APA’s Council of Representatives held a hybrid meeting Feb. 23-24, with in-person council members convening in Washington, D.C. Representing Division 5, Kurt Geisinger was present in Washington, and Amy Schmidt attended virtually. In addition, former Division 5 council representative, Rachel Fouladi, now a member of the Council Leadership Team and Division 5 president-elect, was also present. Online platforms at the meetings facilitated presentations, discussions, and voting procedures for remote attendees. The hybrid format also allowed the scheduling of caucus meetings prior to the in-person council meeting.
Complete draft minutes of the February 2024 COR meeting (PDF, 577KB)opens in new window.
Below we present a brief overview of items and reports from the February 2024 COR meeting.
Main items from the February 2024 COR Meeting
Note: Item labeling refers to the number as it appeared in the corresponding meeting agenda.
Elections, Awards, Membership, and Human Resources
- Item 2. COR voted to approve a $27 increase in the APA base member dues rate ($247 to $274) and reduction in the dues increase at years four through six of the dues ramp up ($149 to $124).
Additionally, COR voted to approve the following amendment to Association Rule 210-5:
- 210-5. Dues
- 210-5.2. The annual dues of Members, including Fellows, and Associate Members shall be established on a ramp up schedule based on years of membership.
Ethics
- No items.
Divisions and State Provincial and Territorial Associations
- No items.
Organization of the APA
- Item 3. COR voted to approve extending the expiration date for the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts to December 31, 2029
- Item 4. COR voted to approve APA’s role in the strategic plan of the American Psychological Association/American Psychological Association Services, Inc. More details of the strategic plan.
- Item 5. COR voted to receive the 2019 report of the Juvenile Justice Solitary Confinement Working Group, entitled, “Uses of Individual Isolation of Youth in Juvenile Justice” and thanked the working group for their important work. COR also voted to adopt as APA policy a resolution opposing involuntary isolation of youth in juvenile justice settings, which resolved that “while Council continues to support efforts to eliminate the practice, additional specificity is needed with respect to youth solitary confinement”, and the resolution provided ten clinical and science-based recommendations, beginning with a recommendation to prohibit solitary confinement of youth except under truly exigent or emergency circumstances.
- Item 6. COR voted to adopt as APA policy a resolution to support parents with disabilities, which calls on psychologists to actively work to reduce biases, challenge stereotypes, and champion the provision of appropriate supports and resources for this population.
- Item 7. COR voted to adopt as APA policy a resolution on the secure storage of firearms and lethal means safety strategies to prevent suicides. The resolution calls on APA to encourage secure firearms storage trainings, initiatives, and research.
- Item 8. COR voted to adopt as APA policy the following: Policy Statement on Affirming Evidence-Based Inclusive Care for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Nonbinary Individual, Addressing Misinformation, and the Role of Psychological Practice and Science. The statement affirms APA’s support for unobstructed access to healthcare and evidence-based clinical care for transgender, gender diverse, and nonbinary children, adolescents, and adults, and for increased public accessibility to timely and accurate information, founded in clinical and psychological science.
- Item 9. COR voted to approve the following motion: “that there will be no Association rule changes, and the Council Leadership Team will continue to provide recommendations on action items coming forward to Council for consideration using the principles of evidence-based policies, thorough item development and review, and alignment with APA’s mission, resources, and strategic plan. CLT will provide one of the following recommendations to move an item to final form: CLT recommends that Council approve the motion, CLT recommends that Council oppose the motion, CLT recommends the motion for final form and that it be placed on the Council meeting agenda. A vote tally on CLT recommendations on actions items will be provided to Council.
- Item 12. COR received as information an update on the CLT’s efforts to implement recommendations found in the Council Effectiveness Implementation Oversight Task Force report.
Publications and Communications
- Item 13. COR received as information an update on the Publications and Communications Board activities.
Educational Affairs
- No items.
Professional Affairs
- Item 14. COR received as information an update on the work of the Advisory Steering Committee for Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines and APA Guideline Development Panels and plans for 2024.
Scientific Affairs
- Item 9A. COR voted to adopt as APA policy a resolution on combating misinformation and promoting psychological science literacy. The resolution resolves that APA encourage psychologists, educators, researchers, and policy makers to actively engage in efforts to raise public awareness about the psychological mechanisms underpinning the creation and spread of misinformation.
Public Interest
- Item 10. COR voted to adopt as APA policy the 2024 Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults, and approved December 31, 2034, as its expiration date.
- Item 16. COR received an update on the new business in progress entitled Resolution on Supporting Psychologists’ Education and Research about, and Activism against, Violation of Girls’ and Women’s Human Right Globally.
Ethic Minority Affairs
- No items.
International Affairs
- No items.
Financial Affairs
- Item 15. COR received as information the 2022 IRS Tax Form 990 and 990-T Amendment.
Additional activities
On Friday during lunch, COR members were invited to participate in an optional session with the Racial and Ethnic Diversity Consultative Task Force.
On Friday afternoon, COR heard from a keynote speaker, Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse in the US Department of Human Services.
On Saturday morning, COR engaged in a continuing education session on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Psychology. COR discussed in breakout groups several questions related to AI and shared those notes with staff.