CECP 2012 Annual Report

The Committee on Early Career Psychologists (CECP) represents the unique interests and concerns of early career psychologists. The mission of CECP is to enhance the sense of community and a shared identity among early career members through advocacy, engagement, and the provision of resources.

The committee consists of seven members of the association all within seven years of receipt of the doctorate degree (at the start of their term) representing Education, Practice, Public Interest, Science, Division, State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations (SPTAs), and Membership and Governance Outreach. Committee members are appointed by the board of directors for staggered terms of three years.

• Allison Ponce, PhD, Chair (Public Interest Representative)

• Katharine Hahn Oh, PhD (APA Divisions Representative)

• Ayse Ciftci, PhD (Education and Training Representative)

• Michelle Braun, PhD, ABPP (Practice Representative)

• Kyle Gobrogge, PhD (Science Representative)

• Sarah Morsbach Honaker, PhD (SPTA Representative)

• Shawn McClintock, PhD (Membership and Governance Outreach Representative)

The staff liaison for the committee is Dee Valencia.

The 2012 Board of Director’s liaison to CECP is Elena Eisman, PhD.

2012 was a very busy and productive year for CECP. With the assistance and support of Dee Valencia, Tabitha Brown, Sonja Wiggins and Rhea Farberman, we were able to accomplish a number of tasks. Below is a summary of the key accomplishments:

1. CECP held its meetings in the spring and fall of 2012, and various committee members attended the second round of APA Consolidated Meetings in the fall to meet with boards and other bodies to facilitate early career collaborations.
2. The committee welcomed a new representative who will focus on membership and governance outreach. CECP clearly defined the roles and functions of the position and established short- and long-term goals. 2012 activity highlights included a Saturday morning coffee hour at the Early Career Booth during convention where committee members greeted early career attendees; various articles submitted to APA Access (member e-newsletter) focused on early-career concerns; updates and changes submitted for the early career website; and collaborations begun with Division 40 on early-career programming for next year’s convention.
3. As the lead group for New Business Item #31C the committee requested and received responses from the referral groups. CECP prepared and submitted the item for BoD approval. The item focuses on highlighting early career candidates and those new to APA governance on the nomination ballots.
4. CECP representatives attended the APA Spring Consolidated Meeting, both rounds of the Fall Consolidated Meetings, and various APA and other meetings as follows:
   • Division Leadership Conference,
   • Council of Counseling Psychology Training Program Mid-Winter Meeting
   • State Leadership Conference
   • Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice, CAPP (March meeting)
   • Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (April meeting)
   • Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), mid-year meeting.
5. Distributed call for nomination and selected two new committee members for 2013-20 (Public Interest and Practice)
6. Advocated successfully for an early-career award as well as an early career seat on the board of Division 52.
7. Held a meeting, focused on successes and challenges in leadership, for early career leaders in APA, SPTAs and divisions at the APA convention
8. CECP sponsored several sessions at the annual APA convention focused on topics of interest to early career attendees (e.g. navigating tenure, life work balance, building a research career, on the cutting edge of research and practice, financial nuts and bolts of starting a practice, financial planning and loan repayment, academic health settings, etc.)
9. Developed website content focused on tips for early career members interested in getting involved in APA governance.
10. Conducted a survey of APA divisions and SPTA focused on activities and leadership roles for early career members.
11. Recommended early career member for position on the newly formed Central Programming Group for the APA annual convention.
12. Met with BoD at the APA Fall Consolidated Meetings to discuss strategies for increasing early career members in leadership roles.
13. Submitted nomination for the CWP Leadership Award
14. Organized and facilitated the orientation and wrap-up sessions at the State Leadership Conference.
15. Presented early career data and information at the State Leadership Conference focused on the different definitions of early career within divisions and SPTAs and various activities and events of interest to early career members.
16. Planned early career programming for next year’s convention.
17. CECP’s SPTA rep served on Division 31’s early career taskforce and wrote a blog for the division’s website.
18. The committee awarded the CECP Appreciation Awards to Suzanne Bennett Johnson and the APA Board of Convention Affairs for providing outstanding mentoring, support, or work on behalf of early career members. The awards were presented during the Early Career Social Hour at the annual convention.
19. The CECP practice rep served on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Psychological Association to optimize early career relationships and maximize public education efforts.
20. Increasingly more divisions, boards, and committees are seeking early career representatives. The committee continues to advocate for the nomination of early career members to APA boards and committees, and has successfully supported several early career members entering into leadership roles.
21. CECP representatives and other early career members have been featured in many APA media, such as the Monitor, the Division Dialogues, APA Access, and on the early career web site and social media outlets.
22. CECP received approval from the Board of Convention Affairs to expand the early career travel award program for early career members from all areas of psychology (education, practice, public interest and science) to attend the 2013 convention. Twenty award recipients will receive $1,000 to be applied toward their 2013 APA convention expenses. The program is designed to encourage attendance and increase representation of early career members at the convention.
23. CECP received funding from the Board of Convention Affairs to continue the APA Kids’ Place at the 2013 convention. Plans include a family-friendly room with amenities like comfortable chairs and a play area with educational games and toys for children. The room will also feature special entertainment for children.
24. CECP continues a close working relationship with the membership board to maintain the interests and needs of early career members.
25. CECP continues to distribute the list of 25 ideas for SPTAs and divisions to successfully recruit and engage early career members. The list is also available on the early career website.
26. CECP created a list of “What I Wish I Had Known About Leadership…”; the list is posted on the early career website.
27. CECP continues to promote the financial planning guide for early career psychologists (published in 2008) as a “value-added” product. The booklet is available online and in hard copy by written request. In addition, bulk copies are available to divisions and SPTAs upon request. The financial guide was created specifically to address the needs and interests of early career psychologists, but has proven to be useful to all career stages, including graduate students as well as mid to late career psychologists.
28. CECP continues to disseminate resource materials through the EarlyCareer listserv, non-APA early career listservs, APA Access, the early career website, Division Dialogue, online newsletters, etc. These various platforms help the committee inform early career professionals about issues related to education, funding, licensure, financial planning, and parenting, and provide CECP with valuable feedback.