1. What role, if any, is there for psychology outside of the U.S. in the activities and mission of APA?
Beth N. Rom-Rymer, PhD
There is a tremendous role for psychology outside of the U.S. in the activities and mission of APA! I believe in the importance of sustaining an equity partnership environment in which we openly collaborate and affirm respectful and reciprocal learning relationships and ensure a sophisticated cultural sensitivity and awareness.
APA already has significant engagement with countries throughout the world. We have a “Global Alliance,” with all of our 60 MOU partners. Particularly in the Covid environment, APA conducted highly productive communications with the international psychological societies. We well understood the impact that Psychology could have on the recovery of all of our populations.
I am very much involved in working with 10 different international partners on Prescriptive Authority initiatives, thrilled with the cultural, intellectual, and professional exchanges. I will look forward to creating closer bonds with Division 52 as we at APA move forward in growing our international, synergistic relationships.
Mary Ann McCabe, PhD
The Mission of APA is not limited to the U.S.:
To promote the advancement, communication, and application of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.
Indeed, a number of psychologists outside the U.S. are already involved in APA activities and governance groups. Further, APA has longstanding partnerships with psychological associations around the world and is a member of the Global Psychology Leadership Team (https://www.apa.org/international/global-insights/psychology-global). APA is a leading global collaborator regarding climate change https://www.apa.org/international/globalinsights/ climate-summit-resolution and has ongoing work with the United Nations https://www.apa.org/international/united-nations. APA has collaborated for several years on revisions to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). I led the APA Global Summit on Integrated Care in 2015 which invited leaders of psychological associations (and other disciplines) from several continents and resulted in a publication of international authors in the American Psychologist (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31393143/). Other future summits that are centered upon international collaborations are quite possible.
Thema S. Bryant-Davis, PhD
Psychology as a field owes a debt of gratitude to the many cultures and scholars outside of the U.S. that have provided foundational insights into the understanding of human processing, including pathways to recovery and healing. Although many psychology journals, and mental health providers publishing in them, are based in the U.S. and Europe, it is important for our studies and interventions to still attend to cultural context and socio-political realities within and outside of the U.S. My platform focuses in part on addressing trauma, loss, and injustice, which are three pervasive human conditions around the globe. Each benefit from a prevention and intervention focus within psychological science. As a former APA representative to the United Nations, a Division 52 member, and a recent recipient of Division 52’s award for contributions to the psychology of gender and women internationally, I am uniquely positioned to prioritize these efforts.
Diana L. Prescott, PhD
APA’s mission is global. I have been promoting this perspective, as the former Board liaison to CIRP and a Division 52 member. The Board agrees, and this has now been woven into our strategic plan. One operational principle is to “Embrace a global perspective. Advance psychology globally through international engagement, association efforts, and meaningful collaborations.” Part of APA’s strategic goals is to “increase the influence of psychology on policy decisions at the international, national, state, and local levels.” An umbrella is used to communicate our campaign team’s desire to broaden APA’s tent to include all psychologists with their unique mixture of characteristics (which would include psychologists living outside of our borders). Many of psychology’s critical issues are global (e.g, COVID, immigration, racism).
I am serving on the board of IAAP and present internationally, which reflects my commitment to an essential role for psychology and APA outside of the U.S.
Kirk J. Schneider, PhD
I have been a long-time advocate of humanistic and existential psychology, which have deep roots in the understanding and treatment of humanity, not just U.S. psychology. In that light, I see APA’s mission as modeling a psychology of the whole human being, rooted in our common relationship to our physiology, behavior, cognition, interpersonal life, and cosmic mystery of existence. If you look at my platform statement you will see that I address these dimensions in responding to what I view as the top psychosocial crisis of our times (globally, not just in the U.S.)–emotionally impoverished relationships. Although I don’t have the space to describe this platform in detail here I believe it is highly applicable to our contemporary world. See my campaign website for more details–as well as my full platform statement (which is also posted on my home page in an endorsement by Dr. Krishna Kumar): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1H-nkGvO-8
2. What projects and plans are in your campaign platform to further the globalization of psychology, particularly in relation to the governance, structure, and policies of APA, and its Directorates and Divisions?
Beth N. Rom-Rymer, PhD
The APA team at the UN aims to advance global mental health policy through the lens of APA’s strategic plan, with a particular focus on utilizing psychology to make a positive impact on critical societal issues, embracing a global perspective, and respecting and promoting human rights. I certainly endorse this work; I have spoken to these issues; and I embrace the globalization of psychology.
We would need to be clear about why/how we might internationalize our governance structure. To whom are we/will we be accountable? Would there be room for both an international Council of psychologists at APA as well as the American APA Council? Or would we consider integrating our Council with international members? How would we effectuate that? To internationalize our Directorates and Divisions might be less cumbersome. Many of our Directorates and Divisions already have international members. I support an exploration of all of these strategic steps.
Mary Ann McCabe, PhD
Psychology is sharing global challenges with climate change, the pandemic, and racial trauma; several of my priorities map to these. My main initiative has global reach – evidence-based and culturally responsive prevention across the lifespan. Prevention science and evidence-based prevention programs and policies support social justice everywhere, consistent with the work of the WHO.
It is not clear if Council, weighing proposals for its own changes, will approve a proposal to remove major boards and committees from the Bylaws. We recently witnessed overwhelming support to seat EMPAs on Council; motions that emphasize globalization could emerge.
Directorates are becoming less silo-ed within APA in service of the Strategic Plan. Each division has its own mission, governance, and membership; in fact, some division members are not APA members. Several divisions have a specific international focus and there has been growing collaboration across divisions on topics of global importance (e.g., Divisions for Social Justice).
Thema S. Bryant-Davis, PhD
My presidential platform is Thriving in a Post Pandemic World: Applying Psychological Science to Enhance People’s Lives. The first and second keys address trauma, loss, and inequities, which are each pervasive in the global world. The third key highlights holistic therapies with the awareness that international psychology centers the ethical mandate for psychologists to attend to the culture and spirituality of those we serve. The fourth key is rebuilding community. Much research in the field of international psychology demonstrates the critical role of social support and cohesion as protective factors. The fifth key is integration of the expressive arts. International psychologists have documented the important role of the therapeutic arts especially in nations with a dearth of mental health providers. International applications of these keys will guide my priorities in governance, structure, and policy development in APA.
Diana L. Prescott, PhD
Our campaign platform is strongly reliant on inclusion within and outside of our organization. At the same time, we must use our understanding of humanity and our collective unity as psychologists to address the pain we are witness to each day, resulting from factors like the COVID pandemic, brutal racism, and the natural and human disasters we are witness to in Haiti and Afghanistan. Internationally, APA has worked to mend bridges and develop relationships with our international partners, establishing many Memorandums of Understanding (MOU).
Our ability to connect virtually has only increased the possibility of international collaboration (e.g., the APA Convention, the Global Psychology Alliance). As APA President, I would include, connect, and unify people, and I can mobilize others to correct injustice, build bridges, help heal systems, and create positive, timely impact. I would look forward to joining with Division 52 to make a difference in the world.
Kirk J. Schneider, PhD
Again, by providing a model for other countries to address psychosocial crises like emotionally impoverished relationships which are associated with higher crime rates, racism, extremist political and religious ideologies, and isolation, depression, anxiety, and addiction. My calls for a “Works Progress-Style” mobilization of psychologist-led healing dialogues throughout the country; a Relational Equity Task Force to optimize in depth, emotionally reparative relationships, particularly in marginalized and minoritized communities; a summit of leaders from all our specialties to identify how their respective specialties would address contemporary crises; and a Task Force to look into the creation of a federal office of psychological consultants to coordinate with and amplify the voice of our current APA advocacy efforts can all be carefully crafted pilot projects from which other societies can draw, and from which APA in turn can learn more about through the input of other societies.
3. What are your thoughts about supporting the establishment of a new elected APA Board position for an APA Member or APA Affiliate living outside of North America and not a U.S. citizen?
Beth N. Rom-Rymer, PhD
This is an intriguing idea! I would be very much interested in exploring this. We would want to
understand: 1/ who would elect this Board member: the country they represent or all of the Global Alliance partners or would there be additional countries? 2/If additional countries, how would these countries be selected? 3/assuming a non-renewable 3-year term, what would this Board member’s portfolio be? 4/what would our expectations be of this Board member, re in-person meetings or Zoom meetings, given time zone differences? 6/would the elected member’s country or APA pay travel expenses or would there be a hybrid model? 7/ would there be a reciprocal exchange by which an APA Board member would sit on the international member’s Psychological Association Board? 8/ would seating an international member have incremental value over current international partnership relationships?
I am a firm believer in innovation and I love to explore multiple options!
Mary Ann McCabe, PhD
Current Bylaws require that any member of the Board of Directors be a Member of the association but do not speak to residency or citizenship. The work of the Board should dictate the composition. Recent changes aim to ensure that all subfields of psychology are represented, and that board members are elected by the membership. A good bit of the work of the board is focused internally on the association in the context of the U.S. policy and economic landscape; familiarity with this context is needed for all board members. Some of the external issues facing APA are global in nature, and strong partnerships/coalitions with psychological associations around the world are instrumental. I think it could be challenging to have a single standing seat on the Board for a non-U.S. resident/non-U.S. citizen to represent the global community. It may be ideal to ensure nimble liaison structures to ensure global perspectives.
Thema S. Bryant-Davis, PhD
I support the establishment of a new elected APA Board position for an APA Member or APA Affiliate living outside of North America and not a U.S. citizen. Representation and inclusion of the entire APA community are central to my vision and leadership style. I have a track record as a bridge-builder who attends to disenfranchised people and who heals ruptures due to systemic neglect. As an association, one of the many groups that we need to further engage and represent are international members and affiliates as well as persons who are non-U.S. citizens. Including historically neglected members is not merely a gesture or symbolic act for the individual or group; it benefits the larger association as well. We are stronger together and a truly multicultural association cannot assume to speak for the concerns of those who have not consistently been included in the dialogue and decision-making.
Diana L. Prescott, PhD
I think it is a great idea to codify our commitment to the international nature of our organization by representing this value in the form of a Board position. In our slating process, the Board considers what perspectives are being reflected and what is missing on the current Board. This assessment is communicated to the NASCC (Needs Assessment, Slating, and Campaign Committee). We reorganized to be nimble, enabling the membership of the Board of Directors to reflect what perspectives are needed on the Board during a given year.
Representing this emphasis on an international perspective concretely in some way (as a student perspective is represented the APAGS member on the Board) provides a mechanism to ensure this international perspective is reflected and considered in Board deliberation. I am very comfortable with this member being an APA Member or APA Affiliate living outside of North America and not a U.S. citizen.
Kirk J. Schneider, PhD
I think this is a terrific idea. In my view it would enrich and enhance U.S. psychology’s understanding of humanity as a whole, and it would be a very fruitful basis for the exchange of ideas and practices. On a related note, I have been an invited speaker at many international venues, and I have consistently felt deeply gratified, not only by the professional exchanges but by the rich and lasting bonds that were formed, and that now form the basis for mutually expanded theoretical and practical applications as a result. My books The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology, Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy, The Polarized Mind, and The Depolarizing of America reflect this enriched and expanded view–and I propose to offer it if elected APA president. Thank you deeply for your consideration of my candidacy. It bears repeating that there are enormous stakes in this election–for our discipline, our society, and our world
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