The Council of Representatives (COR) met in February 2019 in Washington, D.C., and you, in Div. 3, were actively represented by Gene Brewer, PhD, and Bruce Overmier, PhD. We shall briefly summarize some items of special importance to you as active scholars. A full set of minutesopens in new window is available online.
Interesting Updates
One of our APA president’s top priorities is to bring attention to issues of deep poverty, as demonstrated by the Deep Poverty Initiativeopens in new window and APA’s Conversation on Deep Poverty.
APA CEO Arthur Evans Jr., PhD, updated the COR regarding several important developments at APA. Much thought has been put into better influencing governmental decision making and bringing psychology to the table. Emerging themes are artificial intelligence, immigration, opioid crisis, diversity and increasing the psychological literacy of the public which psychologists could contribute to in many different ways. The goal is to move the dial with policy makers and to have them know that psychologists are important for virtually any aspect of human life. Finally, Evans presented his ideas for improving the impact of our science including improving funding for psychological research, doubling federal General Psychology Funding program, revitalizing the healthcare finance office, bolstering resources in area of applied psychology and forming new partnerships to impact critical societal issues. Importantly, he announced that the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology is now funded as part of the APA budget and this announcement was met with rousing enthusiasm.
The council considered a strategic plan for the future of the organization. The strategic plan holds major significance for Div. 3 members as well as all psychologists (both members and nonmembers) and can be found online.
An incredible amount of effort was taken to collect input from both members and non-members regarding the future of APA. There was consistency across many responses and easily synthesized into a set of high-level aspirations, a unifying framework and an accommodation of the membership breadth. The COR overwhelmingly voted affirmatively to approve the strategic plan. However, it is important to observe that this is just the beginning and that Div. 3 will have much to contribute to the plan in the coming years. Indeed, our members need to be active in providing input, otherwise others’ interests will prevail. Evans, wants psychological science in its full breadth to underlie all of the new strategic initiatives.
As a side note here, APA Bylaws are being considered for revision and members should be alert for any ballots that they receive for approving bylaws changes because the thrust is to weaken direct member roles and strengthen Board of Director’s roles. These bylaws changes matter; for example a small wording change approved by members a year ago resulted in 10 council seats being taken from the substantive scholarly interest divisions, like Div. 3, and given to states and territories; council members, who represent professional practice.
So when you get those APA ballots, read them and act if you want to keep your voice in APA.
Advocacy (501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6)) Update
APA’s position is to push strong psychological science to influence policy-making using a bipartisan approach. APA contributed to the more than doubling of federal funding for psychology education and training. APA helped prevent repeal of the Affordable Care Act. APA influenced the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s 2019 fees schedules process through strategic lobbying and coalition outreach. APA has created an integrated advocacy model with input from across the association, governance establishing advocacy priorities and more effective infrastructure for advocacy. Clearly, the 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) distinction seems to be working for the organization and has a direct impact on experimental psychologists and other psychologists more broadly across the country.
Budget Report from Treasurer Jean Carter
In the report for 2018, annual revenues from operations were budgeted at $116M dollars and actual revenue was $119.1M, with much of the additional revenue from publications, including strong sales of our great Publications Manual — surprising after the number of years it has been on the market before the regular update that we do. We also took transfers from our buildings of $5.5M, as we have done for years. We also drew liquidations from our long-term investment portfolio of a little over $5M for planned projects that have been approved by Council over a number of years. Total revenue was approximately $130.1M.The year-end actuals of income over expenses were about $2M to the good and $7M better than budgeted. Actual operating revenues were about $3.1M less than projected and the expenses on special projects was about $1.2M less than projected. Major contributors were in publishing — greater income, lower expenses; not surprising as our publishing operating is the financial driver of our Association, and it requires investing in the programs to in turn bring in income from them.
Thus, the APA budget for 2018 had projected a $5,500,000 deficit but careful management and improved revenues turned that into a $1,500,000 surplus for 2018. The New APA budget for 2019 (including cast for all the journal publications — by far the biggest component of the budget — is estimated at about $140,000,000 with a projected deficit of possibly $12,300,000 attributable to the new programs to advance Education and Science and enhance Communications to the general public and policy makers about what and why psychology has much to offer across the domain national needs. Not to worry, APA Rules require a balanced budget across three-year periods. But CEO Arthur Evans is initiating several new efforts in 2019 to implement new strategic initiatives benefiting all of psychology and its applications.
Because of the new dues structure and the reorganization of the APA advocacy and lobbying structure, our members are likely very interested in budget matter as they relate to science. Not counting administrative costs, including surveying members, the Advocacy Advisory Committee (which has two or three Science people on it), etc., direct advocacy for science will be almost $300,000 and direct lobbying for science will be just over $135,000. In addition, the Science Directorate will receive an additional staff person in addition to the five terrific congressional staff in science already. And basic Science Directorate area will also have an increased budget and a new $200,000 allocation for new Chief Science Officer Russ Shilling to work with. There is a new $100,000 allocation for outreach to university psychological science programs. There will, in addition, be a PAC which will benefit all areas. Also, there will be an additional allocation for applied science, currently somewhat undefined at the moment, but not practice psychology or health services psychology. There are additional allocations (totaling between $50,000 and $100,000) for Communications focused on psychological science and interfacing with technology, and this is separate from the new journal in our domain, Technology, Mind and Behavior.
Motions of Interest to Div. 3
Motion to suspend Association Rule 30-2.1 - Transparency in COR voting records. One of the first orders of business was to decide whether Council Representatives’ votes will be posted on the APA website following the council meetings. The COR is in a trial period where this decision will be made before the beginning of each council meeting for the next three years. After that period, we will reassess and potentially change the association rule limiting transparency in representative voting. The motion to suspend did not pass meaning that voting records from this meeting will be kept confidential.
Other Motions
Agenda item 13 BEA Task Force Report - motion passed. Note that this is for development of a blueprint for master’s education in the practice area.
Agenda item 17 Physical Discipline of Children by Parents - motion passed. Note that he council discussion revolved mostly around the strength of science evidence (or lack thereof). That is, council is broadly more and more concerned that there be a strong evidentiary basis for policies and position statements.
These and other agenda items are available in the meeting minutesopens in new window.
Council Policy Update - Motion Passed
Agenda item 15 adopt as APA policy the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of depression across three age cohorts - motion passed. Note that this is an in-depth review of the evidentiary literature and give precedence to RCTs as the gold standard and fit within the NIH required guidelines for science-based practices.
Agenda item 14 Revision to APA model education training program in psychopharmacology prescriptive authority and related APA policies - motion passed.
Agenda item 11 Amendments to Association Rule 90-4: Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology - council is asked to approve amending Association Rule 90-4 to add an additional member to the Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology (CRSPPP). Motion passed.
Item approved by consent - New journal: Technology, Mind and Behavior.