Behavioral
Emergencies Update
spring 2000
In this issue...
Section VII Programming at APA Convention
Training Providers of Emergency Services for Children in Violence Prevention
News from the American Association of Suicidology Conference
The Critical Need for Valid and Reliable Assessment
Volunteer Opportunities at the APA Convention
Volunteer Opportunities at APA CONVENTION
The four 1999-2000 APA Congressional Fellows invite you to participate in a large-scale effort to provide community service in the Washington, DC metro area during the 2000 APA Annual Convention. Convention attendees are encouraged to donate two hours of time volunteering for a local organization. Psychologists and graduate students who do not attend the Convention are similarly encouraged to donate at least two hours of time in their home communities during the time the Convention is being held. The hope is that this project will become integrated into Convention activities in the future.
Although psychologists may already be volunteering and providing pro bono services in their hometowns, the Convention offers an opportunity for attendees to make a significant, en masse contribution to the betterment of the city in which the Convention is being held. One of the goals of the project is that those who volunteer during this time will have a positive experience that will inspire them to make an ongoing commitment to volunteering.
The Fellows have a list of agencies in the DC metro area which are interested in having small groups of one-time volunteers (e.g., organizations serving the homeless, children, older adults). They also can assist with arranging community workshops (e.g., at a church or school) or outreach opportunities (e.g., with a needle exchange program designed to prevent the spread of HIV disease) on subjects in which psychologists have expertise (e.g., ADHD, violence prevention, substance abuse treatment).
If you are interested in volunteering or in helping to coordinate Section VII's volunteer efforts, contact Dr. James Werth by email at JamesWerth@aol.com. Make sure to indicate what sort of volunteer experience you want, if there are any particular agencies or causes for which you would like to donate time, and if there are any sort of restrictions on when you can volunteer. See you in Washington!