Addressing the internship crisis
One way APAGS is addressing the internship crisis is by supporting APA and state efforts to secure Medicaid reimbursement for intern services. APA believes that when sites can bill for interns, they may be more able to afford to recruit and retain interns. With colleagues in Education and Practice, including the addition to our team of a legal fellow, APAGS has developed a toolkit to help psychology training programs advocate for reimbursement. Our team is also developing a survey about trainee mobility, testing the theory that interns are more likely to remain in the geographic areas or professional settings where they intern.
Supporting transparency and student voices
Following the release of the independent review into APA's participation in national security interrogations and ethics (see the September Monitor), APAGS leaders offered timely updates and personal reflections via our blog, gradPSYCH magazine and an all-APAGS email blast. We also developed a dedicated Web page which compiled various updates related to the review.
In addition to convening a student-led town hall at APA's Annual Convention, we have collected more than 400 responses from students about their reactions to the report and suggestions for improving APA — feedback we are using to advocate for change in Council of Representatives debates. Our diverse voice resonated in council's passage of reforms, and we remain committed to ongoing transparency and improvement of APA practices.
Celebrating two years of gradpsychblog.org
With more than 130 posts and 24 months of responsive communication, the gradPSYCH is connecting students to each other and to APAGS resources and advice. We created this blog to educate, inform, advise and entertain you with reports and opinions from your peers. Recent posts have profiled APAGS members with intersectional identities, explored students' professional development concerns, and provided advice on landing more funding and better external training. We encourage you to write for us; not only is it good practice in writing interactively for a large audience, it's also a great way to showcase your interesting issues, tips, and perspectives.
Moving to a print version of TPS
Translational Issues in Psychological Science, or TPS, is the quarterly journal co-sponsored by APAGS and APA and the only APA journal that involves students in the reviewing and editorial processes. Our Science Committee meets regularly to suggest themes and potential authors. This year, members have had digital access to the journal. Next year, following feedback from our members, we are mailing the journal to all paid APAGS members. This is yet another benefit and demonstration of our commitment to advancing psychological science. To see what's in the latest issue, go to "Check out the latest issue of Translational Issues in Psychological Science." To learn more about the journal, visit Translational Issues in Psychological Science.
Supporting diversity with new resources
APAGS is continuing to expand its resources for diverse graduate students. The newest is "Proud and Prepared," a digital guide for LGBT graduate students navigating training. The 67-page guide offers information and advice around disclosure in professional settings, identifying inclusive training sites, finding a mentor and much more. In a related action, in late September, we kicked off our annual LGBT mentoring program with more than 65 pairs and just released data from nearly 200 internship and postdoc sites about their LGBT inclusiveness and training opportunities. We're also two months in to a series of webinars that help students learn about social justice concepts, research and practice. For students of color and their allies, we offer podcasts and videos on preparing for academic careers, as well as a curriculum library to infuse diversity into classes you're teaching or attending. All of this and more is available at APAGS online.