Notes and News
APA Wins Silver Anvil Award for Public Education Campaign
Campaign Creates Awareness of the Value of Psychological Services
Tricia Alvarez, Practice Directorate
The American Psychological Association (APA) has won a Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for its public education campaign, "Talk to Someone Who Can Help." The Silver Anvil winners were announced at an awards reception in New York City on June 12.
The campaign, designed to inform average consumers of the value of psychological services, was launched in February of 1996 and will be ongoing until 2002. Through the use of three themes -- dealing with breast cancer, family problems and job stress -- the public is shown how psychologists can help with everyday problems and challenges.
"Our membership told us it strongly believes the public needs to gain a greater awareness and understanding of the benefits of seeking help for mental health disorders and many of life's frequently encountered problems," said Russ Newman, Ph.D., J.D., executive director for professional practice for APA. "This education is particularly important in the current fast-changing and increasingly complex health care system." "Our research shows that people value good psychological health, but aren't sure how and when to access psychological services," said Rhea K. Farberman, associate executive director of public communications at APA and co-manager of the campaign. "Our campaign was built on giving people the information they need to appropriately avail themselves of such services."
Throughout the campaign's first year, APA implemented a media relations program and purchased advertising space both nationally and in two lead media markets. A centerpiece of the campaign is an 800 number that the public can call to obtain an informational brochure and/or be patched through to their state psychological association for referral to a psychologist in their community.
"Consumers have responded very well to our campaign messages," said Cindy Yeast, assistant executive director for public relations and communications for the APA Practice Directorate, who also manages the campaign. "Post-campaign survey research shows that our campaign messages were able to get through to consumers despite the intense competition for their attention in these media markets."
Additionally, the post-testing shows an increase in the number of people who were more likely to agree that health coverage should include mental health services as well as an increase in the number of people who said that they would seek mental health care for child-rearing problems. In both lead markets, Denver, Colorado and Hartford, Connecticut, calls to that state psychological association referral service quadrupled and doubled (respectively) during the months of maximum campaign activity.
To date, 8,150 consumer have called the campaign 800 number (800-964-2000) to request a brochure or for a referral to a provider. Additionally, the campaign consumer help center on the World Wide Web (http://helping.apa.org) has received 438,031 hits to date.
APA was assisted by two public relations firms in putting the campaign together; Porter Novelli, Chicago, IL and Pacific Visions Communications, Los Angeles, CA. The Silver Anvil Awards are given annually by the Public Relations Society of America in recognition of an organization's strategic use of public relations. Winning programs must meet the highest standards of the four components of public relations programming: research, planning, execution and evaluation.
Call for Nominations
The Publications and Communications Board has opened nominations for the editorships of Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance (JEP:HPP), Journal of Counseling Psychology and Clinician's Research Digest for the years 2000-2006. Charles R. Shuster, Ph.D., Thomas H. Carr, Ph.D., Clara E. Hill, Ph.D., and Douglas K. Snyder, Ph.D. respectively, are the incumbent editors.
Candidates should be members of APA and should be available to start receiving manuscripts in early 1999 to prepare for issues published in 2000. Please note that the P&C Board encourages participation by members of underrepresented groups in the publication process an would particularly welcome such nominees. Self-nominations are also encouraged.
To nominate candidates, prepare a statement of one page or less in support o each candidate and send to: Joe L. Martinez, Jr., Ph.D., for Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. Lyle E. Bourne, Jr., Ph.D., for JEP:HPP. David L. Rosenhan, Ph.D. for Journal of Counseling Psychology. Richard M. Suinn, Ph.D., for Clinician's Research Digest.
Address all nominations to the the appropriate search committee at the following address: Karen Sellman, P&C Board Search Liaison, Room 2004, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. First Review of nominations will begin December 8, 1997.
An Invitation to Division Members
Richard M. Suinn, Ph.D., APA President-Elect
I am most appreciative of the opportunity to serve the Association as its future president, but I now need your input an help to meet my campaign promises!
A major vision involves soliciting input from members and collaboratively reaching certain goals to make Psychology a nationally visible force in primary health care, with focus on cancer. To achieve this, I am sending out this call to you.
Specifically, I ask you to send me names and addresses of psychologists who are doing creative work with cancer, including yourself if you have such a history. Include those who are working effectively in any aspect: studying characteristics involving vulnerability, authoring useful assessment instruments, providing interventions for side-effects, consulting on medical decision-making, providing grief counseling or family work, etc. I hope you will feel free to send me as many names as possible.
These psychologists can range from those with special clinical-counseling expertise that you believe effective to those whose research deserves recognition to community/academic educators who have designed innovative programs - directly relevant to psychological efforts with cancer.
My eventual goals will definitely rely upon your active involvement in this step. I do hope you can take some time, converse with your colleagues, and send me your thoughts by no later than January 1, 1998 via the address below.
And please accept my early thanks for you help...I am committed not only to this vision but also to continuing to invite you to be part of such goals for the benefit of Psychology! Let's join together to make our discipline a major force!
Dick Suinn, Ph.D., Dept of Psychology, Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins, CO 80523; Phone: (970) 491-1351; FAX: (970) 491-1032; Email: suinn@lamar.colostate.edu
APA Congressional Fellowship Program
APA and the American Psychological Foundation (APF) invite applications for the 1998-99 Congressional Fellowship Program. The program will sponsor three to five psychologists, to serve as special legislative assistants on the staff of a Member of Congress or Congressional committee. One Fellowship position is for an individual with interests in HIV/AIDS-related policy. The remaining positions are for psychologists from any background.
Qualifications: APA Member (or applicant for membership) and doctorate in psychology, with a minimum of two years post-doctoral experience preferred.
Terms: One-year appointment beginning September 1, 1998. Stipend of $42,600 plus $3,000 for relocation to t he Washington, D.C. area and travel expenses. Applicants with a minimum of 10 years of post-doctoral experience will be considered for a stipend supplement of $10,200.
APA Science Policy Fellowship Program
This Fellowship sponsors a psychologist to serve as a special assistant in the Executive Branch. This year the Science Policy Fellow is placed in the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research in the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health. The Fellowship is designed to provide psychologists with an invaluable public policy learning experience and to contribute to the more effective use of psychological knowledge in government, and to broaden the awareness about the value of the psychology-government interaction among psychologists and within the National Institutes of Health. The prospective Science Policy Fellow must demonstrate competence in scientific psychology, display sensitivity toward policy issues, and have a strong interest in applying psychological knowledge to research policy issues.
Applications are available from:
- APA Congressional Fellowship Program
- Public Policy Office
- APA
- 750 First Street, NE
- Washington, DC 20002-4242
- (202) 336-6062
APA Contacts: Congressional Fellowship Program, Brian Smedley, (202) 336-6066; Science Policy Fellowship Program, Patricia C. Kobor, (202) 336-5933
Deadline for receipt of applications is December 15, 1997
APA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Convention Programs Wanted!
San Francisco, 1998 APA Convention
If you are a psychologist who has found a non traditional non managed care market niche and succeeded in it, or if you have successfully marketed a more traditional non managed care practice, please consider giving other psychologists a hand by sharing your experience and knowledge.
I am looking for "how to" programs for the Division 42 APA Convention Program and Hospitality Suite in San Francisco, 1998.
- Judith Steward, Ph.D.
- 1998 Program Chair
- 490 SW 62 Ave.
- Plantation, FL 33317
- Ph: 954-587-9472
- FAX: 954-587-2250
- E-mail: judithstew@aol.com