Monitor on Psychology - September 2011 - (Page 87)

Robert E. McGrath, PhD Q5 Declining membership partly reflects demands for increased productivity and growing debt load among early career psychologists. Reversing this trend requires enhancing the perceived value of membership. For researchers, this means lobbying for the social importance of psychological research. For academics, it involves collaborating with other organizations to support educational funding. For clinicians, it means creating a role for psychologists to thrive in the emerging health-care system. It’s sometimes suggested the answer lies in social networking, but that is a medium, not a message. We must focus our efforts on goals that will make psychologists proud and help psychologists flourish. Q6 Working with state associations, we can spread the message that advocacy is more than asking for what we want; it involves regular contact with legislators at the local level. An important part of this effort involves disseminating materials that provide objective and empirically based recommendations for enhancing social systems. Doing so will require input from scientists and professionals to create comprehensive guidelines for ameliorating social problems. The recent effort to develop clinical guidelines is just one example of how we can aggregate psychological data to provide a united perspective from which to contribute to society. Q6 Our APAPO and government relations staff do an excellent job with modest resources, but they cannot expand their essential advocacy work without more support from psychologists. We will increase our education of psychologists about the importance of political giving to protect and advance their work. APAPO will work with SPTAs to guarantee psychology’s role in advancing health care. Our Office of the General Counsel has filed briefs that have been instrumental in legal decisions of great importance to psychology, such as child welfare, family issues and LGBT rights. Their work needs to be supported through increased visibility to the membership. James h. Bray, PhD Q5 Psychologists across the nation say they don’t see the value of APA membership and many disagree with APA policies. Incomes are dropping, so psychologists believe they can’t afford the dues — we need to lower APA dues. We need to make APA attractive to our young scientists and practitioners, broaden our inclusion of diverse viewpoints in social policies based on our science and improve the declining economic outlook for psychologists. Many members do not realize the numerous important things APA accomplishes — an internal public relations issue. To be a strong organization, we must improve communication between APA and YOU, the member. Q6 APA has a powerful and persuasive voice in the Congress and courts — we just need to increase it. This requires that we strengthen our grassroots advocacy through involvement of more members and increase our political giving to enhance access. Courts highly value the science-based information we provide for important policy decisions, and many outside organizations rely on APA to help craft good social policy. We need more effort to brand psychology to the public, and this will help increase our influence with legislatures and courts. A strong and viable Practice Organization is necessary to increase our political influence. See www.BrayforAPA.info. n In addition to these questions, the candidates are answering two questions about the American Psychological Association Practice Organization. The answers to those questions will appear at http://www.apapracticecentral.org/update/2011/08-02/ presidential-candidates.aspx. Douglas C. haldeman, PhD Q5 Membership recruitment and retention are among the highest priorities for my presidency. I will ensure that our continued efforts to recruit younger members offer benefits that are relevant to the ways in which they practice, teach and conduct research: through technology. I’d expand our website’s ability for podcasts and innovative, virtual community-based interest groups. We will address the needs of midcareer psychologists, which is the group that is leaving APA in greatest numbers, through outreach. Finally, our life and senior members need practical resources relative to retirement and professional aging. septeMber 2011 • Monitor on psychology 87 http://www.BrayforAPA.info http://www.apapracticecentral.org/update/2011/08-02/presidential-candidates.aspx http://www.apapracticecentral.org/update/2011/08-02/presidential-candidates.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - September 2011

Monitor on Psychology - September 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Supreme Court hears psychologists on prison and video game cases
Antipsychotics are overprescribed in nursing homes
New MCAT likely to recognize the mind-body connection
A $2 million boost for military and families
In Brief
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE
On Your Behalf
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
TIME CAPSULE
QUESTIONNAIRE
Speaking of Education
SCIENCE WATCH
An uncertain future for American workers
Advocating for psychotherapy
PRACTICE PROFILE
ETHICALLY SPEAKING
Seared in our memories
Helping kids cope in an uncertain world
APA and Nickelodeon team up
Muslims in America, post 9/11
Bin Laden’s death
‘They expect us to be there’
Answering the call of public policy
Candidates answer final questions
APA News
Division Spotlight
New leaders
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Disaster relief training
Honoring teaching excellence
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - September 2011