Q3: What are your plans for expanding the APA membership in light of our aging membership? Most particularly, what are your ideas for recruiting, retaining and engaging early career psychologists (ECPs)?
Considering that APA membership does not match the demographics of our country and those we seek to understand and serve, our goal should be to expand prior initiatives (e.g., Dick Suinn and ethnic minorities). Revamping such initiatives to recruit and engage younger psychologists, both academic and clinical, is critical to APA and psychology. A seamless pipeline should start at Psi Chi and APAGS, and should be strengthened through the ECP stage. Regarding ECP, specific proposals should be considered ranging from much reduced and graduated membership dues to allocated slots on APA committees, boards, council and the Board of Directors.
Q4: How do you see the role of technology in communicating with general APA membership, committees and boards, as well as consumers of psychology?
Whether it's through social media or telepsychology, the future of psychology depends on APA expanding its reach securely at the levels of public information (e.g., "news that you can use"), professional use (e.g., CPT codes) and academic activities (e.g., data exchange). Specific proposals include: 1) A more user-friendly website for both consumers and members. 2) Expanding the use of blogging, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. 3) Expanding the use of apps. 4) Increasing the number of continuing-education activities (including complimentary webinars). 5) Creating understandable and useable electronic health records that would interface psychological to health services, especially for small practices.