APA's Public Interest programming whets every appetite

APA's Public Interest Directorate will be sponsoring several symposia and special events at this year's Annual Convention, Aug. 24­28, in San Francisco. Psychologists and students from all backgrounds will find these sessions informative. Highlights include:

"Women and work: critical issues"

This session will focus on critical issues for women in the workplace and recent and ongoing topics of concern. Speakers include Naomi G. Swanson, PhD, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Nancy Lynn Baker, PhD, and Meg A. Bond, PhD, Committee on Women in Psychology members, will co-chair the discussion.

"Disability issues in psychotherapy"

Presenters include David Baquis, director of the Self Help for the Hard of Hearing National Center on Assistive Technology, who will speak on hearing loss and communication access in psychotherapy settings, and current Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology members Alette Coble, PsyD, speaking about the challenge of making psychology practice physically and attitudinally accessible, and Linda R. Mona, PhD, who will present "Applying the social model of disability in therapy: alternative ways of setting up practice, conceptualizing diagnoses and implementing treatment."

"What's at stake in high-stakes educational testing?"

Five speakers from different fields of psychology will address the multiple issues involved in high-stakes testing, such as bias, language issues, ethics and differences in testing for low-income and ethnic-minority students. The symposium will provide:

• Insight on a variety of questions psychologists face when they address high-stakes testing in schools.

• An overview on different issues in school testing.

• An opportunity for the audience to become involved in solving the problem of how psychologists can be active participants in the policy and school-testing process.

"Urban psychology"

In recognition of the growing number of psychologists working with urban populations or working on issues that are salient to urban communities, the Committee on Urban Initiatives will use its annual network meeting to sponsor a discussion of the question, "Is there an urban psychology?"

Participants will consider the many ways in which psychology can contribute to efforts to improve life for people in urban communities and suggest ways to organize these contributions into a coherent concept of urban psychology. Any psychologists working on issues relevant to urban populations or working with urban communities--and especially those who already consider themselves urban psychologists--are strongly urged to attend this meeting, which is open to all who are interested.

"ACT Against Violence: an early violence prevention project"

This symposium will address the status of the "ACT (Adults and Children Together) Against Violence" project developed by APA in collaboration with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Ad Council. Speakers will report on the progress of the national media campaign and the community training programs, as well as outline plans for the future of the project. Chaired by Jacquelyn Gentry, PhD, who directs APA's Public Interest Initiatives, the session's speakers include Henry Tomes, PhD, APA executive director for public interest; Rhea K. Farberman, executive director for public and member communications; Julia Silva, PhD, of APA's Public Interest Initiatives Office; Caroline Carney of Monterey Peninsula College; and an NAEYC representative.

"Violence prevention in the early years"

This seven-hour session will introduce psychologists to the ACT Against Violence project and provide an overview of major topics in early childhood violence prevention. The workshop offers continuing-education credit. There is a fee and enrollment is limited.

"Effects of ethnic and racial prejudice on children and youth"

Stephen M. Quintana, PhD, who chairs APA's Committee on Children, Youth and Families, and Deborah J. Johnson, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin, will speak on "How racism and prejudice influence children" and "Racism and children's mental and physical health: state of the research." Other presenters include Lynn Okagaki, PhD, of Purdue University, on "Perceptions of prejudice and children's school achievement" and Jewelle Taylor Gibbs, PhD, of the University of California at Berkeley on "The criminalization of minority youth in the juvenile justice system."

"Getting appointed to APA governance"

This program will discuss the importance of diversity in governance, strategies for getting elected and strategies for success. Featured speakers include L. Michael Honaker, PhD, APA chief operating officer; Paul Donnelly, director of APA board and committee operations; and Melba J.T. Vasquez, PhD. Nancy Lynn Baker, PhD, will chair the session.

Other opportunities

APA's Public Interest Directorate is also sponsoring a symposium on the psychological and medical issues associated with new HIV/AIDS treatment guidelines that say it is acceptable to interrupt treatment for periods of time; a symposium and discussion session on working with transgender individuals; a session showcasing the outcomes of the 1999 Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention and Training grants; and a symposium on end-of-life care with Div. 9.