The Council of Representatives will meet at Convention in Chicago on August 7 and 9. There are two items of particular importance to our membership.
The leadership of the Caucus of State Provincial and Territorial Representatives (CSTPR) and the Association of Practicing Psychologists (APP) have decided to move the APP meeting from its traditional date and time (after the first day of the Council meeting) into the time slot that has been provided for the Combined Caucus (CAPP, Div. 31, CSTPR and Rural Health Interest Caucus). That meeting will immediately follow the CSTPR meeting in Water Tower Room B of the Marriott Marquis Chicago. The CSTPR meeting time is 7:30-8:15 and the APP meeting time is 8:15-9:00 . This change will provide Council of Representatives the opportunity to discuss guild issues prior to the Council meeting. With the demise of CAPP, this option would have been lost if we did not make this change. APP membership is open to all APA members, so you are welcome to come to that meeting if you are interested.
The other important issue is a proposed Amendment to Association Rules to change the composition of the Board of Professional Affairs (BPA). APA leadership decided that CAPP had to be sunsetted as part of the transition. That occurred on June 30. That means there is no longer a committee dedicated to professional guild issues. After months of discussion by the management, APA/APA Services, Inc. (APASI) Board of Directors, CAPP and BPA, it has been decided to adapt BPA to include three new seats that will be slated to include members with expertise in guild issues such as state advocacy and practice innovation. In addition, Council of Executives of State and Provincial Psychological Associations (CESPPA) will appoint a member to serve on BPA. A change to the association rules is required to accomplish this. CAPP members proposed stronger alternatives to the item that is being presented to Council that would have better represented the interests of state association members and practicing psychologists of all sorts, but this is the compromise that was acceptable to all parties.
I look forward to reporting to you what transpires at the Council meeting in the next newsletter.