ASSOCIATION NEWS

APA?s old computer equipment brings joy and learning to area schools and charities

Thanks to APA, children at J.C. Parks Elementary School in Indianhead, Md., can take a computer home to use its educational software. And the staff at a community mental health agency in Washington, D.C., no longer hand-write clinical assessments, case studies and discharge summaries.

APA has donated more than 300 older computers over the past three years as the association has updated its own equipment. So far, the donations have gone to more than 30 schools, churches and nonprofit organizations, including the Maryland chapter of the Red Cross, the Make a Wish Foundation and the North American Indian Women?s Association.

Jerry McGlaughlin, director of APA?s Management Information Systems, came up with the idea to donate APA?s old equipment when he heard his children?s elementary school, Shady Side Elementary in Shady Side, Md., was looking for computers for its library. APA donated five computers to the school, three of which are being used in classrooms and two in the library as computerized catalog stations.

McLaughlin and APA staff have spread the word about APA?s donation program to the local schools, churches and charities. Requests for computer equipment started flooding in, and the donation program has flourished.

The program is a ?win win? since the obsolete equipment has no significant resale value but has great value to those who have no other way to obtain computers. It?s a community service with significant dividends all around.

APA makes donations in the order requests are received and as the equipment becomes available. To boost the donation recipients? computer skills, APA also provides copies of the training manuals on Windows and WordPerfect that its MIS department develops for APA staff.

APA has received a letter of gratitude from each group or organization that has received a donation, and the letters often include interesting anecdotes about how the equipment is being used and appreciated. The Julia W. Wagner Animal Shelter in Front Royal, Va., wrote that 'receiving such wonderful gifts created so much excitement at our little shelter, it about brought the roof down.'

And sometimes donation recipients send more than a letter. McLaughlin displays a homemade card and a jade plant in a hand-painted flower pot from the children at the One-by-One Foundation, Inc., a Washington children?s charity that received donated equipment. McLaughlin says it is one of his most prized possessions.

Continuing Education committee seeks two new members

APA?s Continuing Education (CE) Committee invites nominations for two members to serve three-year terms from January 1999 to December 2001. The seven-member committee develops policy and program-related continuing-education curriculum for psychologists.

The CE committee encourages members from the practice community to complement the representation of its membership. To promote gender and ethnic diversity, psychologists from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Self-nominations are welcomed. The deadline for applications is Sept. 15.

Please submit a letter of interest describing the nominee?s CE background and qualifications, and a curriculum vitae, to Lisa DiBari in the Continuing Education Programs Office at the APA address. For more information, send e-mail, or call (202) 336-5691.

Ethics Code Task Force seeks critical incidents and comments on Ethics Code

The Ethics Code Task Force (ECTF) is moving forward with processes that will culminate in a revision of the 1992 APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychologist, Vol. 47, No. 12, [December 1992], p. 1597?1611; also http://www.apa.org/ethics). For details of revision processes prior to the appointment of the ECTF, refer to American Psychologist for annual reports from the Ethics Committee. (The most recent: Report of the Ethics Committee, 1996. American Psychologist, Vol. 52, No.8, [August 1997] p. 897?905).

The ECTF requests input from the membership regarding this important revision. Previously accepted comments, collected in an ongoing fashion following the publication of the 1992 Ethics Code, will be included with any new comments received as a result of this call. The ECTF seeks (1) feedback on the adequacy of its existing Ethics Code, as well as (2) recommendations for additional principles and standards to address areas currently not covered.

Possible areas for revised or new standards include (but are not limited to) the following: telehealth, electronic databases and other new technologies; managed care and other organized systems of care; media psychology; practice in institutional settings (e.g., schools, military, law enforcement); empirically supported treatments; practice with families and groups; supervision; multiple relationships and abuses of power (sexual or nonsexual) with current or former clients and students; forensic activities; and research, teaching and practice with diverse populations.

For each comment you submit, describe a brief situation of which you have direct knowledge that provides a context for discussing how the components of the Preamble, the six General Principles, and/or one or more of the 109 Standards:

a) enhance or impair the ability of psychologists to conduct their work in an ethical manner,

b) protect (or do not protect) the public,

c) reflect (or do not reflect) the scope of psychologists? work-related activities,

d) are (or are not) clearly understood, and

e) are (or are not) enforceable.

If applicable, suggest wording for specific revised or new principles or standards that would address your ethical concerns.

Examples or descriptions that include personally identifying information about others will not be used.

Return responses to Ethics Code Revision August Call, APA Ethics Office, 750 First St., N.E., Washington DC 20002-4242 no later than Aug. 31, 1998. Please, provide your name, address, type of employment setting, gender and ethnicity.

If you are interested in meeting ECTF members to discuss plans and processes for the revision of the Ethics Code, please join us for a 50-minute discussion with comments from the audience at APA?s 106th Annual Convention in San Francisco. The ECTF?s presentation, entitled 'The Process for Revision of the Ethics Code,' will be held Sunday Aug. 16 at 1 p.m., in Room 224 of the Moscone Center, South Building.

Contact information for international psychologists available for free

The APA International Affairs Office offers three revised, complimentary directories to help members contact their colleagues all over the world. They are:

? A directory of addresses for APA?s International Affiliates. Unlike the first edition, this directory includes e-mail, fax and telephone information for many of the affiliates.

? A directory of contact information for national psychological associations worldwide, including web site information, where applicable.

? A directory of addresses for more than 60 international psychological associations and related organizations.

To receive one or all of these directories, contact the APA International Affairs Office at the main APA address. You may also e-mail a request or send a fax to (202) 336-5502.

Board of Professional Affairs seeks nominees for its committee

APA?s Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) invites nominations for two vacancies on its Committee on Professional Practice and Standards (COPPS) for three-year terms beginning January 1999.

BPA created COPPS to develop and recommend standards and guidelines for providers of psychological services, and to monitor, evaluate and develop information regarding the professional aspects of psychological services.

COPPS will review nomination materials and forward its recommendations to BPA, which will select new members this fall. Applicants with experience in forensic psychology and a legal background are encouraged to apply. The committee also welcomes psychologists familiar with APA governance. BPA and COPPS seek candidates who will enhance the committee?s diversity. COPPS members cannot serve simultaneously on other APA standing or continuing boards or committees or serve consecutive terms on a committee unless an exception is voted by two-thirds of BPA.

The deadline for nominations is Aug. 31. Send nominations with a 75-word description of qualifications and a curriculum vitae to Christopher McLaughlin, Practice Directorate, at the APA address.

APA?s council funds continuation of APA?s National Conversation on Racism

The APA Council of Representatives has allocated $8,000 of its Fiscal Year ?98 Contingency Fund to develop resource materials for APA?s National Conversation on Psychology and Racism. These funds will help pay for a pamphlet on psychology and racism, an annotated bibliography on psychology and racism for national conversation events, and a report detailing an evaluation of last year?s National Conversations. The ongoing National Conversations are forums organized by individual psychologists that occur in a variety of settings such as professional meetings, staff development workshops, community meetings, public hearings, special journal sections, etc. Conversation events reflect the project?s three major themes?such as psychology of racism, racism in psychology, psychology of antiracism?but are independently planned by their sponsors to ensure the events are responsive to local issues. APA provides sponsors resource materials and assistance with publicity and media coverage.

APA?s Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs (OEMA) coordinates the events of the National Conversation on Psychology and Racism. The Conversations are viewed as a forum demonstrating the contributions of psychology in building and disseminating knowledge about the dynamics and costs of racism and antiracism, their effects upon science and society, and mechanisms for their perpetuation.

Additional information is available on APA?s Web Site (www.apa.org/pi/conv.html). Those interested in organizing a National Conversation event should contact Bertha Holliday, PhD, at OEMA by phone (202) 336-6029.

Free journals for international psychologists available through APA

APA?s International Affairs Office, in collaboration with APA?s Office of Publications and Communications, provides up to 30 free three-year subscriptions to international institutions that meet certain qualifications. Donations are limited to five subscriptions per institution. All APA journals are available for donation, except Psychological Abstracts. To receive a copy of the qualifications, contact the APA International Affairs Office at (202) 336-6025.

APA Committee on International Relations announces meetings support fund

The APA Board of Directors has authorized a special fund to support international congresses and other scientific meetings. APA?s Committee on International Relations in Psychology (CIRP) will oversee the fund?s administration. Guidelines and criteria for this program will be available shortly. For more information, congress organizers should contact the APA International Affairs Office at the main APA address. You may also e-mail a request, or send a fax to (202) 336-5502.

Commission receives comments on petition for specialty recognition

As announced in the May and June issues, APA?s Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology (CRSPPP) has received a petition from APA Div. 17 (Counseling Psychology) for continued recognition by APA of a specialty in 'Counseling Psychology.' Comments on the petition have been received by CRSPPP, copies of which are available upon request. Written replies to comments may be submitted to CRSPPP until Oct. 1.

For more information, contact Martha Braswell, project assistant, Education Directorate, at the APA address, (202) 336-6140.

Doctoral students receive minority fellowships in neuroscience for 1998?99

The Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) in Neuroscience has selected 13 doctoral students to receive predoctoral fellowships for the 1998?99 academic year, and two others to receive postdoctoral fellowships.

The goal of the MFP in Neuroscience is to decrease under- representation in the neurosciences. With support from APA, the Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs, and funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, MFP in Neuroscience provides financial support and professional guidance to individuals pursuing doctoral degrees and to those pursuing postdoctoral studies in neuroscience.

The 13 new MFP in Neuroscience Fellows are:

? Carlos Bolaños-Guzmán, who received his MA in psychology from California State University?San Bernardino and will begin his third year of doctoral studies at Northeastern University. Bolaños Guzmán has co-authored several articles, including 'Paradoxical effects of kappa-opioid stimulation on the locomotor activity and Fos immunoreactivity of the preweanling rat: role of dopamine receptors,' which appeared in Behavioral Neuroscience, (Vol. 111, p. 1114?1122).

? Candice Brown, who received her BS from the College of William and Mary and will begin graduate studies there this fall. Her research interests are in molecular neuropharmacology, specifically the role(s) of neurotransmitters and neurotransmitter receptors throughout nervous system development using mammalian and nonmammalian model systems. Brown and Roberto Refinetti, PhD, wrote 'Daily rhythms of metabolic heat production, body temperature and locomotor activity in golden hamsters' published in the Journal of Thermal Biology, (Vol. 21, p. 227?230).

? Winnifred Bryant, who received her MS in zoology from Miami University and will continue her doctoral training at Miami. Her MS project involved determining the effects of physiological concentrations of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone on prolactin secretion.

? Jameel Dennis, who received his BA from the University of Virginia and will begin his second year of doctoral studies there this fall. He works with Kevin Tracey, PhD, on the biomolecular pathway by which a novel drug inhibits cytokine production. Dennis co-authored an article titled 'The critical role of p38 MAP Kinase in T Cell HIV-1 replication' published in Molecular Medicine, (Vol. 5, No. 3, p. 339?346).

? Kendra Gilds, who received her BS from Carnegie Mellon University and will begin her third year of graduate studies at the University of Utah. She is working with Shaun Vecera, PhD, on the relationship between spatial attention and preattentive perceptual grouping. Gilds and Vecera wrote an article titled 'What is it like to be a patient with apperceptive agnosia?' published in Consciousness and Cognition, (Vol. 6, p. 237?266).

? Karen Gilliams, who received her BA from Central Connecticut State University and will complete her third year of graduate studies at Wesleyan University. Under the supervision of Janice Naegele, PhD, Gilliams is working on her dissertation project?a study of the cellular and molecular basis for developmental cell death in the brain, in particular the cerebral cortex.

? Caterina Maria Hernandez, who received her BA from Kalamazoo College and will begin her graduate studies at the University of Georgia. Under the guidance of Alvin Terry, PhD, her work will focus on the methods used to determine the factors that cause the deterioration of memory and possible avenues of treatment.

? Carlos Jose Herrera, who received his BS from the University of California, San Diego and will begin his third year of doctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology. Herrera is working in the lab of Erin Schuman, PhD, on a project examining how two inputs to a brain structure, the hippocampus, interact and modulate one another.

? Belinda Morin, who received her MA from George Mason University (GMU) and expects to earn her PhD in 1999 at GMU. She is working in Robert Smith?s, PhD, lab on a NIDA grant assessing the effects of periadolescent cocaine exposure. Morin?s dissertation will attempt to investigate the relationship between cocaine administration and the animal model of depression.

? Silke Morin, who received her BA from Wellesley College and will begin her graduate studies at the University of Texas?Austin. Morin has submitted a proposal to Timothy Schallert, PhD, to produce a Parkinsonian analogue in a rat model and treat Parkinson?s disease with a biological therapy as well as a behavioral therapy, and then determine the extent of neuronal and functional restoration.

? Nivia Pérez Acevedo, who received her MS from the University of Puerto Rico?Rio Piedras and will be a second- year doctoral student at the University of Puerto Rico. Under the supervision of Jose del Castillo, PhD, Acevedo wrote her thesis on the 'Self-adjusting properties of the echinoid ligament of Eucidaris tribuloides.'

? Osceola Whitney, who received his MA from Florida A&M University and will begin graduate studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee this fall. Whitney?s research interests are to examine mechanisms of neural cell death, neuronal regulation of critical period of learning, and the localization and function of physiological and behavioral characteristics that follow a circadian pattern.

? Ricardo Zayas, who received his BS from Fairfield University and will begin his second year of graduate studies at Tufts University. Zayas has worked with Mary F. Walsh, PhD, and was part of a group effort that produced the article titled 'Insulin like growth factor 1 increases vascular smooth muscle nitric oxide production' published in Life Sciences (Vol. 61, p. 925?931.)

The MFP in Neuroscience postdoctoral fellows are:

? Eduardo Rosa-Molinar, PhD, who received his degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and will begin his second year of postdoctoral training with Bernd Fritzsch, PhD, at the Creighton University School of Medicine. He co-authored with Fritzch and S.E. Hendricks, PhD, 'The organizational-activational concept revisited: sexual differentiation in an atherinomorph teleost' published in Hormones and Behavior (In press). Rosa-Molinar?s ultimate goal is to be a faculty member in an academic institution, teaching and conducting original independent research in comparative and evolutionary behavioral and systems neuroscience of vertebrates, specifically fishes.

? James E. Simple Jr., PhD, received his degree from Purdue University and will begin his second year of postdoctoral training with Stephen Meriney, PhD, at the University of Pittsburgh. He co-authored with C. Pafford and J.A. Strong 'Effects of the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor phenylarsine oxide on excision-activated calcium channels in Lymnaea neurons' for Cell Calcium (Vol. 18, p. 400?410). Simple hopes to obtain a faculty position and secure an NIH grant to support his study of the electrophysiology of neurons and regulation of neuronal excitability by second messenger systems.

The MFP in Neuroscience will begin accepting applications on Sept. 1 through Jan. 15, for funding during the 1999?2000 academic year. Applications can be requested by calling (202) 336-6027 or by faxing a request to (202) 336-6012. For more information on the MFP in Neuroscience, visit its web site at http://www.apa.org/mfp/neurop.html.

Comments invited on report recommending qualifications for geropsychology practice

Div. 20 (Adult Development and Aging) and Section II (Clinical Geropsychology) of Div. 12 (Clinical) are circulating the draft report of their jointly sponsored Interdivisional Task Force on Qualifications for Practice in Clinical and Applied Geropsychology. The report, revised in response to comments received when previously circulated, presents the task force?s consensus formulations and recommendations about the training and experience appropriate for psychologists who engage in professional work with older adults. A period of public notice and an opportunity for members to comment on the report is required before the APA Council of Representatives reviews the report as a policy or guidelines statement. The period of public notice begins Aug. 1. The report is available from the task force or can be accessed on the Div. 20 World Wide Web site (http://www.iog.wayne.edu/apadiv20/apadiv20.htm). The task force is accepting written comments until Nov. 30.

For more information or to request a copy of the report, contact George Niederehe, PhD, Adult & Geriatric Interventions Branch, NIMH, Room 10-75, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-9123; fax: (301) 594-6784.

New guidelines for diagnosing cognitive changes in the elderly are available

Members can now receive a free copy of the Guidelines for the Evaluation of Dementia and Age-Related Cognitive Decline. The council-approved guidelines focus on ways psychologists can assess changes in memory and cognitive functioning and recognize normal changes from early signs of pathology.

The guidelines are designed to help practitioners review a number of factors before assigning dementia and age-related cognitive decline to clients. The Presidential Task Force of past president Norm Abeles, PhD, created these guidelines to ease the nervous anxiety about Alzheimer?s.

Interested members may request a copy of these guidelines by calling the Practice Directorate at (202) 336-5865.

American Psychological Foundation selects 1998 Alexander Gralnick awardee

Martin Gittelman, PhD, a lifelong champion of developing low-cost interventions for schizophrenia, is the recipient of the 1998 Alexander Gralnick, MD, Award. The award, sponsored by the American Psychological Foundation (APF), recognizes an individual or team of psychologists whose work focuses on the psychosocial aspects of schizophrenia.

Gittelman receives a $2,500 cash award and will be honored for his achievements at the 1998 APA/APF Awards Ceremony at the APA convention, Saturday, Aug. 15, 5 p.m., in the Marriott Hotel, Yerba Buena Salon 7.

In 1966, Gittelman earned his doctorate in clinical psychology at Columbia University, Teachers College. Early in his career, Gittelman recognized that scientific study was not the only method of shaping public policy and mental health practice. In the last three decades, he supported the development and promotion of the use of simple diagnostic tools and low-cost, culturally and class-appropriate interventions for mental disorders. He served as a consultant and adviser to the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation, to countries such as China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Through the Advanced Training Institutes for senior mental health professionals, Gittelman helped to initiate demonstration projects that have served as models for other areas.

Gittelman is working with colleagues in China to devise a plan that provides basic mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation services for a population of 1.2 million people at risk and disabled with severe mental illness. The project is designed to permit people with mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, to live and work in their own communities.

Gittelman helped to establish a number of organizations that are working to improve mental health services, including the International Neuropsych-ological Society, the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy and the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation.