PRESIDENT'S COLUMN (NEW!)
Strength through Diversity:
A Blueprint for Division 12
Irving B. Weiner, Ph.D., ABPP
University of South Florida
As a candidate for Division 12 president, I expressed my conviction that the Society of Clinical Psychology should be an enjoyable and rewarding professional home for all clinical psychologists, whatever their theoretical orientation, area of specialization, or work setting. I have heard it said that the division cannot be all things to all people and should focus on pursuing a narrowly defined mission. I believe instead that we can and should be many things to a lot of people. Clinical psychology is a broad and diverse field of science and practice, and our division can best meet the needs and interests of its members by embracing a broad and diverse mission.
As testimony to our diversity, the APA Directory shows Division 12 members belonging to every one of the 55 current APA divisions, many of which address specialty areas within clinical psychology (e.g., Psychotherapy [Division 29], Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology [Division 53]) or substantive areas with considerable relevance to the interests and work of clinicians (e.g., Personality and Social Psychology [Division 8], Developmental Psychology [Division 7). Thirty-one other divisions include more than 100 Division 12 members; of these 31 other divisions, 13 include more than 200 of our members, and six of these more than 300. This diversity reflects the fact that professionals pursuing many lines of basic and applied psychological science were initially educated and trained as clinical psychologists, and it is probably the case that most retain this core identity by referring to themselves as clinical psychologists, regardless of what other more specific terms they may use in describing their work (e.g., as a family therapist, a schizophrenia researcher, or an addictions specialist).
As the Society of Clinical Psychology, we must have a mission that is consonant with the diversity we represent: for example, a mission that includes (a) promoting the integration of science and practice in clinical psychology, together with fruitful collaboration among research scientists, scientist practitioners, and practitioner-scholars; (b) fostering effective education and training of clinical psychologists; and (c) advancing multicultural, advocacy, and public policy efforts related to clinical psychology. Such stated purposes, if properly framed and appropriately implemented, convey to our current members and to potential new members that we respect the perspectives of all clinical psychologists and welcome their participation in our Society.
Substantive diversity strengthens our division in three ways. First, by inviting and respecting a broad range of views, we expand our attractiveness as a professional home for our current members and for other clinical psychologists who consider joining us. A stable or expanding membership contributes in turn to maintaining our presence in the APA Council of Representatives, our program time during the annual APA convention, and a balanced budget. Second, by giving adequate consideration to multiple theoretical and practical perspectives, we increase the likelihood of arriving at informed judgments and undertaking constructive projects that benefit our members, the field of clinical psychology, and the broader society beyond. Third, by being recognized as a broadly rather than narrowly representative organization of clinical psychologists, we enhance our capacity to influence initiatives and developments not only within clinical psychology, but within organized psychology as whole and the arena of public policy as well. In concert with these objectives, I have identified outreach and impact as the main initiatives of my presidential year and in time will have more to say about each.
I would like in this initial column to announce my committee appointments effective January 1, 2008. Under our By-Laws, the president has the opportunity to appoint the chair and a certain number of new members to each of several standing committees. To promote continuity and benefit from their experience, I have asked the 2007 chairs of the following committees to continue serving in 2008: Barry Hong as Membership Chair; Jonathan Weinand as Education and Training Chair; Edward Craighead as Publications Chair; Danny Wedding as Governance Chair; and David Klonsky as Science and Practice Chair. Carole Rayburn, a 2007 member of the Fellowship Committee, will succeed Thomas Borkovec as chair of this committee in 2008.
As newly appointed committee members, I have asked Victor Molinari to be our Program Chair for 2008. To the Membership Committee, I have appointed Ronald Ganellen, Sharon Rae Jenkins, and one student member, Sean Sullivan; to the Education and Training Committee, Dorothy Holmes, Michael Lambert, Jeffrey Magnavita, and one student member, Sharie Fabregas; to the Publications Committee, William Gottdiener; to the Governance Committee, Steven James; to the Science and Practice Committee, Robert McGrath and Thomas Ollendick; and to the Fellowship Committee, Karen Calhoun, A. J. Finch, Adelbert Jenkins, and Luis Vargas.
For three other committees, the chair is designated by the By-Laws and members are appointed by the president. The Nominations Committee is chaired by our Past President, Marsha Linehan; my appointments to this committee are Stanley Messer, Lynn Rehm, Linda Sobell, and George Stricker. The Budget Committee is chaired by our Treasurer, Robert Klepac; my appointment to this committee is Norman Abeles. The Diversity Committee is chaired by the diversity representative on the Board of Directors, Asuncion Austria; my appointments to this committee are Linda Knauss and Felicisima Serafica.
During my year as President-Elect, I served on the Board of Directors together with my four immediate predecessors as President: Nadine Kaslow, Linda Sobell, Jerry Davison, and Marsha Linehan. I would like to express my appreciation for their leadership and many contributions to our Society. I hope that we can continue to prosper in the current year, and I wish the membership a happy and rewarding 2008.
The first issue for 2008 is now available. Download a PDF version of the issue 
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