Council Report to the Psychologists in Independent Practice
— G. Rita Dudley-Grant
Reporting to the Division on behalf of your Council Representatives Melba Vasquez, Jean Carter, Beverly Greene, Tommy Stigall, Alan Entin, Robert Resnick, and G. Rita Dudley-Grant
First we would like to once again take this forum to congratulate our fellow Council member, Dr. Melba Vasquez who has been elected to a three year term as member at large of the APA Board of Directors.
APA President and long time Division 42 member, Dr. Gerald Koocher ran an excellent set of meetings during the busy days of the convention. In addition to a packed agenda, Dr. Koocher presented several of his successful initiatives, including his “Centering on Mentoring” headed by Division 42 member and Board of Directors member, Dr Jessica Henderson Daniel. During the CEO report Dr. Norman Anderson pointed out that APA proposed budget had a $142,500 surplus primarily due to the sale of the newly released Dictionary of Psychology, Gary Vandenbos’ newest offering from APA Books which is meeting unprecedented success in sales. Dr. Anderson also informed Council that there is a major revision of the APA website being undertaken in contract with Ellypsis Partners, a Strategic Internet Consultant Firm which hopefully will address our current serious problems. They point out most significantly the lack of communication between the 37 different APA websites! They will be promoting a single “look” or “brand” and ease of navigation, which should be online by December of 2007.
A new Senior Policy Advisor position has been added to the executive management group, and Dr. Ellen Garrison, who has worked within many directorates, including the Practice Directorate, has been appointed to that post. She will be the “face” of advocacy for APA.
At its meeting during the New Orleans convention, the APA Council of Representatives deliberated the issue of the role of psychologists in national security interrogations.
Council heard presentations from the Surgeon General of the Army, Lieutenant. General Kevin C. Kiley who presented on psychologists’ roles within the military. He reiterated that “we are an Army of Values. We do not condone torture or abuse”, and detailed activities of psychologists in a number of different settings. Council then heard from Dr. Steven Reisner a senior faculty member at Columbia University’s International Trauma Studies Program and a member of Division 48 who spoke against psychologists functioning in certain settings regardless of their duties. He challenged Dr. Kiley’s assertion that psychologists in certain military settings could mitigate abuse. He argued that when one asks a psychologist to “gauge” harm and “prevent” it (using Dr. Kiley’s words) we are asking psychologists to become a calibrator of harm, which he proposed was more in the purview of the legal arena.
Division 48, supported by Division 19, Military Psychology then asked the Council to vote on a resolution against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which passed virtually unanimously. Additionally, Council approved having APA President Koocher send a letter of support for our nation’s active duty and reservist military, national guard, and Veterans’ Administration Psychologists to commend them for their many significant contributions and sacrifices on our nation’s behalf.
Jack McKay made a presentation on the budget once again indicating the overall health of our Association and the strength of our investments, primarily the real Estate. This was followed by a vote on fiscal matters led by our APA treasurer Dr. Carol Goodheart, also a Division 42 member. These included an adjustment in the graduated dues structure for early career psychologists and a $10 journal credit for all APA members which increased the members’ journal credit to $55. Dues for 2007 will be $270 for full members (dues increases are based on the consumer price index) and $50 for APAGS members. Additionally, the honoraria for members of the APA Board of Directors were raised to make up for the effects of inflation since no increases had been received in many years and their duties have expanded significantly since that time.
Council passed an action item restructuring the Membership Committee into a Membership Board and creating a separate Fellows Committee reporting to the new Membership Board. This action requires a change in the association’s Bylaws. The Bylaw amendment will be sent to the full membership for a vote in early November. If approved, the Membership Board will begin seating members in January of 2008.
Of great significance for Division 42 members on Sunday the Practice Directorate Public Education Campaign was approved for another three years. In addition, it was agreed that given bare cost of living increases should increase the funding to at least 1.3 million dollars per year, the finance committee was authorized to provide up to 1.5 million dollars as funding could be found. This ensures that the Practice Directorate will continue to promote and expand the public’s awareness of psychological services into the foreseeable future.
Another Division 42 member and Past APA President, Dr. Patrick De Leon received the Raymond D. Fowler Award for outstanding service to the psychology.
A report on the Task Force on Socioeconomic Status was adopted by Council and a new committee to study the long term effects of socioeconomic status on psychological well being was established, with at least one practitioner being named to have a permanent seat on the committee. Additionally, a report from the Working Group on Psychotropic Medications for Children and Adolescents was adopted by Council. (A press release and full text of the report will be available the second week in September at http://www.apa.org/releases/). Council also adopted the Zero Tolerance in the Schools task force report which found that these policies over the past ten years did not have the desired effect. The composition of the Committee on Accreditation was changed to include more equitable representation of different constituencies, to include Practice. Council also approved the Report of Diversity Training Across APA Governance and approved the development, implementation, and then evaluation of a plan for diversity training for all of APA governance to enhance multicultural/diversity capabilities.
Finally, Division member, Dr. Glenn Ally thanked Council and APA for its decision to hold its meeting in New Orleans. This statement, coupled with Division Past President, Dr. Jeff Barnett’s report, as Board of Convention Affairs Chair was particularly moving. Dr. Barnett reported a convention attendance of over 9,500, well over the 8,000 that BCA was projecting, and he described several community service projects that psychologists participated in to help in the local rebuilding efforts. Dr. Ally stated that the Association, by its presence, has been once again exceptionally supportive to its members and to the citizens of New Orleans.
Acknowledgements are gratefully given to Past Presidents Jeffrey Barnett, Jean Carter, Robert REsnick, and Rhea K. Farberman, Executive Director Public and Member Communications American Psychological Association, for their input on this report
G. Rita Dudley-Grant
Outgoing Council Representative
