Council met for the summer 2018 meeting on the Aug. 8 and 10 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. The primary focus on the meeting was on the plan to “transform” APA and the strategic plan. The council also addressed a number of other issues.
The plan to transform APA was created by the Expanded APA Advocacy Model Workgroup over the spring and summer. The members of the workgroup were selected by the board of directors (BOD). The workgroup held a series of teleconferences in what was effectively closed session. Over the course of their meetings the workgroup offered a series of webinars for council members, Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP) members and some were open to the general membership.
The primary purpose of the plan is to change APA structure to one that can support and sustain APA’s advocacy needs. The American Psychological Association Practice Organization (APAPO) has been slowly sinking and would run out of funds in 2019 without this intervention. The plan is to create a new membership structure in which all APA members are member of both the 501 (C)(3) APA and the now renamed (C)(6): American Psychological Association Services, Inc. Under the new structure members will pay dues to an outside entity that will allocate dues between these two organizations as directed by the APA BOD. The allocation of dues can be adjusted year by year. For the first year the plan is to split 60 percent to the (C)(6) and 40 percent to the (C)(3). Dues are a very small portion of the APA’s income so the loss some dues revenue does not impact significantly upon it’s functioning. In contrast the (C)(6) is highly dependent upon dues revenue. This new scheme allows dues funds to be allocated to support all (C)(6) activates with funds beyond what has recently been available. The current APAPO Dues ($140) will be terminated. APA says it is committed to funding (C)(6) activities at least at the same level they are currently funded.
To accomplish this APA needed to alter the APAPO bylaws to make some changes to its governance structure. The workgroup decided to maintain a single board of directors which will serve as the board for both organizations. The published plan calls for the creation of an Advocacy Coordinating Committee that will participate in the formation of APA’s advocacy agenda. The plan for governance functions from there has not been shared. CAPP will be discontinued. At the convention BOD meeting the BOD decided to continue CAPP into 2019 as an ad hoc committee to assist in the transformation process.
The plan does not require a membership vote or a change to the APA bylaws.
The workgroup put forward four motions to council:
- Accept the report.
- Support one BOD.
- Endorse the 60/40 dues split.
- Change the APAPO Bylaws.
Council voted in support of all four motions.
It is clear the APAPO is running out of money and something needs to happen. This has been a topic of concern in CAPP for many years. The basic structure of the plan makes sense. My concerns remain:
- The plan continues to rest governance in a single BOD. Some members involved in (C)(6) issues have had concerns in the past when there have been potential conflicts of interest between the interest of APA the (C)(3) public charity and APAPO the (C)(6) professional guild. The APAPO bylaws say that the interests of the (C)(6) must always yield to the interest of the (C)(3). This transformation is an opportunity to address potential conflicts in a more sophisticated way. APA is not going to do that.
- I am very concerned that the plan does not clarify how (C)(6) issues and functions will be addressed in APA governance in greater detail. The intent seems to be to fold (C)(6) governance into APA’s already existing structures. It is clear to me from my experiences on CAPP and APA that this will be insufficient. CAPP’s suggestion to merge (C)(6) governance with (C)(3) governance structures has been ignored. While the plan creates a new group to help develop advocacy policy (Advocacy Coordinating Committee), it does not address how governance will oversee the implementation of (C)(6) activities.
- The plan as a whole continues the process of coalescing real decision-making authority in the BOD and reduces the role of council. Council is becoming marginalized.
Council participated in an activity as part of APA’s efforts to revise the strategic plan.
The other highly significant issue addressed by council was an item that would have allowed military psychologists to work directly with prisoners at military sites. Sally Harvey, PhD, and Carrie Kennedy, PhD, spoke in favor of the proposal. Jeannie Leblanc, PhD, and Scott Churchill, PhD, spoke against it. Their presentations and debate were held in closed session, so I cannot report about their presentations or the council discussion. The motion did not pass.
For more information about the council meeting:
- Summary of the council meetingopens in new window (PDF, 348KB).
- Draft minutes of the council meetingopens in new window (PDF, 560KB).