Public Relations and Communications
Practice Directorate

Practitioners Prepare to Capitalize on Exposure By Increasing Outreach

The three themes of APA's public education campaign ads -work stress, breast cancer and family relations - will be heard and seen across the nation this fall as seven state, local and regional associations plan to place radio and print advertising to complement their ongoing outreach activities. Many of the associations have found unique ways to link the messages of the ads with their outreach efforts. Following are some of their plans:

Members of the Cleveland Psychological Association (CPA) plan to take advantage of one of their city's most popular attractions by launching a unique outreach program to coincide with their advertising campaign. The CPA is teaming up with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to target the hard-to-reach teen audience. The program, entitled "Rock'n Feelings," will bring two eighth grade classes - one from an inner city Cleveland School and the other from a suburban school - to the Hall for an all-day rap session on teen-focused issues.

The pilot session, which will be held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will be structured similar to an all-day seminar where the teens will break-out into four groups to discuss topics such as peer pressure, self-esteem, and family relations, among others. By utilizing contemporary music as a vehicle to interact with urban and suburban adolescents, psychologists say they will be able to connect with this important audience and demonstrate the value of psychological services.

"We have a two-pronged approach for reaching teenagers," said Richard Klein, Ph.D. chairman of the CPA marketing committee. "This new program will allow us to speak to them directly, while the placement of the APA's family relations ad will target those who play key roles in their lives - parents, teachers, and their peers."

Program Specifics - CPA members will develop the curriculum and materials to be used in the project and volunteer psychologists will train teachers, supervise and have direct interaction with the students during the implementation. Pre- and post-assessment measures will be developed, administered and analyzed by member psychologists.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will provide the space for the session and coordinate the general logistics during the implementation of the project. A permanent corporate sponsor for the pilot project is being sought to ensure its continuation.

Kentucky Psychological Association (KPA) members are collaborating with public schools, the County Health Department and the County Medical Society to develop an important new aspect of the Health Promotion Schools of Excellence (HSPE), a program which has been in place for several years. A volunteer KPA member will be "adopted" by a participating school's Health Promotion team and will offer programs for the students, parents and staff aimed at promoting good mental health and psychological "wellness." A variety of topics will be addressed including stress management, depression, drugs and alcohol, family life, eating disorders and conflict resolution, among others.

"The new family relations radio ad fits in well with many of the activities we have planned for the fall, including the 'Adopt a Psychologist' program," said Sheila Schuster, KPA executive director.

Teaming Up to Reach Larger Audiences Psychology Regional Network of Los Angeles/Orange Counties (PRN)

Last year, five chapters of the California Psychological Association formed a cooperative effort to close the information gap between what the public understands about psychology and what psychology has to offer. Campaign ads on work stress and breast cancer, placed on two radio stations, generated 223 calls to the campaign information line, compared to the 33 calls received in the month prior.

"The number of inquiries and requests for referrals was particularly notable during the four week period of radio advertising, " said Jana Martin, Ph.D. "That initial media purchase was an important step towards developing an ongoing public education campaign in the Los Angeles/Orange County area."

In an effort to capitalize on this success, and keep the momentum going strong, PRN hopes to place local print advertising in the fall of 1998 and radio advertising in the spring of 1999. "Our goal is to place advertising each fall and spring," says Martin. "The campaign's effectiveness will be greatly augmented by comparable media buys over the next five years."

Psychology Regional Network of the Bay Area (PRN - North) Seven local chapters of the California Psychological Association have formed a cooperative effort in Northern California to maximize their resources for advertising placement, as well as to conduct outreach activities in their communities. "Centralizing our public education efforts is one of our primary goals, and forming this alliance has been critical to our campaign," said Glory Denkers, Ph.D. of the San Mateo Psychological Association. "Advertising was one of the elements that brought the chapters together. This effort will also present a more unified public image and will benefit practitioners in a number of ways."

This new coalition has aspirations beyond just Northern California, however. "Down the road, we would like to explore tying in to the Psychology Regional Network of Los Angeles and Orange Counties for future statewide efforts."

Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists

Since the launch of APA's campaign in 1996, the Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists (VCPA) has planned to implement a statewide advertising campaign at some point. Now, they feel the timing is right and it will add value to their existing community and media outreach efforts. Four of the five regional VACP academies have teamed up to maximize impact.

"Placing the ads toward the beginning of the school year is a good time to get the family's attention about the very issues we are addressing in the campaign," said Jay Taylor, Ph.D., VCPA's campaign coordinator.

Members of the Cincinnati Academy of Professional Psychology (CAPP), a regional organization of psychologists in southwestern Ohio, view the new radio spots as new fuel for their outreach activities, which have been taking place for over 12 years.

"By incorporating advertising into our plans, which already included community outreach and media relations, our campaign to educate the public on the value of psychological services will be taken to a new level," says Marc Schroder, Ph.D., co-chair of the Marketing and Public Relations Committee. "We also hope it will generate enthusiasm among our membership and that more psychologists will get involved in outreach efforts."

"The family relations ad touches on important issues that many people in the community are dealing with today," said Marlene O'Neill, MPA executive director. "We plan to integrate it into all aspects of our program this year."

All APA grant monies for this year have been allocated. Revised guidelines will available soon and will be distributed. If you have questions call Tricia Alvarez at 202.336.5910, or Saundra Halgrimson at 202.467.8057.