Well another year is about to end as we swiftly move through October and soon enter into November and then December. As the APA Council of Representatives (COR) did not meet during the usual time in conjunction with APA’s annual convention this year, I have no formal summary of the meeting, as that meeting took place on October 29 and 30 instead. This quarter’s column will highlight how I have engaged as I complete my second year on Council as well as a few major issues that will be focused on at the October Council meeting.
My focus on Council
As your Council Representative I have taken an active role in DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts and have been co-chair of the Council Diversity Work Group. To that end, I work closely with the Council Reps of the Ethnic Psychological Associations and the Chief Diversity Office of the APA. I am always keeping a pulse on how our work (as group theorists/practitioners/researchers) intersects with larger issues within Council, and I hope you have seen ways to engage in larger APA opportunities as a result of my posts to the Div. 49 Listserv. As always, please feel free to reach out to me with questions or feedback on how I can serve our membership within Div. 49 as I represent you on COR, more effectively. I can be contacted via email.
COR items
A key area that Council has been working on is effectiveness. A Council Effectiveness Work Group was charged by the leadership of Council last year, and they produced a report to guide more effective processes and structures. A group of Council members then took it upon themselves to establish five work groups that pertain to and are chaired by the following COR members, including our own Noelle Lefforge. PhD:
- Education and Access (Chair June Feder, PhD, and CLT Liaison David Sussman, PhD)
- Governance Organization and Relations (Chair Robin McLeod, PhD, and CLT Liaison Le Ondra Clark Harvey, PhD)
- Communication and Deliberation (Chair Bill Stoops, PhD, and CLT Liaison Mary Fernandes, PhD)
- Inclusion and Culture (Chair Monica Kurylo, PhD, and CLT Liaison Arlene Noriega, PhD)
- New Vehicles for Policy Making (Chair Jason Cantone, PhD, and CLT Liaison Noelle Lefforge, PhD)
Under the area of Professional Affairs, the Guidelines for Psychological Service Provision to Military Service Members, Veterans and Their Families as well as the Guidelines for Optimal Use of Social Media in Psychology Practice was be presented. As I began reviewing these documents to prepare for the meeting, I have kept and will keep an eye on how group is being positioned and represented and make suggestions for inclusion if there appears to be an absence of foresight on group’s utility.
Under the area of Public Interest, there was three resolutions and one area of immense magnitude discussed. These resolutions include the Resolution on Homelessness, the Resolution on Advancing Health Equity in Psychology, and the Resolution on the Role of Psychology and the APA in Dismantling Systemic Racism in the US. The other ongoing effort/project includes the Apology for Role of the APA in Promoting, Perpetuating, and Failing to Challenge Racism, Discrimination, and Human Hierarchy in US.
Finally there were some New Business Items (NBIs) presented where I am a co-mover on one of them, and I am also representing us on holding Council accountable to keep global perspectives central in policies and practices that move forward in Council.
So, as you can see, there is much we will be covering as the governing body of APA, and I am excited to share a summary of the developments and outcomes that cumulate in our next Div. 49 newsletter, the Winter 2022 issue. Until then, be well.