2007 Annual Reports for Boards and Committees

Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest

The Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI) shall consist of not fewer than ten members elected for three-year terms.  Nine of the members must be members of the American Psychological Association.  The tenth member shall be a public member appointed by BAPPI for up to a three-year term.   The mission of BAPPI shall be to encourage the generation and application of psychological knowledge on issues important to human well being.  It shall have general concern for those aspects of psychology that involve solutions to the fundamental problems of human justice and that promote equitable and just treatment of all segments of society.  BAPPI shall encourage the utilization and dissemination of psychological knowledge to advance equal opportunity and to foster empowerment of those who do not share equitably in society's resources.  The Board shall be concerned with increasing scientific understanding and training in regard to those aspects that pertain to, but are not limited to culture, class, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability.  The Board shall support improving educational and training opportunities for all persons in psychology and continue the promotion of culturally sensitive models for the delivery of psychological services.  The Board shall be sensitive to the entire range of APA activities as they pertain to the mission of this Board and make recommendations regarding ethically and socially responsible actions by APA when appropriate.   The composition of the Board shall reflect diversity in terms of ethnic minorities, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and religion, as well as the range of interests’ characteristic of psychology in all its aspects.

The members of BAPPI in 2007 were:  Margaret B. Heldring, PhD (chair), Martha E. Banks, PhD, Jean L. Chin, EdD, Douglas C. Kimmel, PhD (2007 chair-elect), Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter, PhD, Allan S. Noonan, MD, MPH (Public Member), Ena Vazquez-Nuttall, EdD, Barbara Palombi, PhD, Mark Pope, PhD, and Sandra Shullman, PhD

Drs. Heldring, Vazquez-Nuttall and Pope completed their terms of service on BAPPI on December 31, 2007.

Ongoing Activities

BAPPI continued its focus on enhancing diversity within APA governance and staffing and began addressing the priorities and overarching vision statement members had defined during their 2006 Strategic Planning Meeting.  The vision statement follows, along with the priorities for which the Board has been developing action steps for 2007-2010. 

Vision Statement:  BAPPI assures that psychology serves the public interest and advances social justice, health and wellbeing for all people.

BAPPI accomplishes this goal through interactions with the Public Interest committees, BPA, BSA, BEA, and other APA boards, committees, and divisions and through collaboration with like-minded external professional and interest groups.

Priority 1:  Promote an understanding of public health across the various diversities
Goal:  To fully integrate psychology into public health
During its Fall 2007 meeting BAPPI met with Linda Degutis, DrPH, MSN, 2008 President of the American Public Health Association to strategize about possibilities for collaboration.

Priority 2:  Promote mental health services in correctional systems
Goals to be further developed

Enhancing Diversity within APA Governance and Staffing

In response to BAPPI’s June 2004 request to Dr. Norman Anderson, APA CEO, for a breakdown of diversity representation by directorate, BAPPI was informed that the information was not yet available for their review during this meeting, but would be forwarded to them as soon as possible. In his memo originally intended to accompany the report Dr. Anderson noted that “women and ethnic minorities are well represented throughout most of the organization, although there are areas of possible improvement, especially in areas with relatively small staffing levels.”

Dr. Anderson and Dr. Michael Honaker, Deputy CEO, met with BAPPI to discuss this issue.  They identified plans to hire a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) in 2008, whose role will be to provide leadership in several areas, including, but not limited to:  1) bringing best practices in organizational diversity to APA; 2) developing a comprehensive framework for diversity within APA; 3) revising and refining our Diversity Implementation Plan; 4) providing leadership and guidance in our diversity efforts, including advising staff, Board, Council and other governance groups in all diversity matters; 5) developing and using metrics for monitoring our progress in the diversity arena; and 6) insuring that diversity is a part of all APA activities.

Dr. Anderson indicated that he would share BAPPI’s recommendations with the CDO so that he/she may incorporate them into a comprehensive evaluation and plan for APA’s diversity.

BAPPI works to ensure that diversity issues receive not only the board’s attention but also the attention of the Association as a whole.  BAPPI’s membership is diverse and seeks to represent and advocate for all of the public interest constituencies (ethnic minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender concerns; children, youth and families; disability issues; older adults; persons living with HIV/AIDS, urban issues, and issues related to socioeconomic status).  BAPPI, in conjunction with the newly created Committee on Socioeconomic Status (CSES), encourages all APA boards and committees to address not only their core issues of concern but also to consider issues of poverty and socioeconomic status in their work.

BAPPI has strongly advocated for diversity training within and across APA governance.
These efforts have lead to the establishment of an ongoing diversity training program which takes place every other year during the Spring Consolidated Board and Committee meetings and the February meeting of Council.  Training during the 2008 meetings will focus on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

BAPPI sponsored the following series of programs during the 2007 APA Convention in San Francisco on the topic of The Psychological and Health Impacts of Social Injustice

• The Psychological and Health Impacts of Social Injustice:  Unnatural Causes:  Is Inequality Making Us Sick?  A Preview of a PBS Documentary and Discussion

• The Psychological and Health Impacts of Social Injustice: Vulnerable AND Impressionable: Social Inequality and Children's Exposure to Health Risks

• The Psychological and Health Impacts of Social Injustice: Aging and Health Disparities:  Cumulative Effects of Race, Gender and SES

• The Psychological and Health Impacts of Social Injustice: Mental health effects of racial profiling and stereotyping

• The Psychological and Health Impacts of Social Injustice: Public policy and mental health implications of immigration: Local, state, and federal perspectives

These programs were cosponsored by the Committee on Aging, Committee on Children, Youth and Families, Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs, Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology, Committee on Women in Psychology, and Divisions 27, 45, 51, and 9.

The series explored the following questions:

1. How alive and well is the value of social justice in our society today;

2. What is the impact of social injustice on public interest constituencies (racial/ethnic minorities; women; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities; children, youth and families; older adults; disabled persons and persons living with HIV/AIDS)? I.e., how does social injustice play out differently across these different groups; and

3. What are positive impacts of social justice?

Task Forces and Working Groups Reporting through BAPPI

Task Force on the Implementation of the Multicultural Guidelines

In the Fall of 2004 BAPPI requested funding to establish a Task Force on the Implementation of the APA Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice and Organizational Change for Psychologists.  Members of the task force were to be selected from each APA standing board/committee and appointed by the APA President. BAPPI noted that the work of the task force could also be suggestive of methodologies for the implementation of other guidelines into psychology.  At its August 2005 meeting, the Council of Representatives approved the main motion with a friendly amendment that added representatives to the Task Force from APAGS and Divison31/CESPPA.

The group met several times over two years and developed a comprehensive report and recommendations for action.  The report will go before Council in February 2008 for adoption.

Task Force on Enhancing Diversity in Publications, Course Content, and Training Programs

In July 2004 the Council of Representatives approved the funding for the establishment of a Task Force on Diversity in Course Content, Publications and Training Programs reporting through BAPPI and the addition of a staff intern in the APA Research Office to develop a Report on the Status of Diversity in Course Content, Publications and Training Programs.  The five-person Task Force, comprised of individuals with expertise in this area, provides oversight and makes recommendations regarding the ongoing development of a report on the status of diversity in course content, publications and training programs.  This report shall serve to inform Council and serve as a basis upon which to recommend the resources needed to enhance diversity in the discipline of psychology.  Members of the Task Force were appointed by the APA President.  Plans are underway to complete the draft report in 2008.

Acknowledgements

BAPPI acknowledges its sincere appreciation for the invaluable guidance and support provided by Drs. Doug Haldeman and Melba Vasquez, Board of Directors liaisons.

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