Neil A. Massoth

SPSMM Council Representative

I am pleased to report that APA is strong financially. A budget of more than $100 million was approved, including an 8% dues increase. With $60 million in investments and $125 million in equity in the two buildings owned by APA, the outlook for the future remains optimistic. Dues currently accounts for just 14% of the budget, with the major portion of the income derived from licensing and journal subscriptions.

Council approved the creation of a new Division of Trauma Psychology (Division 56). The petition for the creation of a new Division of Human-Animal Studies was resubmitted following defeat in 2005. The petition was again overwhelmingly denied. Despite statements from the organizing committee that the proposed division is not opposed to animal research, many Council members felt that many signers of the petition have been affiliated with groups strongly opposed to animal research. Both practice and science divisions appeared to be equally represented among those not in favor.

A bylaws change was approved regarding the Board & Committee election process. In cases where a substitution on a slate is necessary, the Board of Directors will now be required to fill slates from the list of candidates or alternates provided by a board or committee, and if unable to do so, to consult with the chair of the board of committee to obtain additional nominees. This bylaws change will be sent to all members for vote in the coming months. (Note: Please support this logical bylaws change. nm)

The Board of Directors Work Group on the Recommendations of the Commission on Education and Training Leading to Licensure in Psychology submitted a recommended policy change that was passed. APA policy still affirms the doctorate as the minimal education requirement for entry into professional practice. The policy still affirms that two years of sequential, organized, supervised experience is needed. Previously one year was the internship and the second year was subsequent to the granting of the doctoral degree. The policy change now states that “One of these years shall include a predoctoral internship and the other shall be of supervised professional training that can be completed prior or subsequent to the granting of the doctoral degree.” The arguments offered for the change primarily referred to stronger education, higher debt, and market place forces (reimbursement issues for non-licensed). The state of Washington has recently changed their licensing regulations to allow for this change. It will be interesting to see how many states change their regulations in the near future in response to the policy change.

Discretionary Fund disbursements were approved for:

A Task Force to review APA psychopharmacology curricula

A Task Force to review the Model Act for Licensing for Psychologists

A Task Force to increase the number of quantitative psychologists in training

A Task Force on sexualization of girls

A Task Force on socioeconomic status

A Task Force on guidelines for the assessment and treatment of persons with disabilities

A Task Force on gender identity, gender variance, and intersex conditions

A Task Force on mental health and abortion

A Presidential Working Group on prejudice and discrimination

Support for the Multicultural Organizational Leadership Workshop

Support for a national conference on Training in Geropsychology

A report from the Presidential Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security (PENS) was presented. The ten Divisions for Social Justice (which includes Division 51) presented a list of ten suggestions and recommendations for activation and continuation of this important document. A major component of the continued work will be a case book regarding ethical issues that will be written by the APA Committee on Ethics.

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