Each year at the opening ceremony of our annual convention, I provide attendees with a short overview of some of the highlights of the work of APA since the last convention. In Toronto I told attendees that, without question, the release of the Hoffman report was the dominate event for the association this past year. At the same time, I told them I would be remiss if I neglected to report on the far-reaching work that APA has done over the past year, which crosses the breadth and depth of our disciple. Below are a few highlights from that presentation.
Bringing psychology to the public: One of APA's top priorities is educating the public about the ways psychology benefits society and improves lives. Our newest public education project is the Psychology: Science in Action campaign. This multimedia campaign profiles psychological scientists and explains how their work is applied to solve everyday problems. We also continue to be proud of the impact of our annual Stress in America survey, part of the association's mind-body health public education campaign. The survey findings are highly popular with the media and serve to remind Americans about the negative effects stress can have on health — as well as the role psychology plays in helping people manage their stress.
Focusing on the psychology-health link: APA's Center for Psychology and Health provided funding for small research grants to determine whether including psychologists on inter-professional health teams helps to improve overall health, patient satisfaction and/or reduce costs. In addition, the center produced several short videos to highlight the contributions of psychologists to overall health care in diverse settings. To watch the videos, go to Integrated Health Care. In addition, the APA Practice Organization created the PQRS-PRO to help psychologists and other health professionals report quality measures to the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System. This registry makes it easier for psychologists to meet the outcome measures requirements for Medicare and by doing so avoid reimbursement rate penalties.
Addressing health disparities: In collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, APA co-sponsored the conference "Pathways to Behavioral Health Equity: Addressing Disparities Experienced by Boys and Men of Color" last March. (See the May Monitor for a full report.) Follow-up activities from this conference include partnering with the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the U.S. Administration on Children and Families, and the 100 Fathers organization.
Creating more internships: The ongoing problem of the shortage of psychology internship slots is an issue we must continue to address. APA continued its commitment to boost the number of APA-accredited psychology internships through the Education Directorate's grant program, designed to help more internship programs earn APA accreditation. We have seen some improvement in the shortage numbers, thanks in part to this grants program — but there is more work to do in this area.
Supporting efforts to strike down prohibitions on same-sex marriage: This year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Constitution bars states from denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples cited 10 pages of APA's amicus curiae brief filed in the landmark case, Obergefell v. Hodges. The decision capped years of APA's scientific input on the issue. Since 2005, the association has filed 35 amicus briefs presenting social science research to rebut stereotypes about sexual orientation and same-sex relationships, and to accurately present the effects of parents' sexual orientation on children and the nature of stigma.
Increasing our engagement on climate change: In 2011, APA's Council of Representatives passed a resolution that directed APA to be more engaged on the issue of climate change. This year, one of our most important activities was convening leaders from medical, public health and health-care organizations to discuss the health and mental health consequences of climate change and what we can do about it (To see the report, go onlineopens in new window.). Our goal is to expand, accelerate and elevate health leadership on this critical issue.
Promoting sustainable work environments: Under the leadership of APA's Public Interest Directorate, the International Work, Stress, and Health Conference in May focused on sustainable work, sustainable health and sustainable organizations. More than 560 attendees from 27 countries attended this year's meeting. (See the September Monitor for a full report.)
All of these successes are a result of the dedication and hard work of APA members and staff. With their continued commitment and enthusiasm, APA is well positioned to move forward into a new era.
