It’s been a transformational year for APA. In 2018, our governance took several crucial steps to reorganize and reposition the association to ensure its influence as a national organization for years to come. In August, the Council of Representatives approved a plan through which all APA members would also become members of a new companion organization that will enable the association to advocate for the full breadth of issues that concern our members. We also will be integrating all of our government relations staff under one chief advocacy officer and creating a 12-member Advocacy Coordinating Committee to help identify and prioritize APA’s advocacy goals. In addition, APA’s Board of Educational Affairs appointed a task force to develop a plan for accrediting master’s programs in clinical, counseling and school psychology. The group is slated to deliver its recommendations next year to the council.
We also laid the groundwork for a new strategic plan to guide APA over the next three to five years. Our robust process for soliciting input on the plan included a survey sent to all APA members asking them to share their ideas, priorities and hopes for our future. We also interviewed dozens of individuals, including past presidents and other association leaders, and heard from the broader membership in focus groups. And we launched a webpage to gather input from across the association, noting our progress on a regular basis and asking specific questions.
A priority for APA governance has been to emphasize diversity and inclusion. Under the leadership of the Public Interest Directorate, we are taking a comprehensive look at APA’s activities in this realm and developing a framework to guide this work going forward.
Other important actions this year included speaking out against the "zero tolerance" immigration policy that separated children from their parents at our nation’s southern border. This policy was rescinded after a huge public outcry. APA worked in a bipartisan way to promote the application of the best psychological science to ensure the humane treatment of, and needed health care for, these immigrant children and families. We were called upon by the administration to provide expertise on child mental health for their visits to immigrant detention facilities. APA also advocated successfully for the enactment of opioids legislation that will help to improve prevention, treatment and recovery.
Thank you for your support throughout this exciting year. I look forward to more breakthroughs in 2019.