Question 5
What is your plan for recruiting and retaining early career professionals (ECPs) in APA?
To recruit and retain ECPs, we have to provide them with valuable resources that help them advance their careers. APA should be at the forefront of promoting psychology's many contributions to the public; the new clinical practice guidelines on post-traumatic stress disorder are a good start. We need to aggressively offer mentoring programs for both science and clinical practice; reduce membership dues and fees for workshops, conferences and continuing education; develop online career resources that meet ECPs' needs; and actively recruit them for leadership roles both within the organization and in outreach to the public.
Question 6
How can APA best advocate for effective health and behavioral health care for our public during this time of political uncertainty?
Recent changes in the body politic have renewed fears of a government assault on science, with threats to federal funding for research and cuts in aid for mental health services. As Richard Layard and David Clark have done in "Thrive," their treatise on health-care economics in the United Kingdom, APA should strongly advocate for the value of science in practice and make the case that effective health and behavioral health care is not only good for the public, but also bolsters the economy. We have the facts and must make them known to the public to influence policy.