The APA Council of Representatives met in February 2019. Most newsworthy are the actions that were taken, all of which are reported here.
Of historical importance to our division and its leaders, Council adopted the “
Resolution on Physical Discipline of Children by Parentsopens in new window
,” which recommends that caregivers use alternative forms of discipline—such as modeling behavior, respectful communication and collaborative conflict resolution—rather than physical punishment. The resolution points out that, according to the research, physical discipline is not effective in achieving parents’ goals of decreasing aggressive and defiant behavior in children or of promoting positive child behaviors. The resolution commits APA to raising public awareness and increasing education about the impact of physical discipline on children and the effectiveness of other methods of discipline. It also calls on APA to promote culturally responsive training and continuing education on alternative discipline strategies. (A
press release
was issued on Feb. 18.)
Also of importance to our division, Council approved a “Resolution on Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health.” The resolution was spearheaded by the APA Interdivisional Task Force on Child and Adolescent Mental Health (led by Div. 37), and drafted by a workgroup that includes some of our members. It underwent review and input from all the APA boards and committees. It replaces the first resolution drafted in 2003 and will be posted on the APA and division website soon.
Council overwhelmingly approved a new APA Strategic Plan, aimed at fostering “a strong, diverse and unified psychology that enhances knowledge and improves the human condition.” Specifically, the goals of the plan are to:
- Utilize psychology to make a positive impact on critical societal issues
- Elevate the public’s understanding of, regard for, and use of psychology
- Prepare the discipline and profession of psychology for the future
- Strengthen APA’s standing as an authoritative voice for psychology
Council voted to receive, “Report of the Board of Educational Affairs Task Force to Develop a Blueprint for APA Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Health Service Psychology,” which discusses possible pathways and necessary expertise to constitute an accreditation decision-making body. The report will inform the development of standards for accreditation of master’s programs in health service psychology.
Council also adopted “The Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts,” which provides recommendations for the treatment of depressive disorders based primarily on systematic reviews of the evidence. The guideline addresses three developmental cohorts: children and adolescents (for whom there is insufficient evidence in systematic reviews); general adults; and older adults (ages 60 and over). It is intended for psychologists, other health and mental health professionals, consumers, families of consumers, students/training programs, policymakers and the public. The guideline is expected to be available on APA’s website by summer.
Council approved a rules amendment that clarifies existing APA policy stating that division position or policy statements on matters of public policy must be consistent with APA bylaws, rules and any existing APA policy. APA staff will work with division leaders to ensure that their public position statements are not contrary to APA policy and that they comply with all relevant bylaws and rules. If APA policy does not exist, consistent with current practice, divisions may issue statements with appropriate disclaimers that the position they are taking is not APA policy but represents only the views of the division.
Finally, Council approved an update of APA’s 2009 policies and curriculum related to psychopharmacology, including three specific documents: “Model Education and Training Program in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority”; “Designation Criteria for Education and Training programs in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority”; and “Model Legislation for Prescriptive Authority.” Major changes to the curriculum include adding the possibility of providing didactic psychopharmacology training at the doctoral level, rather than the previous requirement that most of the training occur at the post-licensure/postdoctoral level.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or desire more information regarding any of these actions. All APA members are able to access the Council of Representatives agenda booklogin required .