COR Corner
Michele D. Ribeiro, EdD, ABPP, CGP, AGPA-F, APA-F
As I write this column, autumn is upon us and if you work within higher education or have children, you know that the semester/term is in full swing. In the same vein, time stands still, as Monday, October 7th, was the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel, and the bloodshed that ensued on both communities, from the historical conflict, was again ignited. Thus, this past council meeting was paramount to finally take action on some global/national issues including trying to move towards peace, rather than collude to the ongoing conflict and horrific killings.
Although we all hold differing perspectives on many issues related to our world; as group therapists we hold a specific responsibility to be in dialogue with each other. There is some great research literature including from our own President-Elect, Dr. Joe Miles, that shows dialogue does move people toward healing and reconciliation. At the same time, leaders who hold positional power must pave the way for this to happen. In the summary below, you will see several resolutions have passed that will guide APA and our divisional work forward. Let us continue to do our part as group therapy practitioners and group psychology researchers to understand each other and work together towards peace.
The APA Convention seems so long ago, but the information below summarizes the work we as your division/state/province/territory delegates did prior to the annual convention. As always, I welcome feedback (please note a new email: mribeiro@westernu.edu) as I finish out my fifth year and begin my sixth and final year as your Council Representative. Thanks for your interest and for your open heart to make change.
KEY ACTIONS BY COUNCIL AT ITS AUGUST 2024 MEETING IN SEATTLE
APA’s Council of Representatives approved measures at its meeting Aug. 6-7 addressing issues including the role of psychology in artificial intelligence, global human rights for women and girls, a ceasefire in the Israel/Gaza war, and the need to advocate for restitution for politically inflicted trauma.
Presidential Task Force on Immigration and Health
The Council voted unanimously to receive a report by a presidential task force on immigration and health that underscores the importance of mental health support for immigrants and details the role of psychological science in addressing this issue. The report, titled “Psychological Science and Immigration Today,” sheds light on the intersection of psychological science and immigration and underscores the importance of mental health support for immigrants and the role of psychological science in addressing this issue. Based on the findings in the report, the Council also adopted a policy statement supporting a population health-based approach to working with immigrants, which aims to address the cultural, economic, systemic, historical, environmental, relational and occupational contexts that influence health status, well-being, and functioning across the patient’s lifespan. That measure was passed by a vote of 156-6, with 1 abstention. The resolution condemns policies that harm immigrants and their families, including forced family separation, and calls for federal and state funding for research to understand better immigrants’ health needs, including research on topics such as the evaluation of training, curricula, and community-based immigration initiatives that strive to improve immigrants’ health and wellness and better understand the effects of trauma.
Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the Field of Psychology
By a vote of 156-2, with one abstention, the Council approved a policy to recognize the critical role of psychological science and knowledge in guiding the many forms, applications and analyses of AI, and the real and potential impacts of artificial intelligence on psychological research and the training, practice, and application of psychology. “APA affirms the vital role of the discipline of psychology in addressing societal challenges, the challenges and opportunities related to health and well-being, and the ethical and privacy implications of AI,” the policy states. “APA is resolutely committed to identifying, mitigating, and eliminating harmful impacts of AI while ensuring that everyone in society can benefit from AI technologies to the greatest extent possible.” The role of APA and psychology falls into three domains: Shaping AI’s societal impact, using AI to promote health and well-being, and addressing and upholding ethics and privacy related to AI.
APA Statement Calling for an Immediate, Permanent, and Comprehensive Ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza Conflict
The Council also passed a measure, by a vote of 106-52, with 8 abstentions, calling for “an immediate, permanent, and comprehensive ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict.”
“APA urges all actors to prioritize the protection of civilians, to adhere to international humanitarian law, and to engage in meaningful dialogue and negotiation toward just and sustainable resolutions, the resolution states. It also calls for “increased access to culturally responsive, contextually relevant, evidence-based psychological resources for those affected by armed conflict and living through humanitarian emergencies.”
Resolution Supporting Girls’ and Women’s Human Rights Globally
Regarding the global rights of women and girls, the Council approved a resolution by a vote of 157- 4, with 3 abstentions, calling for national and international educational initiatives to enhance awareness of the issue. The measure commits APA to expanding formal education about girls’ and women’s rights and promoting research on factors that “enable versus prevent violations of girls’ and women’s human rights.”
This resolution notes that girls and women are denied numerous human and leg rights, including sexual and reproductive rights; educational, work and economic rights; the right “to choose if, when and who[m] to marry; and the rights of self-expression and self-determination.” The measure also directs APA to work to eliminate research practices that “implicitly but powerfully marginalize girls’ and women’s experiences and rights.”
Individual, Collective, and Intergenerational Trauma Recovery: Considering the Restorative Roles of Restitution and Reparations
In another action, the Council passed a resolution committing APA to advocate for restitution and reparations for the survivors of individual and collective trauma and their descendants. The measure, which passed by a vote of 113-52, with 4 abstentions, defines the types of trauma covered, which include gender-based violence and human trafficking; the Holocaust; U.S. internment of Japanese Americans and Unangan people; U.S. enslavement of Africans and their descendants; and the taking of native lands and systematic oppression of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Puerto Ricans, and other populations.
It also calls on APA to consider convening a task force to initiate, support and disseminate a psychological research report examining the benefits of collective reparations “to understand best practices with regard to the distribution of restitution programs and to facilitate the adoption of distributive justice practices in other global organizations.”
Guidelines Related to Psychological Practice
Council also approved a series of guidelines related to psychological practice. These included:
o Clinical Practice Guidelines for Psychological and Nonpharmacological Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Adults, 122-27, with 10 abstentions;
o Guidelines for Working with Adults with Complex Trauma Histories, 153-8, with 3 abstentions
o Guidelines on Key Considerations for Working with Adults with PTSD and Traumatic Stress Disorder, 148, 11, 4
o Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology, 157-1, with 3 abstentions;
o Guidelines for Psychological Evaluations in Child Protection Matters, 158-3, with 5 abstentions;
o Guidelines for Behavioral Projects with Nonhuman Animals in Schools (K–12), 150-2, with 4 abstentions.
Presidential Citations and Raymond D. Fowler Award
APA President Cynthia de las Fuentes, PhD, presented a posthumous presidential citation to Norman B. Anderson, PhD, for his exceptional leadership and dedication to the field of psychology and APA; and a presidential citation to James H. Bray, PhD, for his lifetime of dedication to the discipline, the profession and APA.
Dr. de las Fuentes presented former President Jennifer F. Kelly, PhD, with the 2024 Raymond D. Fowler Member Award.