New aging office brochure stresses psychologists' role in aging issues

APA's Office on Aging has published "Psychology and Aging: Psychologists Make a Significant Contribution," an eight-page brochure that describes the impact of psychological research and practice on promoting the health and well-being of older adults and their families. The brochure is funded by a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation--a nonprofit organization that supports service programs and educational initiatives for older Americans.

"Psychology and Aging" highlights research showing that 63 percent of older adults with a mental disorder currently do not receive necessary services. The brochure also addresses:

* The close relationship between physical and mental health care in older adults.

* Policy recommendations to improve mental health care.

* Ways psychologists can address needs of older adults through research, assessment and treatment.

* How specific mental health concerns such as substance abuse, suicide and anxiety disorders uniquely affect older adults.

APA's Public Policy Office, Committee on Aging and Office on Aging will share the brochure with policy-makers and leaders in the medical, health, aging and research communities who are involved with aging issues to ensure that geropsychology is included in national efforts to address the needs of the older adult population.

To receive a single copy of "Psychology and Aging," contact Wanda Franklin, Office on Aging, at the APA address; (202) 336-6046; e-mail: wfranklin@apa.org.

The brochure will also be available on the office's Web page, www.apa.org/pi/aging.

CONA invites applications for new two members

APA's Committee on Aging (CONA) is seeking nominations for two new members with substantive professional expertise in aging issues to serve three-year terms beginning in January 2005.

CONA promotes health and human welfare by ensuring that APA promotes the needs of older adults, especially women and minorities. The new members will support CONA's mission to:

* Advocate for a scientific agenda on aging and for policies that enhance the availability of mental health services to older adults.

* Serve as a focus for the coordination of information among APA groups that address aging issues, and offer consultation to relevant APA boards, committees, divisions, state associations and directorates.

* Support public policies that promote the development of older adults, facilitate clinical practice with older adults and expand research on aging.

* Promote inclusion of knowledge about adult development and aging in all levels of education.

* Promote the application of psychological knowledge to the well-being of older people, with attention to the influences of gender, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation and family.

* Develop and disseminate information on scientific findings and practice issues about older adults to psychologists, other health professionals, policy-makers and the public.

* Ensure that older APA members receive appropriate attention from the association.

CONA members are required to attend two committee meetings each year in Washington, D.C.--with expenses reimbursed by APA--and are encouraged to attend CONA's meeting held during APA's Annual Convention at their own expense. Members also participate in bimonthly conference calls, work on committee priorities between meetings, provide consultation to APA's Office on Aging staff and participate in advocacy activities.

Nominations are due Sept. 1. They should include a current curriculum vitae and a letter from the nominee that indicates willingness to serve on CONA and highlights specific skills and interests the nominee could contribute to CONA's work. Letters of support from other APA governance groups, APA divisions, state psychological associations and other organizations are welcome. Nomination is open to all APA members, including those who are retired or employed part time, and prior applicants are encouraged to reapply. Send nomination materials to Deborah DiGilio, Aging Issues Officer, APA's Office on Aging, at the APA address; e-mail: ddigilio@apa.org.

Attend CE antiviolence workshop in Honolulu

APA's Office of Continuing Education (CE) will host a workshop at APA's 2004 Annual Convention in Honolulu, July 28-Aug. 1, to familiarize APA members with the Adults and Children Together (ACT) Violence Training program.

The ACT program, developed by APA and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, is a national antiviolence initiative that emphasizes the importance of preventing violence in early childhood and the role of adults in protecting children from violence. The workshop, "Violence prevention in the early years," will prepare members to share information on the ACT project's goals, research and content with adults in their communities. It will cover key topics in this area, including:

* ACT as a social, cognitive intervention.

* The roots and consequences of young children and violence.

* Prevention skills such as anger management.

* Ways to be involved with ACT in the community.

ACT encourages those interested in early childhood, family services and violence prevention to attend the seven-credit workshop, to be led by Jacquelyn Gentry, PhD, Caroline Carney, PhD, and Julia Silva.

The session will be held Saturday, July 31, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Registration is $175 for APA members. Space is limited to 25 participants. To register, visit the CE Web site at www.apa.org/ce or contact the Office of Continuing Education, Education Directorate, at the APA address; (202) 336-5991 or (800) 374-2721, ext. 5991.

Apply for APA's disability issues committee

APA's Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology (CDIP) is seeking nominations for two new members to serve three-year terms beginning in January 2005.

CDIP influences, develops, recommends and advocates for issues, policies and activities related to the fair and equitable treatment of psychologists and others with disabilities. Its mission is to promote the:

* Psychological well-being of people with disabilities.

* Inclusion of knowledge about disabilities and disability issues in education, training programs, policies and professional development of psychologists.

* Development and implementation of psychological service-delivery models that are responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.

* Awareness of disability in psychological research as well as specific research activity in disability areas.

The committee seeks nominees with interest or expertise in the following areas (please elaborate in your statement of interest): best practices for education, training, research and practice for psychologists working with persons with disabilities; aging and disability; and barriers to training encountered by students with disabilities.

The committee also seeks psychologists who have knowledge of APA governance. Priority is given to applicants who have a disability--visible, invisible or due to a chronic health condition or injury--or personal experience with disability. The committee also welcomes applications from individuals who are members of multiple minority groups. Nominations are open to APA members who are retired or work part time.

CDIP members must attend two committee meetings held each year in Washington, D.C., with expenses reimbursed by APA. Members also work on projects between meetings and are encouraged to attend APA's Annual Convention at their own expense.

For more information, visit www.apa.org/pi/cdip/committeenominat.html. Nomination materials are due Aug. 31. They should include a current curriculum vitae and a statement of the nominee's interest in and qualifications for serving on the committee. Send materials to Anju Khubchandani, Public Interest Directorate, at the APA address; e-mail: akhubchandani@apa.org.

New grant will boost mentoring initiative for gifted students

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, a private organization that awards some of America's largest scholarships to high-achieving students with financial need, has awarded a $123,000 grant to APA's Center for Gifted Education Policy (CGEP) to develop a mentoring program tailored for the foundation's Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars.

Called the Apex Program, the mentoring project is based on a previous CGEP mentoring model prototype, the Pinnacle Project.

The Apex Program will be an extracurricular program for the scholars, who are selected from across the country in the eighth grade for their academic promise. The foundation advises its scholars through high school and provides financial support for their schooling, lessons and other educational services.

Apex will give 21 Young Scholars--who will be selected by the foundation and have already received two or three years of services from the foundation--the chance to work closely with distinguished experts and award-winners in their selected fields, such as music, writing, journalism, languages, the arts or natural or social sciences, on projects intended to help the students develop professionally. Planning will begin in June, and scholars will be paired with mentors in the summer of 2005.

For more information on the Apex Program, contact Rena Subotnik, PhD, Center for Psychology in Schools and Education, at the APA address; (202) 336-5923; e-mail: rsubotnik@apa.org.

Join CPEC and work on education issues

APA's Continuing Professional Education Committee (CPEC) invites nominations for five new members to begin three-year terms on its committee beginning in January 2005.

CPEC develops policy and program recommendations for APA's continuing-education (CE) program, collaborating with the Office of Continuing Education in Psychology and the CE Sponsor Approval System. The committee:

* Develops and delivers continuing-education programs and products.

* Provides educational and technical assistance to APA directorates, divisions, state associations and other sponsors.

* Collaborates with organizations seeking to become APA-approved sponsors.

* Identifies, promotes, implements and evaluates research, development and innovations within continuing education.

Members must attend three committee meetings each year in Washington, D.C., with APA reimbursing all expenses. Members also work on CPEC projects between meetings. The committee is dedicated to maintaining a diverse group of psychologists. It encourages nominations from psychologists in academic settings and counseling centers, as well as those committed to lifelong learning with knowledge of, or background in, psychopharmacology, legal and ethical issues, substance abuse, addictions, humanistic psychology, private practice or industrial and organizational psychology. For more information, visit www.apa.org/ce/about.html.

The submission deadline is Sept. 3. Nominations should include the nominee's curriculum vitae and a letter stating the individual's interest in serving on CPEC. Submit materials to Karen Kanefield, CE Sponsor Approval System, at the APA address; e-mail: kkanefield@apa.org.

Apply for an APAGS scholarship or award

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) is accepting applications for its 2004 scholarships and awards, which are available to APAGS members who are enrolled at least part time as a student in good standing at a regionally accredited university.

Many of the awards offer monetary prizes; for example, the Nancy B. Forest and L. Michael Honaker Master's Scholarship for Research in Psychology awards $1,000 toward master's thesis research. For complete details and deadlines on this and other scholarships and awards, visit www.apa.org/apags/members/schawrdsintro.html or see the April issue of gradPSYCH. The application and nomination deadline is June 14, except when noted otherwise.

Be an APAGS ambassador at convention

Students who want to maximize their networking opportunities while attending APA's 2004 Annual Convention in Honolulu can sign up to be an ambassador for APAGS. Ambassadors provide information on convention events, distribute APAGS promotional items and monitor APAGS programs by taking head counts and collecting participant evaluations. For more details and to sign up, visit www.apa.org/apags or see the June issue of gradPSYCH.

Spread the word about membership benefits

Share information about APA's products, services and membership benefits with psychology students and faculty at your university or college through APA's Department Volunteer Network. APA provides volunteers with association news, catalogs, program fact sheets and applications to distribute on their campuses. To learn more or to sign up, contact Membership Development at the APA address; (800) 374-2721, ext. 5584; e-mail: dvn@apa.org.

New doctorates: upgrade tofull member status for free

Dues-paid APA student affiliates who will receive their doctoral degree this academic year can upgrade their APA status from student affiliate to full member at no additional cost. The offer ends Sept. 3. Qualified student affiliates can change their status by submitting upgrade applications, which were mailed to members in April. If you are eligible to become a full APA member and have not received an application form, you can download one at www.apa.org/membership/upgrade.html, e-mail membership@apa.org or call (800) 374-2721.

--M. GREER