History of the Committee on Psychology and AIDS (COPA)

COPA’s work has been devoted to helping the APA HIV/AIDS Programs counteract the increasing challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. COPA provides education and raises awareness regarding HIV/AIDS. This has been accomplished through its work on various HIV/AIDS Programs initiatives, such as the:

Throughout the epidemic, COPA has guided APA in the development of its organizational policy concerning HIV/AIDS. In 2012, at a time of debate over the value of biomedical versus behavioral approaches to HIV prevention, COPA developed a resolution that emphasized the importance of behavioral approaches in optimizing HIV prevention. As 2015 COPA Chair Matthew Skinta stated, "When we look at HIV today, I think there's a misperception that medical advances have taken care of the epidemic.” In 2013, COPA initiative a resolution on the Counseling in HIV Testing Programs (PDF, 63.4KB)opens in new window (2013). Presently, COPA is developing a resolution to oppose HIV criminalization.

Over the years, COPA members have participated in advocacy on the Hill and the creation of national policy. COPA helped develop the nation’s first National HIV/AIDS Strategy, a comprehensive national plan to reduce HIV/AIDS incidence, increase access to care, reduce HIV-related health disparities, direct resources to communities most affected by HIV/AIDS and facilitate improved coordination across federal agencies and at the state and local levels, as well as its implementation. It has had a working relationship with the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.

The mission of COPA is to guide the development and implementation of APA's organizational response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Consistent with the mission, it is committed to the ongoing pursuit of the following objectives:

• Educate psychologists and society at large on the various and unique roles psychology can contribute to the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
• Encourage and support psychologists in their efforts toward eliminating this epidemic through effective strategies of preventive education and intervention.
• Stimulate behavioral research in a variety of areas associated with HIV prevention and mental health services for persons affected by HIV/AIDS.
• Facilitate linkages between APA, behavioral researchers, medical researchers and community-based organizations for the purpose of coordinating and improving HIV-related research and mental health services.
• Create educational resources about HIV/AIDS to APA members and the public.
• Provide guidance and direction for APA HIV/AIDS advocacy activities at federal, state and local levels.
• Serve as an oversight committee for APA HIV/AIDS Programs activities.

The Task Force on Psychology and AIDS was established by the Board of Directors in June 1987, on the recommendation of the Board of Ethical Responsibility for Psychology. The task force fulfilled its original charge and in November 1989 submitted a Final Report to the Board of Directors, noting its accomplishments related to science, practice, public interest, education and training, publications, advocacy and association issues.

In August 1990, the Board of Directors recommended the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee on Psychology and AIDS (COPA) to be funded in the amount of $5,000 from the 1990 council contingency fund. The committee shall consist of six members, shall be funded for a three-year period and shall report to the council through the Board of Directors.

The Task Force was created as a response to the AIDS crisis, but now the epidemic has evolved from an immediate crisis to an enduring problem that will challenge our society for the foreseeable future. The initial goal of the Task Force was to assess the current situation and to develop organizational responses to AIDS on behalf of APA. The goal for the HIV/AIDS Programs now is to sustain psychology's constructive efforts in the face of the severe health and mental health problems associated with HIV Infection and disease. In that light, the association through its HIV/AIDS Programs needs policy oversight and guidance by persons who have substantial expertise in AIDS and who represent the interests of the diverse populations affected by the disease.

In its 1989 final report, the Task Force on Psychology and AIDS recommended that its work continue through establishment of a new oversight group, the COPA. Such a committee should continue to address the original Task Force charge while also:

1. Providing policy direction and oversight for current APA activities related to AIDS.
2. Advising APA staff and maintaining liaison with governance groups on AIDS issues.
3. Formulating new APA Initiatives to meet the continually changing challenges posed by the epidemic.

COPA should consist of six members to be appointed by the Board of Directors to serve a three-year term. Members should be selected on the basis of their expertise and demonstrated commitment to AIDS Issues, and their work should encompass the perspectives of science, practice, public interest, communications, and education and training. COPA members should represent the communities and populations most affected by the AIDS/HIV epidemic. Given the changing nature of the HIV epidemic, appropriate expertise representing the interests of women, children, ethnic minorities and IV drug users should be considered in making appointments to the group.