specific research activity in disability areas.
CDIP provides leadership within APA to shape policy, research and best practices in the field of psychology and disability. The 2011–12 initiatives include the identification, implementation and dissemination of culturally competent and accessible services. Examples include, but are not limited to, multidisciplinary initiatives around health-care disparities and the delivery of telehealth services.
The committee is also particularly committed to promoting alliances with other underrepresented groups within the field of psychology in an effort to continue to increase the presence of disability in psychology while also appreciating the intersection of multiple identities with disability.
CDIP actively recruits members of the disability community and/or their allies who are full members of APA with specialization in disability issues. To this end, the committee strongly encourages applications from those who have a disability and/or those with personal experience with disability. The committee also seeks psychologists who are members of other underrepresented groups.
Selected candidates will be required to attend two committee meetings each year in Washington, D.C., with expenses reimbursed by the APA, and are encouraged to participate in CDIP-sponsored activities held during the APA Convention at their own expense. Members are also expected to participate in email discussions and conference calls and to work on committee priorities between meetings.
Nomination materials should include a current curriculum vitae and a letter from the nominee indicating willingness to serve on CDIP and highlighting specific competencies, interests and potential contributions to CDIP’s work.
Nomination materials and supporting materials should be sent by Aug. 20 to Anju Khubchandani, Office on Disability Issues in Psychology, 750 First Street N.E., Washington, DC, 20002-4242.
The National Standards Working Group is inviting all APA governance groups, divisions, members and affiliates, as well as the public, to contribute suggestions for performance indicators, for the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula, which is now being revised.
The standards are designed to describe what high school students should learn in the high school psychology class. Performance indicators are used to assess student learning. Suggestions for indicators should include examples of potential ways that a student can demonstrate mastery of the material. Groups and individuals are invited to submit suggestions online. Suggestions will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Questions? Contact Emily Leary.
Blogs are a great way to get psychology’s message out, reach out to your community and even connect with other psychologists.
But how do you start one? APA’s Practice Organization offers a 5-minute video that gives an introduction to the world of blogging and discusses the advantages for psychologists, as well as what it takes to get a blog up and running.
To see the presentation, go to: APA Practice Central.