1. The name of this organization shall be “Community and State Hospital Section” of the Division of Psychologists in Public Service (Division 18) of the American Psychological Association.
2. The members of the Division are principally involved in public service through their common responsibilities to carry out programs that are publicly legislated, publicly funded, and accountable to the public.
(a) As psychologists, we share these missions common to all organized groups of psychologists to:
(1) provide a forum for psychological information exchange,
(2) develop psychological knowledge through research,
(3) communicate psychological knowledge through education and training,
(4) apply psychological knowledge through services to the public,
(5) develop and maintain standards, and
(6) advance psychology and psychologists in the public interest.
(b) As psychologists in the public service in community and State hospital settings, we have specific additional missions to:
(1) Promote the ability of psychologists to serve the public interests in community and State hospital settings,
(2) communicate within the American Psychological Association about professional issues and programs in the public interest in community and State hospital settings that concern all psychologists,
(3) study the psychological effects of public policies on various sectors of the public as well as on individuals in community and State hospital settings,
(4) use psychological knowledge to develop and implement public policies in the public interest in community and State hospital settings, and
(5) serve as advocates of the public and for psychologists in community and State hospital settings with complex and sometimes frustrating bureaucracies by assisting the latter to understand psychological implications of their procedures and means of becoming more responsive to the public interest.
1. Introduction
(a) Membership in the in the Community and State Hospital Section Division of Psychologists in Public Service of the American Psychological Association shall be limited to persons who at the time of application for membership, are actively interested in the application or study of psychology in pubic service. Voting membership of the Community and State Hospital Section Division, shall consist of three classes: Fellows, Members, and Associates. The Community and State Hospital Section also accepts two categories of non-voting members: Student Members of APA, and Affiliates who are not members of the Association.
(c) On all matters calling for action by the membership of the Community and State Hospital Section Division, voting eligibility shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaws of the American Psychological Association and Division 18.
2. Members, Associates, Students and Affiliates
(a) Members and Associates must meet the minimum standards prescribed by the American Psychological Association.
(b) New Members and Associates of the Division who are elected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors upon nomination by the Membership Committee shall automatically be Members and Associates of the Community and State Hospital Section upon self-declaration according to the rules and procedures of Division 18.
(c) Students who are non-voting member of Division 18 and elected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors upon nomination by the Membership Committee shall automatically be Members and Associates of the Community and State Hospital Section upon self-declaration according to the rules and procedures of Division 18.
(d) Names of individuals interested in affiliating with the Community and State Hospital Section of Division 18 who have been elected by a majority vote of Division 18 Board of Directors upon nomination by the Membership Committee shall automatically be Members and Associates of the Community and State Hospital Section upon selfdeclaration according to the rules and procedures of Division 18.
3. Fellows
(a) Fellows shall be characterized by outstanding contribution or performance in the field of public service.
(b) Fellows must meet the minimum standards prescribed for Fellows of the American Psychological Association. Fellows of the American Psychological Association, and qualified Members with one year’s membership in the Division of Psychologists in Public Service, are eligible for nomination as Fellows of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division of Psychologists in Public Service.
(c) Upon notification to the Division of election by the APA, successful applicants will become Fellows of the APA in the Community and State Hospital Section of Division of Psychologists in Public Service.
1. The officers of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division shall be Section Chair, Past-Section Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer.
2. The terms of office for the Section Chair, Past Section Chair, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall be two years.
3. It shall be the duty of the Section Chair to serve as Chairperson of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division, to preside at all meetings, to exercise supervision over the affairs of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division, and to perform such other duties as are incident to the office or as may properly be required by vote of the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division or its membership. It shall also be the duty of the Section Chair to serve as liaison between the Community and State Hospital Section and the Division, to serve as Chairperson and a member of the Board of Directors of the Community and Hospital Section of the Division, and to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Division.
4. It shall be the duty of the Past Section Chair to serve as member of the Board of Directors and to assume the duties of the Section Chair in case of the latter’s inability to do so. The Past Section Chair shall also serve as chair of committees at the direction of the Section Chair.
5. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to keep records of all meetings of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division; to serve as secretary of the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital section of the Division; to issue calls and notices of meetings and of nomination of officers; to have custody of all funds and property of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division; to make disbursements as authorized by the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division; to prepare in writing a fiscal report and budget for approval by the Board of Directors Community and State Hospital section of the Division. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division.
6. In the case of death, incapacity, or resignation of any of these officers, the Board of Directors of the Community and Hospital section of the Division shall by majority vote elect a Fellow or Member to hold that office until a successor is election by the Division.
1. There shall be a Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division consisting of the Section Chair, the Past Section Chair, the Secretary- Treasurer, and up to three Members-at-Large.
2. The Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division, performing the duties and abiding by the limitations specified in these Bylaws. All actions of the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section are subject to approval by majority vote of the voting members of the Community and State Hospital of the Division by special mail ballot.
3. It shall be the duty of Members-at-Large to chair committees at the direction of the Section and to serve as members of the Board of Directors of the Community and Hospital Section of the Division.
1. The officers of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division shall be elected in accordance with procedures specified by the Bylaws of the American Psychological Association.
2. There shall be a Nominations and Elections Committee that shall solicit nominations of Fellows or Members of the Community and State Hospital section of the Division for the offices of Section Chair and of Secretary-Treasurer. The Committee shall report to the Secretary-Treasurer the final list of at least two nominees for the office of Section Chair and at least two nominees for the office of Secretary-Treasurer.
3. The Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall submit the names of persons nominated for each office and willing to serve to the Election Committee of Division 18 of the American Psychological Association for inclusion in the election balloting for the Section, in accordance with the Bylaws of Division 18 of the American Psychological Association, or in such other manner as specified by the Board of Directors of the Division in said Bylaws of the Division.
4. Elections shall be conducted during a thirty (30) day period in odd numbered years between the close of the Division 18 annual meeting and the following December 31. Election results shall be announced by posting on the Division webpage within seven(7) days of the closing of the election balloting.
5. All officers shall assume office on the first day of the mid-year meeting after which they are elected and shall hold office until their successors are elected and assume office. If an officer shall be unable to accept election, the Board of Directors of the Community and state Hospital Section of the division shall by majority vote elect a Fellow or Member to hold that office until a successor shall be elected by the Community and State Hospital of the Division.
1. The committees of the Community and State Hospital section of the Division shall consist of such standing committees as may be provided for by these Bylaws and such special committees as may be established by vote of the voting members of the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section.
2. Committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the Section Chair with concurrence of the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division.
3. There shall be a Membership Committee whose duty is to encourage psychologists interested in public service to apply for membership, to receive applications for membership, to examine the credentials submitted, and to recommend those qualified for membership to the Board of Directors of the Community and State Hospital Section.
4. There shall be a Fellowship/Continuing Education Committee whose duty is to receive nominations for Fellow status, to examine the credentials submitted with special reference to unusual and outstanding contributions to, or performance in, public service, and to make recommendations in accordance with the requirements set forth in Article II of these Bylaws. The Fellowship/Continuing Education Committee will be responsible for developing and providing continuing Education events for the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division.
5. There shall be a Program Committee whose duty is to make arrangements for the program provided by the Community and State Hospital Section at the Annual Meeting of the Division (held in conjunction with the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association) and other actual or virtual meetings of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division and to coordinate the program with the Division.
(a) The Community and State Hospital Section shall elect its own officers and appoint its own committees. It shall have at least a Section chairperson and a Section Secretary-Treasurer, each elected for a two-year period.
(b) The Community and State Hospital Section Chairperson will serve on the Board of Directors of Division 18.
(c) Any Assets of the Community and State Hospital Section, including monies in its treasury will, after meeting any financial obligations of the Section, become a part of the Division treasury.
1. Amendments may be proposed by the Community and State Hospital Section Board of Directors or by a petition signed by thirty (30) members of the Community and State Hospital Section of the Division.
2. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws of the Community and State Hospital section must be mailed to the membership of the Division at least 45 days prior to the closing date for receipt of ballots.
3. The Community and State Hospital Section of the Division by a two-thirds vote of those members voting by mail or email ballot shall adopt such amendments to these bylaws.
Updated: Date: October 1, 2001