DIVISION SPOTLIGHT

Div. 9 (Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues­SPSSI)

Div. 9 invites papers, posters and symposia presentations for the "Hate crimes: research, policy and action" conference, to be held Oct. 8­10 at the University of California at Los Angeles. The division welcomes proposals that discuss hate violence research, intervention and prevention. SPSSI expects a diverse group of people to attend the conference with professional backgrounds in mental health, human relations, social science, law enforcement and public policy.

The deadline for submissions is May 1. To submit a proposal, send a 100-word abstract and a 1500-word summary with presenter's name, address and two self-addressed envelopes to: Amy Marcus-Newhall, Department of Psychology, Scripps College, 1030 Columbia Ave., Claremont, CA 91711-3948.

Div. 32 (Humanistic)

A survey of Div. 32 members found that humanistic psychologists are disillusioned with managed care and the current direction of psychology. The survey, the first comprehensive survey of humanistic psychologists' attitudes and values on a wide range of professional issues, received responses from 228 members of Div. 32.

The survey found that:

* 53 percent of Div. 32 members are not in favor of prescription privileges for psychologists.

* 69 percent feel APA does not represent Div. 32's concerns well.

* 71 percent of respondents disagree with APA's efforts to develop manualized procedures--prescribed therapeutic interventions based on scientific studies-- for therapeutic practice, and 75 percent said they do not believe manualized procedures will increase therapeutic effectiveness.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents work in private practice, 17 percent work in other counseling or therapy settings, and 21 percent are professors.

The Div. 32 Executive Council authorized the survey, and David Elkins, PhD, president of Div. 32, conducted the survey with the aid of Joanna Lipari and Chris Kozora, his graduate research assistants at Pepperdine University. A more complete summary of the results will be disseminated through APA presentations, newsletters and journals associated with humanistic psychology.

The survey is part of humanistic psychology's effort to "re-vision" itself for the 21st century, which will culminate in a gathering of humanistic leaders and representatives, to be held on the campus of the State University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga., May, 2000. For more information on the survey or the effort to re-vision humanistic psychology, contact David Elkins at delkins@pepperdine.edu.

Div. 33 (Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities)

Div. 33 met with Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to discuss research priorities and especially promising areas for collaboration between the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Branch of the National Institute on Child Health and Development.

Other major activities discussed include expanded research on reading, learning disabilities, the transition to adulthood, aging and prevention and early intervention for "at risk" and "special needs" children.

In other Div. 32 activities, members are deciding how clinical and scientific expertise can show the tremendous impact of welfare reform on the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. For more information, contact Sharon Ramey, PhD, president of Div. 33, at sramey@civmail.circ.uab.edu. DIVISION AWARDS

Div. 1 (Society for General Psychology)

Div. 1 is accepting nominees for its 1999 awards program to honor outstanding achievements in general psychology. In addition to its prestigious William James Book Award, the society sponsors the Ernest R. Hilgard and the George A. Miller awards.

The William James Book Award winner receives $1,000 for a book published within the past five years that successfully integrates the diverse subfields of psychology. The Hilgard Award recognizes lifetime contributions to general psychology and the Miller Award recognizes an outstanding recent article in general psychology. Each award includes a plaque or certificate, and a $500 cash prize.

The emphasis of all these awards is on the quality of the contribution and the connections made between the diverse fields of psychological theory and research. The society is looking for people who in their work have integrated knowledge across psychology's subfields and included contributions from other disciplines.

To nominate a psychologist for the Hilgard Award, submit the candidate's name and vitae, a detailed statement indicating why the nominee is a worthy candidate and letters of recommendation from other colleagues.

Nominations for the Miller and James awards should include four copies of the article or book (post-1993 publication date and still available in print), a one-page statement of support and the author's curriculum vitae. Self-nominations are encouraged.

All nomination materials for each award must be received by May 1. Contact: General Psychology Awards, c/o C. Alan Boneau, Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, (703) 993-4118, fax: (301) 320-2845, e-mail: aboneau@gmu.edu.

Div. 9 (Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues­SPSSI)

Div. 9 welcomes nominations for the 1999 Louise Kidder Early Career Award, which recognizes investigators who made substantial contributions to social issues research within five years of receiving a graduate degree and who have demonstrated the potential to continue such contributions. Candidates do not have to be SPSSI members.

To nominate a colleague, send three copies of a curriculum vitae, three letters of support, and a cover letter describing the nominee's accomplishments to date and anticipated future contributions. Nominations must be postmarked by May 1. Contact: SPSSI Central Office, Attn: Kidder Award Committee, P.O. Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248.

Div. 39 (Psychoanalysis)

Div. 39 presents its 19th annual spring meeting, "Therapeutic action: the passion and challenge of psychoanalysis," to be held April 14­18 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Close to 1,500 participants are expected to attend the meeting for what Div. 39 president Spyros Orfanos, PhD, promises to be a landmark conference in clinical psychoanalysis. During the conference proceedings, Beatrice Beebe, PhD, will be awarded the division's Distinguished Scientific Award for her breakthrough research on infant-mother relationships. To learn more about the conference, contact Natalie Shear at (800) 833-1354 or visit the Div. 39 web site at www.divpsa.org.

Div. 39 will also be a co-sponsor of the Sigmund Freud: Conflict and Culture exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York, from April 18 to Sept. 2. For information, call (212) 423-3200. Special private tours will be arranged for conference participants before the opening of the Freud exhibit.

'Life Pieces to Masterpieces'

A few of the paintings created by Washington, D.C., youth. The artwork was displayed at APA headquarters during African-American History Month.

Colorful canvases of street scenes and home life painted by boys from a disadvantaged Washington, D.C., neighborhood have been gracing the walls of APA headquarters.

The paintings, which depict a range of scenes from children crying to neighbors supporting each other, are the fruits of a community program that teaches youth a key concept: Life is a palette of positive and negative experiences that each person must blend together to create beauty and value.

The program, known as Life Pieces to Masterpieces, grew out of a community arts initiative in the Lincoln Heights Housing Development, an area of Northeast Washington plagued by poverty, violence and drug abuse. In 1996, young D.C. artist Larry Quick led 40 boys age 6 to 15 in a neighborhood beautification program. To get the boys engaged in their neighborhoods and interested in the arts, Quick helped them create an aluminum mosaic called "Community" made out of cans they collected from the streets. The artwork symbolized "The New Lincoln Heights" and was lauded by the city.

Recognizing the need to continue the positive effect it had on the youth, Quick asked seven boys age 5 to 14 to help him form Life Pieces to Masterpieces, a nonprofit community organization. In 1997, the group was the only community youth art group to be asked to exhibit in Artswalk II, a citywide art exhibit featuring the work of professional local artists.

From Feb. 8­28, APA hosted an exhibition of the artwork at its headquarters as part of the association's celebration of African-American History Month. This summer and fall, the works will be on display at other D.C. venues and will tour Atlanta, New Orleans and Chicago.

For more information about Life Pieces to Masterpieces, log onto their web site at www.lifepieces.com.

HIV-infection rate among female prisoners soars

Inadequate health care is leading to a dramatic increase in HIV/AIDS rates among women prisoners.

From 1991 to 1995, the number of HIV-infected female state prisoners increased by 88 percent, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) National Prison Project. In comparison, the number of male state prisoners infected with HIV increased by 28 percent during that time.

As a member of the Policy Action Network for Women Living with HIV/AIDS, APA recently co-sponsored a congressional briefing at which speakers emphasized the need for prisons to provide comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment and education and prevention programs.

For many women in prison, they noted, incarceration is the first opportunity to address women's health needs while they are not abusing drugs and alcohol. And in fact, they said, drug-related offenses are to blame for the increase in HIV infection among female prisoners. Often drug-addicted women offenders will trade sex for money or drugs, putting them at increased risk for HIV infection because they can't negotiate safer sex practices with their clients and partners, says Anne DeGroot, MD, director of the HIV/TB Research Lab at the International Health Institute at Brown University in Providence, R.I.

Prisons provide an ideal environment for HIV treatment and prevention, said Jackie Walker, AIDS information coordinator for the ACLU National Prison Project. Yet, there are no national HIV education or prevention programs for female prisoners, DeGroot said.

As a result, many women who are repeat offenders often return to jail HIV-positive. For example, out of 50 women at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Framingham prison who weren't infected with HIV when they were released from jail, eight returned to prison HIV-positive, said DeGroot, who helped establish a clinic for HIV-positive women at the Framingham prison.

The high rate of HIV infection among repeat offenders at Framingham is typical of female prisoners around the country, she said.

Despite the high rate of infection, few prisons provide comprehensive and consistent health care for women infected with HIV. For example, DeGroot said, it is not uncommon for prisons to run out of medications to treat HIV for days or weeks at a time. At some prisons, she said, medication is seen as a privilege rather than a necessity. However, interruptions in a prisoner's drug therapy can cause the HIV to mutate and develop drug-resistant stains.

Prisons should offer comprehensive HIV-prevention efforts that include workshops to help women develop safer sex negotiation skills; support services that address drug use, sexual abuse, domestic violence and the resultant psychological trauma; and vocational training, DeGroot said.

Prisons should also provide HIV treatment that includes health-care providers, case managers and counselors with a specialty in HIV who can work with patients to improve adherence to complicated drug regimes, confidential and voluntary HIV testing, and consistent access to medicine, she said.

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