APA and YMCA of the USA Partnership
The American Psychological Association (APA) and YMCA of the USA are partnering to provide families with resources for healthy living. The partnership specifically addresses the impact individual behaviors such as eating healthy and regular physical activity can have in reducing risk factors for chronic diseases.
The partnership was created because of the complementary aspects of APA’s Mind/Body Health Public Education Campaign and the YMCA’s Healthy Family Home initiative. It is intended to help parents and caregivers better understand how to provide emotional support for their families in ways that encourage lifestyle and behavior change and to help them understand how their home environment impacts these changes.
Together, APA and the YMCA are offering strategies and tools for addressing unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors that contribute to chronic conditions and help parents increase family motivation toward healthier choices. APA and YMCA have begun their efforts by creating cobranded workshop materials for psychologists engaged in the campaign to present at their local YMCAs. In addition to workshops for parents on healthy behaviors, the collaboration also includes activities during the annual YMCA Healthy Kids® Day and programs to help individuals and families succeed in their health and well-being goals.
With more than 2,600 YMCAs in America, serving more than 20 million people, APA can directly connect psychologists to the public.
The APA and the Y of the USA have produced a video, on their partnership programs, which includes interviews with local Y staff and psychologists who work with their local Ys. A transcript of the video is also available.
Psychologists interested in working with their local Y, should contact the public education coordinator or executive director at their state psychological association.
Y staff members can find out more information on the APA/Y partnership on YMCA Exchange (accessible to Y staff only). To find a local psychologist to work with your Y contact your local state psychological association.
