Public service psychologists are practitioners, researchers, university professors, legislators, program developers, clinical coordinators, managers, administrators, and more. Their clients include consumers of mental health services, organizational managers, administrators, policy makers, elected officials, and the public. Public service psychologists can be found working for or with clients in state and community psychiatric facilities and clinics, medical centers, Veteran’s Affairs hospitals and clinics, correctional institutions such as jails and prisons, Indigenous Nations healthcare centers, community safety departments such as law enforcement and first-responder emergency services, state legislatures, and academic institutions. In general, the services they provide are as varied as the persons they serve and the places they work.
Public service psychologists also help train more than half the clinical and counseling psychologists in the United States through public service predoctoral internship sites; many of these sites end up hiring their interns. Many also provide post-doctoral research and clinical training, not only to psychologists, but to other allied health professionals.
Check out our Careers in Applied Psychology: Public Service Psychology videoopens in new window showcasing some of the amazing work our members do every day.
History
Baker, R. R. (2013). The history of the division of Psychologists in Public Service (1946–2006). Psychological Services, 10(3), 353-358. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031598opens in new window
Division 18 celebrated its anniversary with a special 75th Anniversary webinar presented by former Division 18 historian, Rodney Baker, PhD.
Vision
A strong, diverse, and unified organization whose members enhance and apply psychological knowledge in public service settings and elevates the human condition in these contexts.
Values
Division 18’s values are consistent with the core values of APA:
- Advocate for psychology and psychologists: Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to promoting the field while supporting and unifying those that make it their profession.
- Build on a foundation of science: Ensure that the best available psychological science informs policies, programs, and products.
- Engage with and deliver value to members: Provide resources, opportunities, and networks that help all members at every stage of their career.
- Champion diversity and inclusion: Understand and appreciate differences and be inclusive in everything we do.
- Respect human rights: Focus on human rights, fairness, and dignity for all segments of society.
- Lead by example: Serve others, model integrity, and demonstrate the highest ethical standards in all our actions.
Goals
Keep challenges and opportunities associated with public service psychology at the forefront of APA.
- Disseminate culturally relevant, setting-appropriate, and population-driven evidence-based practices for public service settings.
- Communicate scholarly advances related to psychology in the public service through educational programming and publications.
- Support psychologists as they train the next generation of psychologists and other mental health professionals to work in public service settings.
- Engage in social justice advocacy related to psychology and psychologists in public service settings and for the benefit of those served in these settings.
- Increase the division’s effectiveness by increasing communication and collaboration, bolstering cross-fertilization among the Sections, investing in strategic priorities, creating capacity for new initiatives, supporting and recognizing member contributions to the field, and enhancing the division’s visibility and impact within APA.
- Increase membership and member engagement.
- Identify unifying themes within the division and advance initiatives related to these themes.
