By Practice and Science Directorate Staff
September 15, 2011—Nominations are currently being sought for the following appointments:
The APA’s Advisory Steering Committee for the Development of Clinical Treatment Guidelines is seeking nominations of individuals to serve on a panel to develop a clinical treatment guideline for depressive disorders across the lifespan. Individuals are encouraged to self-nominate and nominations from other individuals and groups are also invited. Nominees who will enhance the diversity of the development panels are particularly encouraged to apply.
The development panel will comprise at least seven members. Members ideally serve on only one active APA guideline development panel at a time, although they may serve on more than one over the course of time. The development panels will be led by a chair. The selection of the chair will be made by the Advisory Steering Committee. The development panel may include members from disciplines other than psychology. It is expected that the panel will take approximately two years to complete its work.
The development panels will consist of at least:
Three content experts in the area of depressive disorders
One full-time generalist practitioner
One patient/consumer advocate
One biostatistician or methodologist
Among the content experts, a breadth of perspectives will be represented and include both experts who are primarily researchers and those who are primarily practitioners. Task force members should have knowledge of treatment issues related to age (including children and older adults) and other dimensions of diversity (such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, culture, gender, sexuality, physical and mental abilities). It is anticipated that task force members will collectively have experience working with a broad range of populations and in a broad range of settings. Membership in APA is not a requirement to serve on the panel.
Background or expertise in one or more of the following areas may be useful to the panel:
Clinical treatment guidelines development
Comparative effectiveness research
Systematic reviews
Experience with clinical trials
Contemporary methods for evaluation of psychological and behavioral interventions
Dissemination/implementation research
Relevant expertise in research design and statistical analysis
Experience applying clinical treatment guidelines in practice settings
Experience applying evidence-based practices in clinical settings
Direct provision of psychological care in diverse practice settings or with diverse populations
Patient/consumer perspective
Federal agency policies and programs related to guidelines
Health care systems finance or administration
Public health research and applications
Public and community health delivery systems
The development panel will write the guideline for the treatment of depressive disorders based on systematic reviews of the research literature. The panel will not conduct the systematic reviews itself but will develop the questions that guide the systematic reviews in collaboration with the Advisory Steering Committee and potentially other consultants. The guideline will include treatment recommendations and indications of the strength of the evidence for each recommendation in accordance with procedures developed by the Advisory Steering Committee and consistent with emerging best practices in treatment guidelines development. Progress reports will be made to the Advisory Steering Committee and the APA Board of Directors and governance groups on a regular basis.
The Advisory Steering Committee will review candidate materials and provide a final list of qualified candidates for the development panel to the Board of Directors for appointment.
Letters of nomination should clearly describe the candidate's specific expertise and qualifications related to the criteria above. Nomination materials should include a letter from the nominee indicating willingness to serve for at least two years, a brief statement of the nominee's qualifications, and a current curriculum vitae. Development panel members are expected to travel to Washington, DC, for at least two face-to-face meetings yearly and commit additional time and effort to the panel in between these meetings. Current members of the APA governance groups Board of Professional Affairs (BPA), Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA) and the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP) are not eligible to serve.
Nominations and supporting materials should be sent via email to the APA Clinical Treatment Guidelines mailbox by November 15, 2011.
Note: Candidates not selected for this development panel may be nominated for future panels.
Given Council of Representatives’ action in August 2011 enhancing the size and capacity of the Committee on Professional Practice and Standards (COPPS) to review, revise consult on and develop guidelines, there are currently four three-year appointments available on COPPS. Staggered terms may be considered to accommodate these changes.
COPPS is a standing committee that reports to Council of Representatives through the Board of Professional Affairs (BPA). Its mission includes:
The development, review and evaluation of practice guidelines for providers of psychological services;
Providing assistance with BPA to other APA bodies developing practice guidelines; and
Monitoring, evaluating and developing information regarding the scientific and professional aspects of psychological services.
While all applicants will be given serious consideration, those with expertise in the areas of multicultural issues, aging, dementia, prevention, autism, testing and assessment, technology, practice with transgender/gender non-conforming clients, and emerging practice are particularly encouraged to apply. Early career candidates and those new to APA governance are particularly encouraged to apply.
Well-developed research, oral presentation, writing and editorial skills and experience in guideline development are important assets to the Committee. As always, BPA and COPPS seek candidates who will enhance the diversity of the Committee in every way, including: racial/ethnic groups, gender, areas of clinical expertise, experience with special populations, geographic location, and practice settings, including independent practice. APA governance experience is a plus.
Participation in COPPS requires a significant annual time commitment including two meetings in Washington, DC, work on individual projects and conference calls. Committee members cannot serve simultaneously on another APA standing or continuing board committee and no one can serve a consecutive term on a committee unless an exception is voted by two-thirds of the board.
COPPS will review nomination materials and forward its recommendations to BPA, which will select the new members at its Fall 2011 Meeting November 4-6, 2011. All appointments are subject to approval by APA Board of Directors.
COPPS nominations are being accepted until September 19, 2011. Please send nominations, including a 75-word description of qualifications, curriculum vitae and a letter indicating willingness to serve if selected to: Sheila Kerr, Governance Operations Assistant, Governance Operations Department, Practice Directorate, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Electronic submissions are strongly encouraged. Note that nominators of other individuals are responsible for ensuring that these materials are submitted.
Questions about the COPPS call for nominations should be emailed to Mary G. Hardiman, Director of Board Operations, Governance Operations, APA Practice Directorate, or Sheila Kerr.
APA’s Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) is pleased to invite nominations for membership on the Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance (ACCA). In a continuing effort to broaden representation in APA governance, BPA seeks nominations from a wide variety of sources. Self-nominations are welcomed.
The Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance (ACCA) is an advisory committee to BPA. Its mission includes:
Recognizing and investigating the unique occupational vulnerabilities of psychologists and their need for colleague assistance to promote effective coping strategies, wellness, prevention and the self-care that is ethically required;
Promoting the development and continuation of state-level colleague assistance programs and peer assistance networks; and
Developing proper, informed relationships between state ethics committees, boards of examiners and colleague assistance programs for the benefit of the professional and the public.
ACCA nominations are being accepted until September 19, 2011. For more information or to receive a copy of this year’s Call For Nominations, please email Sheila Kerr.