2012 APA Annual Convention Opening Session video
Uploaded by TheAPAVideo on 03.08.2012
Transcript:
[music]
>> NARRATOR: As the American Psychological Association celebrates 120 years of advancing
psychology, APA continues to be the largest scientific and professional organization representing
psychology in the United States. At the forefront of the discipline, APA promotes psychological
research, education, and practice, while addressing the needs of an evolving psychology workforce
and society at large.
2012 President Suzanne Bennett Johnson is focusing her work on three initiatives during
her presidential year. The first is addressing the need to build interdisciplinary health
care teams.
>> BENNET JOHNSON: The challenges our nation faces, in fact, the whole world faces, have
become so complex that no single scientific discipline can answer them. So, to really
bring science to bear on these challenges, we have to create these interdisciplinary
science teams.
What integrated care does is treat the patient as a whole person, using interdisciplinary
practice teams.
A psychologist on an integrated care team would provide mental health expertise jointly
with medical providers in addressing the patient’s concern using a patient-centered care model.
And I think psychology has wonderful opportunities, not only in terms of the science of team science,
but actually being one of the disciplines in the many interdisciplinary science teams
that will be created to address all of these complex challenges.
For those who were interested in doing that, APA will be here to help them learn those
new skill sets, expand their professional practices, and, I think, enjoy a whole new
way of interacting with other professionals as well as patients.
>> NARRATOR: Dr. Bennett Johnson’s second initiative focuses on applying psychology
to end the obesity epidemic in America.
>> BENNETT JOHNSON: Unfortunately, two thirds of Americans are overweight, and one third
of us are obese. This is actually the most serious health care challenge facing our nation.
This did not occur because our biology or our genes changed.
In fact, it occurred because we’ve had a massive change in our environment.
Because of that environmental change, it’s changed our behavior.
Psychologists, of course, are experts on behavior and behavior change. And what I really want
to see is psychologists bringing their scientific and professional expertise to bear on this
problem and to be part of its solution.
I’ve been very heartened at psychologists’ response. I feel that when they understand
the extent of this epidemic, and the potential role they can play, they get energized. And
I’m very excited about the impact that we could have as psychologists if all of use
became serious behavior change agents in our own communities.
>> NARRATOR: Finally, Dr. Bennett Johnson’s third initiative centers on ways to engage
the next generation of psychologists.
>> BENNETT JOHNSON: APA is actually aging. Our average age as an APA member is over 50.
And if we are to remain a viable organization, we need to attract the next generation, not
just as members, but as leaders so that we as an organization can change within.
>> NARRATOR: Also related to the future of our discipline, APA continues to be the world’s
largest disseminator of the discipline’s scholarship, from traditional print publications
to new mobile apps.
In 2012, APA began publishing four new journals focused on family, exercise, popular culture,
and international psychology.
And this fall, we will begin to accept submissions for the association’s first- ever open methods,
open data, open access journal.
Additionally, APA is developing numerous mobile apps for members and others to access information
more easily.
Providing connection and a sense of belonging to the larger psychology community is an important
part of what the association does for its members.
APA and APA division members can also collaborate on APA Communities, a secure social network.
APA now publishes digital versions of the Monitor and gradPSYCH, including relevant
external links and video extras.
This year, APA continued to work closely with decision-makers in Congress, the White House,
and federal agencies on issues of importance to psychologists and the communities we serve.
Together with APAPO, we continued to advocate for policies that would ensure the viability
of professional practice as well as the public’s access to quality psychological services.
Our Government Relations staff arranged educational briefings and meetings on Capitol Hill, including
briefings on marijuana dependence, treatment research and the psychological impact of immigration.
APA also submitted testimony to congressional appropriations committees to advocate for
increased research funding at the Departments of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs,
and the National Science Foundation.
APA also briefed Congress on strategies to prevent suicide among active duty military
and veterans and is a partner in the White House Joining Forces initiative to better
prepare the nation’s health-care providers to care for service members, veterans and
their families.
To help ensure that health-care consumers receive the best available treatment, APA
is developing clinical treatment guidelines that synthesize research and recommend treatments
for specific disorders and conditions. The goal is to produce evidence-based patient-centered
guidelines that are useful to consumers, psychologists, health-care professionals, and insurance providers.
The guidelines process coordinating committee selected depressive disorders and obesity
as topics to tackle first.
>> BENNETT JOHNSON: Unless psychology steps up to the plate in terms of treatment guidelines,
I’m very concerned that psychological interventions will not be included in treatment guidelines.
In fact, treatment guidelines will be primarily represented by drugs or other biological interventions.
>> NARRATOR: Helping members keep up to date with new research and techniques within the
discipline is another important goal of the association. APA’s Office of Continuing
Education offers extensive opportunities for psychologists to learn and grow. There will
be numerous opportunities to get CE credit during this convention, and our website features
educational webinars on an array of topics.
Providing resources for teachers of psychology is another way APA helps support the public’s
understanding of psychology. The online psychology laboratory received over 1 million page views
in 2011.
>> BENNET JOHNSON: A lot of people are fascinated by psychological science, they just don’t
know it’s psychological science. And one of our jobs, I feel, at APA, is to communicate
to the public that all those fascinating, scientific things they’re interested in
– is psychology.
>>NARRATOR: Every year, APA’s Public Affairs team fields hundreds of inquiries from the
news media seeking psychologists to interview. Using a media referral database of more than
1,500 psychologists, the Public Affairs staff connects APA members with large and influential
audiences.
In 2011 and continuing this year, APA launched a new video podcast series, “This is Psychology,”
featuring CEO Norman B. Anderson, discussing the latest psychological research and key
reports published by APA.
APA frequently partners with health-care organizations and agencies to promote mental health and
well-being. Some partnerships are ongoing and long-term, such as our collaboration with
the YMCA, which encourages eating healthy and exercising regularly to reduce the risk
for chronic diseases.
And APA collaborates with Give an Hour, encouraging members to volunteer one hour each week of
free counseling and other mental health services to military members, veterans and their families.
APA’s website continues to be the go-to resource for information on psychology, consistently
ranking at or near No. 1 on Google for psychology searches. The website gets well over 23 million
annual visitors who view close to 57 million pages each year.
APA will continue to provide critical resources to fulfill our vision as a valuable, effective,
and influential organization.
Thank you for your commitment to advancing psychology and welcome to Orlando and the
120th annual APA convention.
>> NARRATOR: As the American Psychological Association celebrates 120 years of advancing
psychology, APA continues to be the largest scientific and professional organization representing
psychology in the United States. At the forefront of the discipline, APA promotes psychological
research, education, and practice, while addressing the needs of an evolving psychology workforce
and society at large.
2012 President Suzanne Bennett Johnson is focusing her work on three initiatives during
her presidential year. The first is addressing the need to build interdisciplinary health
care teams.
>> BENNET JOHNSON: The challenges our nation faces, in fact, the whole world faces, have
become so complex that no single scientific discipline can answer them. So, to really
bring science to bear on these challenges, we have to create these interdisciplinary
science teams.
What integrated care does is treat the patient as a whole person, using interdisciplinary
practice teams.
A psychologist on an integrated care team would provide mental health expertise jointly
with medical providers in addressing the patient’s concern using a patient-centered care model.
And I think psychology has wonderful opportunities, not only in terms of the science of team science,
but actually being one of the disciplines in the many interdisciplinary science teams
that will be created to address all of these complex challenges.
For those who were interested in doing that, APA will be here to help them learn those
new skill sets, expand their professional practices, and, I think, enjoy a whole new
way of interacting with other professionals as well as patients.
>> NARRATOR: Dr. Bennett Johnson’s second initiative focuses on applying psychology
to end the obesity epidemic in America.
>> BENNETT JOHNSON: Unfortunately, two thirds of Americans are overweight, and one third
of us are obese. This is actually the most serious health care challenge facing our nation.
This did not occur because our biology or our genes changed.
In fact, it occurred because we’ve had a massive change in our environment.
Because of that environmental change, it’s changed our behavior.
Psychologists, of course, are experts on behavior and behavior change. And what I really want
to see is psychologists bringing their scientific and professional expertise to bear on this
problem and to be part of its solution.
I’ve been very heartened at psychologists’ response. I feel that when they understand
the extent of this epidemic, and the potential role they can play, they get energized. And
I’m very excited about the impact that we could have as psychologists if all of use
became serious behavior change agents in our own communities.
>> NARRATOR: Finally, Dr. Bennett Johnson’s third initiative centers on ways to engage
the next generation of psychologists.
>> BENNETT JOHNSON: APA is actually aging. Our average age as an APA member is over 50.
And if we are to remain a viable organization, we need to attract the next generation, not
just as members, but as leaders so that we as an organization can change within.
>> NARRATOR: Also related to the future of our discipline, APA continues to be the world’s
largest disseminator of the discipline’s scholarship, from traditional print publications
to new mobile apps.
In 2012, APA began publishing four new journals focused on family, exercise, popular culture,
and international psychology.
And this fall, we will begin to accept submissions for the association’s first- ever open methods,
open data, open access journal.
Additionally, APA is developing numerous mobile apps for members and others to access information
more easily.
Providing connection and a sense of belonging to the larger psychology community is an important
part of what the association does for its members.
APA and APA division members can also collaborate on APA Communities, a secure social network.
APA now publishes digital versions of the Monitor and gradPSYCH, including relevant
external links and video extras.
This year, APA continued to work closely with decision-makers in Congress, the White House,
and federal agencies on issues of importance to psychologists and the communities we serve.
Together with APAPO, we continued to advocate for policies that would ensure the viability
of professional practice as well as the public’s access to quality psychological services.
Our Government Relations staff arranged educational briefings and meetings on Capitol Hill, including
briefings on marijuana dependence, treatment research and the psychological impact of immigration.
APA also submitted testimony to congressional appropriations committees to advocate for
increased research funding at the Departments of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs,
and the National Science Foundation.
APA also briefed Congress on strategies to prevent suicide among active duty military
and veterans and is a partner in the White House Joining Forces initiative to better
prepare the nation’s health-care providers to care for service members, veterans and
their families.
To help ensure that health-care consumers receive the best available treatment, APA
is developing clinical treatment guidelines that synthesize research and recommend treatments
for specific disorders and conditions. The goal is to produce evidence-based patient-centered
guidelines that are useful to consumers, psychologists, health-care professionals, and insurance providers.
The guidelines process coordinating committee selected depressive disorders and obesity
as topics to tackle first.
>> BENNETT JOHNSON: Unless psychology steps up to the plate in terms of treatment guidelines,
I’m very concerned that psychological interventions will not be included in treatment guidelines.
In fact, treatment guidelines will be primarily represented by drugs or other biological interventions.
>> NARRATOR: Helping members keep up to date with new research and techniques within the
discipline is another important goal of the association. APA’s Office of Continuing
Education offers extensive opportunities for psychologists to learn and grow. There will
be numerous opportunities to get CE credit during this convention, and our website features
educational webinars on an array of topics.
Providing resources for teachers of psychology is another way APA helps support the public’s
understanding of psychology. The online psychology laboratory received over 1 million page views
in 2011.
>> BENNET JOHNSON: A lot of people are fascinated by psychological science, they just don’t
know it’s psychological science. And one of our jobs, I feel, at APA, is to communicate
to the public that all those fascinating, scientific things they’re interested in
– is psychology.
>>NARRATOR: Every year, APA’s Public Affairs team fields hundreds of inquiries from the
news media seeking psychologists to interview. Using a media referral database of more than
1,500 psychologists, the Public Affairs staff connects APA members with large and influential
audiences.
In 2011 and continuing this year, APA launched a new video podcast series, “This is Psychology,”
featuring CEO Norman B. Anderson, discussing the latest psychological research and key
reports published by APA.
APA frequently partners with health-care organizations and agencies to promote mental health and
well-being. Some partnerships are ongoing and long-term, such as our collaboration with
the YMCA, which encourages eating healthy and exercising regularly to reduce the risk
for chronic diseases.
And APA collaborates with Give an Hour, encouraging members to volunteer one hour each week of
free counseling and other mental health services to military members, veterans and their families.
APA’s website continues to be the go-to resource for information on psychology, consistently
ranking at or near No. 1 on Google for psychology searches. The website gets well over 23 million
annual visitors who view close to 57 million pages each year.
APA will continue to provide critical resources to fulfill our vision as a valuable, effective,
and influential organization.
Thank you for your commitment to advancing psychology and welcome to Orlando and the
120th annual APA convention.