2004 Annual Reports for Boards and Committees

COMMITTEE ON AGING 2004 ANNUAL REPORT

MEMBERS
The six members of the Committee on Aging (CONA) for 2004 were John Cavanaugh, PhD (Chair), Toni Antonucci PhD, Barry Edelstein, PhD, Greg Hinrichsen, PhD, Leonard Poon, PhD, and Beth Hudnall Stamm, PhD.

MEETINGS
The Committee on Aging held two meetings in 2004, in conjunction with the APA Consolidated Meetings, on March 26-28 and October 1-3, 2004

ACTIVITIES

CONA activities in 2004 addressed each of the goals in its Mission Statement: There shall be a Committee on Aging that shall concern itself with furthering the major purpose of APA to advance psychology as a science and profession and as a means of promoting health and human welfare by ensuring that older adults, especially the growing numbers of older women and minorities, receive the attention of the association. Specifically, the Committee will pursue the following goals:

Science: Provide strong and visible advocacy for a scientific agenda on aging to policy makers and private and public funding agencies.

1. Former CONA chair and representative, Steve Zarit, PhD, along with Deborah DiGilio, APA Office on Aging and Karen Studwell, APA Science Policy Office, represented CONA in their meeting with the Chief of the newly created Geriatric Treatment and Preventive Intervention Branch at the National Institute on Mental Health to discuss funding priorities and opportunities for psychologists given the new structure.

2. Former CONA chair, Forrest Scogin, PhD represented CONA at the Stakeholder Planning Conference on a National Evidence Based Practice Initiative for Older Adults sponsored by CMHS, SAMSHA, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, and the NRI Center for Mental Health Quality and Accountability. Dr. Scogin had the opportunity to share the results of nearly completed reviews conducted by the APA Division 12 – Section 2 (Clinical Geropsychology) Task Force on Evidence-based Treatments that he chairs, on depression, anxiety, cognitive/memory interventions, and caregiver stress. Participation in this meeting insured that psychology has a place at the table as this effort moves forward.

Practice: Promote the practice of psychology by advocating policies that enhance the availability and reimbursement of health and mental health services to older adults and their families.

1. CONA continues its work on the APA/ABA Assessment of Capacity in Older Adults Project Working Group. The Working Group was established in 2003 under the auspices of the Interdisciplinary Task Force on Facilitating APA/ABA Relations. The Working group is made up of representatives of APA and the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging. The Project's first product, a document for practicing attorneys, Assessment of Older Adults with Diminished Capacity: A Handbook for Lawyers will be available in early 2005. CONA held two well-attended events at the 2004 APA Convention related to this Project. Assessment of Capacity in Older Adults: Psychological and Legal Perspectives was the topic of the CONA Conversation Hour. A symposium, “Assessment of Capacity in Older Adults: An APA–ABA Collaboration” was also held that described the state-of-affairs of capacity in older adults from the legal and psychological perspective, and reviewed the recommendations for action steps that emerged from two APA/ABA meetings held in 2003. Future Project plans include a continuing education offering for psychologists at the 2005 APA Convention and a companion handbook for judges.

Policy: Contribute to the formulation and support of public policies and associated regulations that promote optimal development of older adults, facilitate psychological practice with older persons, and expand scientific understanding of adult development and aging.

1. A new brochure, Psychologists Make a Significant Contribution: Psychology and Aging was developed with funding from the Research Retirement Foundation and disseminated to policymakers. The purpose of the brochure was to convincing portray the significant contributions of psychological research and practice to the health and well being of older adults. This eight-page color brochure defines psychology and geropsychology; describes the growing need for psychological research and clinical services; explains the interface between physical and mental health care; and sets forth policy recommendations to improve the mental and behavioral health of older Americans.

2. CONA has developed an action plan to assure the consideration of mental health issues by The 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA). The White House Conference on Aging occurs once a decade to make aging policy recommendations to the President and Congress, and to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence and economic security of current and future generations of older persons. Plans are underway for a Division 20 – CONA sponsored symposium on the WHCoA to be held in conjunction with the 2005 APA Convention. In addition, CONA has developed an APA Resolution on the 2005 White House Conference on Aging to be considered for adoption as APA Policy. CONA believes that their Resolution will bring attention to this important forum and convey and affirm the sense of APA that research and practice issues including contributions of psychology are critical to the health and well-being of older people and therefore need to be a central part of the agenda. The proposed resolution will be on the Spring 2005 APA Consolidated Meeting Cross-Cutting agenda for review and comment by all APA boards and committees.

3. CONA continues its efforts to promote enactment of the Positive Aging Act of 2004 in conjunction with the APA Public Policy Office. The bill would integrate mental health services and medical care within primary care and improve access by older adults to mental health services in community-based settings. This year CONA members met with their legislators in conjunction with the APA Public Policy Office's Coordinated Advocacy Campaign and the Aging Advocacy Workshop to garner their support for the Positive Aging Act.

4. CONA successfully advocated for the creation of a new Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer position, whose portfolio will include aging policy.

Education: Promote inclusion of knowledge about adult development and aging in all levels of education, including continuing education, training programs, and professional development of psychologists.

1. A component of the recently completed, grant-funded, The Contribution of Geropsychology to An Aging World project was to develop materials to promote geropsychology as a career option among undergraduate psychology students. A student fact sheet and poster that highlight the range of potential career opportunities in geropsychology practice and research were developed. The materials were sent to all undergraduate departments of psychology, human development, and family studies, and to American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) campus representatives for distribution on their campuses.

2. CONA continues to be active in APA Education Policy Office efforts related to funding of the Graduate Geropsychology Education Program. The funds can be used to plan, develop, operate or maintain graduate geropsychology education programs to train psychologists to work with underserved older adult populations to foster an integrated approach to health care services.

Public Interest: Promote the application of psychological knowledge to the well being of older people, with special attention to the influences of gender, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, and family in science, practice and policy relating to older adults.

1. CONA member Gregory Hinrichsen, PhD, presented a paper at the APA 2004 Convention titled, “Implementation of Multicultural Guidelines in Training and Practice with Older Adults.” The presentation was part of the Board for Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI) symposium, "The Implementation of the APA Multicultural Guidelines."

2. CONA representative Forrest Scogin, PhD presented a paper at the APA 2004 Convention titled, “The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on the Mental Health of Older Adults.” The presentation was as part of the Board for Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI) symposium, "The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Mental Health."

Public Affairs: Develop and disseminate information concerning the scientific findings and practice issues about older adults to psychologists and other professionals, policy makers, and the public.

1. A news release, Psychology and Aging was developed and distributed nationwide by the North American Precis Syndicate. The release described the mental and behavioral health issues that many older persons face, and how psychologists can help address these issues. Ordering information for a free copy of the brochure, Psychologists Make a Significant Difference: Psychology and Aging was also provided. In the first two months of its six-month release period, 140 newspaper articles were generated in 20 states with a total readership of 7,249,808.

2. CONA was a frequent contributor and resource to Monitor on Psychology articles, In 2004, articles were printed on Expanding Geropsychology Training, the APA/ABA Capacity Assessment Project, CONA's Roadmap to Aging Project, and the 2005 White House Conference on Aging.

3. The APA Committee on Aging Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging was established in 2003 to recognize professional leadership and distinguished achievements in research, practice and education in the field of geropsychology, and to promote an awareness and understanding among psychologists of this growing area of psychology. The year's award recipient was George Niederehe, PhD. The award was given in recognition of his leadership in promoting the recognition of clinical geropsychology within APA including the establishment of APA Division 12, Section 2 and his tenacious advocacy in the development of the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults.

APA: Serve as a visible focus for the coordination of information among groups within the APA that address aging issues and offer consultation to relevant APA boards, committees, divisions, state associations, and directorates; also ensure that older members of APA receive the appropriate attention of the association.

1. CONA members, John Cavanaugh and Greg Hinrichsen were members of the Retiring Psychologist Workgroup, charged with implementing APA President Diane Halpern's Retiring Psychologist Presidential Initiative. The group's focus was on determining what resources older psychologists need and want as they move toward and into retirement.

2. CONA's newest project, The Roadmap to Aging, will offer middle-aged and older adults guidance in planning for the challenges that often arise in late life, including those in the economic/financial, environmental, health, legal, psychological, social, spiritual, and work/retirement domains. The first product of the project will be a web-based brochure for psychologists as interest in this type of information among psychologists. Interest in this topic was supported by the results of the 2004 APA Retirement Survey commissioned by APA President Diane Halpern as part of her Retiring Psychologists Presidential Initiative. In December 2004, the APA Board of Directors allocated a portion of its 2005 Discretionary Funds to this project. The project will convene with a Spring 2005 meeting at which experts from each of the above domains will translate the wealth of empirical evidence in the research literature into practical steps to guide psychologists and others along the road to aging.

3. CONA regularly comments on proposed APA new business items to assure that APA policies are informed by geropsychology principles and that the impact of proposed policies upon older adults is considered. For example, this year comments were submitted on Revisions to the APA National Standards for the Teaching of High School Psychology; Guidelines for Education and Training at the Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Level in Consulting Psychology/Organizational Consulting Psychology; Policy Formation on Mental Illness and the Death Penalty; Proposals for APA Policy on Gender Identity; the Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Marriage; the Resolution on Sexual Orientation, Parents and Children; and, Infusing the Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists throughout APA.

Diversity Training and Representation: CONA neither provided or received diversity training in 2004. The Committee has maintained gender balance and its membership currently has representation from ethnic minority and gay constituencies.