To all new members of Division 42, welcome. To all current members of Division 42, welcome to the new Division 42. Many of you will have noticed a number of changes in Division 42 this year. I am hoping you will feel that they are for the better. Your Board of Directors and Committee and Task Force members, and I have been working to create a new and improved Division 42.

Division 42 is the home in APA for all practitioners. Our view of what constitutes independent practice continues to evolve, expand, and grow. More and more practitioners do not immediately enter full-time independent practice upon becoming licensed. A variety of approaches to being in practice exist and new ones continue to be discovered and developed. More early career psychologists are looking for innovative and creative ways of earning a living as practitioners. Division 42 is working to be a valuable resource that provides support and assistance to this new generation of independent practitioners. We also have many more seasoned and experienced members who are winding down their careers and are, therefore, facing new and often unexpected challenges. The mentoring program we began this year, Colleague to Colleague (C2C) (say it out loud for the full impact of the name C2C) pairs those seeking mentoring with experienced and successful independent practitioners who are willing to share their time, expertise, and support with both senior colleagues experiencing difficulties in the later stages of their careers as well as with those new to the profession who are seeking assistance getting started in practice. It's been very successful thus far. To volunteer to serve as a mentor or to seek a mentor please contact our C2C Coordinator, Frank Froman at frankf@adams.net .

We are investigating how to create a companion C-6 organization that can be directly involved in advocacy activities and political giving, we have added five new niche guides for practice with accompanying continuing education modules (see page 150), we offer an online CE course on the APA Ethics Code, we are presently developing online CE courses for practitioners on the implementation of APA's Multicultural Guidelines and on the implementation of APA's LGB Guidelines. We're also developing an online course (not for CE credit) on effectively marketing your practice and a new brochure for psychologists to use to market their practices through community outreach and service with the APA Public Education Campaign. Our interdivisional taskforce on licensing board issues is preparing a practical handbook for psychologists to assist psychologists who are called before their licensure board. It looks to be an outstanding member benefit that will be made available to members shortly. We’ve created an interest group on rehabilitation psychology and are seeking members interested in forming one on geropsychology. If you’re interested in either please let me know. We also have many new resources for practitioners on our website that our Internet Editor, Gordon Herz, and Associate Editor, Don Franklin, have added. Additional innovations and resources are added regularly. So, be sure to visit our website at least monthly at www.division42.org.

This year we also have a new monthly e-mail newsgram, In Touch With 42, that is sent via the Division’s broadcast listserv. It is a very brief and timely way of providing members with practice tips, resources, relevant news, and the like to help enhance your practice. If you're not receiving it please let me know and I'll have you added to our distribution list. Past issues are available for viewing on the Division 42 website as well.

We are also working hard to advocate for practice both within and outside of APA. Your seven representatives to APA Council collectively represent one of the most experienced group of practitioners ever assembled to fight for practice interests within APA. Further, I now have an important announcement to make; your Division 42 Board of Directors has unanimously voted to endorse Katherine Nordal #1 for APA President. Katherine is a full-time independent practitioner, a Division 42 Fellow and our Finance Chair, the Chair of APA’s Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice, a past member of the APA Board of Directors, and for over 20 years a strong advocate for practice. Please visit her website at www.DrNordal.com. Please consider endorsing her personally via her website as well. Katherine is an experienced leader who will work hard to advance practice issues within APA and more globally when elected. Let's all work to make this a reality. Division 42's Board also endorses two other practitioners in this election, Steve Ragusea and Thomas Vaughn, second and third in the order of each voter's preference.

As you will see in the blue convention program insert in the center of this volume, we have an outstanding convention program for each of you this year. Please be sure to attend the APA Convention in Washington, DC from August 18-21, 2005. See the APA Monitor and APA website to register. But, please take a few minutes and review the amazing program we have in store for you that has been created by our Program Chair, Miguel Gallardo, and our Chair Elect, Anabel Bejarano. We have an 11 workshop presidential miniconvention that takes the independent practitioner from graduate school through retirement, that also addresses much of everything else in between. The presentations are given by many of the top psychologists in the nation. In addition, they’ve each already written a practical write-up based on their presentation. These have been edited and compiled in Division 42's new "Handbook for Success in Independent Practice." All members of Division 42 who attend our Annual Membership Appreciation Meeting on Saturday, August 20 at 4:00pm at the convention will receive a free copy of this valuable benefit of membership. Please be sure to be there and be sure to receive your copy.

The remainder of our convention program is truly exciting as well. As you will see, we have presentations that cover a wide range of important issues for independent practitioners. Many of them offer CE credit for attendees as well. Additionally, we have outstanding preconvention workshops and a great hospitality suite program for the first time in many years. Whether you are a first time attendee or an experienced convention goer, please stop by our hospitality suite for our Student/Early Career Psychologist social hour and our Meet and Greet social hour for all Division 42 members on Thursday, August 18 (not to be confused with the Big Extravaganza Division 42 Social Hour on Saturday, August 19 immediately following the Membership Appreciation Meeting. The Hospitality Suite provides a smaller and more casual setting to meet colleagues, relax, have some breakfast or lunch, and to participate in a stimulating discussion session. We hope you’ll stop by.

Overall, we have lots in store for you at the convention. Please be sure to be there and don't miss out on all that I've described above as well as several surprises that are still in the works.

My philosophy and approach to serving as your President this year is that this is your division and my job is to make it the most valuable professional resource for you that it can possibly be. But, no one person can accomplish all this. I have a great group of colleagues working with me on your behalf on our Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Committees, and Task Forces. Just take a look at the inside cover of this volume to see who these fine volunteers are. But, we need even more involvement. We need your input, ideas, creativity, and energy. If you are interested in service in Division 42, if you contact me I will find a place for you where you can have fun, work with a great group of colleagues, and make contributions that help to advance the independent practice of psychology. I also need to hear from you. Let me know what we're doing well, what we need to be doing, and what you wish we'd stop doing (if anything). Again, this is your division. Let your voice be heard and we'll do all we can to make it the best Division 42 for you that we can. Contact me at drjbarnett1@comcast.net or come to the convention and speak to me there. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes to all,

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