BAPPI Structure and Function

BAPPI assures that psychology serves the public interest and advances social justice, health and wellbeing for all people. BAPPI accomplishes this goal through interactions with its reporting committees, other APA boards, committees, and divisions and through collaboration with like-minded external professional and interest groups.

• Promotion of understanding of public health and the different diversities

• Promotion of mental health services in correctional systems

• Recommend public interest policy for APA to the Board of Directors and Council of Representatives.

• Recommend to the Board of Directors and Council of Representatives changes to its programs and operational priorities which would allow APA to take a leadership role for the nation in the public interest and social justice arena.

• Serve consultative and advisory role with respect to ongoing planning and operations of the Public Interest Directorate, in consultation with its Executive Director.

• Ensure APA continues its commitment to diversity within all aspects of psychology (science, education, practice and governance).

• BAPPI is comprised of 9 APA members and one public member, appointed by BAPPI

• BAPPI Members serve for staggered three-year terms

• The composition of the BAPPI always contains one African American Psychologist; one Asian American Psychologist; one openly Lesbian or Gay Psychologist; one psychologist with a physical disability; and one female psychologist.

• The Public Member is appointed to provide BAPPI with the benefit of expertise in a variety of areas that may not exist within the BAPPI membership in that given year.

• View BAPPI roster

• BAPPI is organized into an Executive Committee and ad hoc working groups.

• The Executive Committee is comprised of the BAPPI Chair, the BAPPI Chair-elect and one other BAPPI members appointed by the board.

• BAPPI Executive Committee is authorized to review and approve matters on behalf of BAPPI (i.e., appointments, nominations, and agenda) between regularly scheduled meetings.

BAPPI is charged with oversight responsibilities for the following committees:

• Ad Hoc Committee on AIDS in Psychology

• Committee on Aging

• Committee on Children, Youth, and Families

• Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology

• Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs

• Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns

• Committee on Socioeconomic Status

• Committee on Women and Psychology

• Committee on Psychology in the Public Interest Awards