Candidates for APA President
As the largest psychological organization in the world, APA should take the lead in making psychology an influential presence. How would you go about realizing this goal?
I support this inspiring goal. As a health-care profession and an increasingly vital component of domestic and global public health, psychology's usefulness extends from health promotion to training local mental health workers to identifying best practices to help build a healthier, safer, more prepared and just world.
I envision three initial actions:
Educate global philanthropies that their investment in public health is strengthened with psychology.
Work with international relief and health organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and the WHO.
Explore collaborations with other nations researching and addressing the impact of significant climate change on health.
Our declining membership in the association (pronounced in some divisions) has been attributed to the aging of our members, declining birthrates, inability to attract members of color and so forth. What implications does this have for the association and how would you address its potential impact?
I am pleased APA leadership is undertaking strategic planning and making the association a welcoming place. Such commitments will produce strategies to address declining membership. Our 54 divisions meet professional, political and social needs; yet, several seem increasingly duplicative. Because a compelling mission and clear priorities draw people, we should consider consolidating.
Psychologists will join and share in the responsibilty to assure psychology's place as APA builds on its many contributions to:
Domestic and global public interest and positive public policies.
The science of health and well-being.
Biopsychosocial health care and public health practices.
Mutidisciplinary training and cross-training .
