Tag Archives: APAGS

Psych The Vote! Meet 2 Candidates for APAGS Member-at-Large, Practice

psychthevote We’re Psyching the Vote for APAGS Member-at-Large, Practice Focus! During the month of April, APAGS members can submit an elections ballot for elections for APAGS chair-elect and four members at large (link contains position descriptions and official bios). Members will get an email with voting instructions on April 1. This post is the second in a series of six between now and March 31 in which candidates voluntarily answer our questions in 200 words or less, to give voters some insight into what they will bring to their prospective positions.

Our question for APAGS Member-at-Large, Practice Focus:

Right now, APAGS is focused on ending the internship crisis for health service psychology students. What questions or concerns related to psychological practice would you have the committee focus on so that we’re prepared to meet the demands of the field for future generations of trainees?

Stephen Lupe responds:

Currently, the field of health service psychology is in a state of transition. It is expanding in to new and exciting areas such as integrated care. It is imperative we as an organization plan for this transition. It should be a priority we develop more training opportunities with a focus on interprofessional collaboration. The future of psychological practice is going to rely on psychologists’ ability to work collaboratively with professionals from other disciplines. I will lobby for more grant opportunities for site development. In addition, it is time we as an organization empower graduate students to advocate for themselves in the areas of expanding practice. We need to shed many of the past ideas of what practicing psychologist do and empower students to use their skills in new and exciting ways. APA/APAGS should continue to develop initiatives to expand practice and support the efforts of the next generation of psychologists. I will push for APA/APAGS to continue to explore emerging areas of practice, develop initiatives to highlight the need for interprofessional collaboration, and develop training opportunities and support funding for these opportunities.

Jerrold Yeo responds:

A couple of questions always on the mind of every health service psychology student: “Will I match?”, “Can I afford it?”. The state of the internship crisis has been improving over the years, but statistics may not mean so much when we are the ones who do not match. As someone who has been unsuccessful in the application process this past year, it has been particularly salient to me. Some of the things we should focus on for students would be ending the internship crisis AND ensuring internships provide affordable stipends. It pains me whenever I see training sites in very expensive locations offering stipends under $25k, which is not affordable for the debt-ridden student. This can be exponentially more difficult for students who are less financially well-off, having to take out substantially more loans to train at an expensive city, or internationally (Canada). I also think that students in health service psychology should have sufficient access to training in integrative healthcare, as collaboration and consultation with healthcare professions are an essential part of today’s practice. Another area to address would be cross-border access (Canada) to internship positions, and the logistics involved in applying for and matching across the countries.

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Be on the look out tomorrow for our next post in this series and be sure to vote when you receive your APAGS electronic ballot on April 1! — APAGS Staff.

Psych The Vote! Meet 2 Candidates for APAGS Chair-Elect

psychthevote We’re Psyching the Vote for APAGS Chair-Elect! During the month of April, APAGS members can submit an elections ballot for elections for APAGS Chair-Elect and four members at large (link contains position descriptions and official bios). Members will get an email with voting instructions on April 1. This post is the first in a series of six between now and March 31 in which candidates voluntarily answer our questions in 200 words or less, to give voters some insight into what they will bring to their prospective positions.

Our first question for APAGS Chair-Elect:

What competencies should be expected of all psychology graduate students in the areas of leadership and advocacy, if any, by the time they graduate? Why?

Justin Karr responds:

The collective voice of psychologists has never been more important, considering healthcare reform, cuts to behavioral science funding, and the international need for evidence-based mental healthcare services. With these issues ongoing, I feel that all psychology students deserve training in advocacy, helping them build competency on how to enact change at local, state, and national levels. Only then can we advocate together in a way that strengthens our profession, serves the public, and ensures social justice. Psychologists are well-equipped to make meaningful change in the world, but we can only actualize that change with effective leadership. While all students have a role in advocacy, not all students will choose to serve in positions of leadership; however, all students deserve an equal opportunity to pursue leadership training. A culture of leadership has been growing within psychology, as psychologists today lead integrated healthcare teams, head academic institutions, and even serve in Congress. APAGS aims to strengthen this culture of leadership; and as your APAGS Chair-elect, I will advocate for the funding and development of more student leadership training opportunities, ensuring future generations of psychologists are well-prepared to serve as leaders within both our field and the many settings in which they serve.

Blaire Schembari responds:

The development of leadership and advocacy competencies among graduate students is often ignored. Graduate programs should emphasize the cultivation of these skills. Leadership and advocacy abilities enable students to contribute to the field of psychology and enhance their individual careers, as these roles are a part of many psychology career paths (i.e., therapists advocate for their patients, researchers lead projects and utilize results to advocate for sameness or change, teachers lead and advocate for their students).

There are several competencies I believe psychology graduate students should develop. First, an open-mind is critical to being an effective leader and advocate. Change is more likely to occur if you’re willing to listen to others and make them feel heard, even if they challenge your beliefs. Effective communication is foundational. This includes actively listening and providing constructive feedback to others’. A successful leader and advocate also has the courage to challenge the rules when they are more harmful than helpful. Moreover, being passionate and dedicated to your team and work ensures during difficult times you remain focused. Finally, knowing your limits, setting boundaries, knowing when to delegate, ask for help, and practice self-care are vital to the longevity of a leader and advocate.

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Be on the look out tomorrow for our next post in this series and be sure to vote when you receive your APAGS electronic ballot on April 1! — APAGS Staff.

National Graduate Student in Psychology Die-In on April 4

Students at a #blacklivesmatter die-in. There is a planned die-in across the country on April 4. (Image source: Author).

Med students at a #blacklivesmatter die-in at Stanford University. There is a planned die-in across the country on April 4. (Image source: David Purger, PhD, Stanford University. Used with permission.)

Editor’s Note: This post is submitted by Luciano Lima, a doctoral student at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, in Chicago, Illinois. APAGS does not have an official position on this event, and takes no responsibility for any actions that may result from one’s independent decision to participate.

Open Letter to Graduate Students in Psychology

Over the past few years this country has experienced an upwelling of racial strife resulting from the deaths of numerous black men, boys, and women at the hands of police officers. In response, medical students throughout the country staged a coordinated nationwide Die-In protest against racial bias and violence, which included over 90 medical schools and thousands of students. I observed their activities with admiration and thought to myself, “Why can’t we do that? The reasons provided by the medical students for their protest are just as applicable to graduate students in psychology:

“Racial bias and violence are not exclusively a problem of the criminal justice system. As we have seen in Ferguson, Mo., New York, and countless other places, bias kills, sickens, and results in inadequate healthcare. As medical students, we must take a stand against the oppression of our black and brown patients, colleagues, friends, and family. By standing together at medical schools nationwide, we hope to demonstrate that the medical student community views racial violence as a public health crisis. We are‪#‎whitecoats4blacklives.”

Racial bias causes damage not only to the physical, but also the mental health of our clients. We are intimate witnesses to the psychological harm that results from police violence and racial profiling—from the teenager who is unjustly stopped and searched on a routine basis merely for possessing the wrong skin color, to the families, loved ones, and communities traumatized by senseless killings.

In the APA Ethics Code, a guiding principle of our profession is promoting the welfare and protection of the individuals and groups with whom psychologists work. The code also calls on psychologists to “respect and protect the civil and human rights” of our clients. When the welfare of our clients is jeopardized by racial discrimination, we are called to stand up and seek justice on their behalf. Towards this end, we are calling for a coordinated nationwide Die-In demonstration of graduate psychology students and others who are passionate about this cause.

The nationwide Die-In of graduate psychology students will be on Monday, April 4, 2016, the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

We call on fellow students to take up the torch and organize Die-ins on their respective campuses. The Chicago branch of the Die-in will be meeting at Daley Plaza (50 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602) at exactly 5 p.m., central time. We will lay together in silence for 16 minutes, each minute representing one of the bullets fired into Laquan McDonald. Please bring signs and dress for the weather!

We have created a Facebook event page to help coordinate our activities.

We call on student leaders to spread the word throughout their programs, so that we can make a powerful statement of our values and vision for the future. Also, please share this letter on social media and email your friends and colleagues to help get the word out.

Your Fellow Students,

‪#‎psychologists4blacklives

For additional questions please contact Luciano Lima and Keisha-Marie Alridge.

Deadline Extended to Join APAGS Leadership!

You could be here! Pictured are members of the 2014-2015 APAGS Committee, and staff liaisons.

Great news: Are you interested in joining APAGS leadership? The APAGS Committee is still accepting applications for a Member-at-Large position. This position would focus on a number of issues affecting APAGS members, and in particular serve as the point person for Membership Recruitment and Retention issues.

Timeline: If you apply and get slated for this position, you’ll run an election during the month of April by trying to get the online vote of fellow APAGS members. Your term of service would begin this August and you’d serve for two years, through August 2018. You must be in school through at least Spring 2017 to be eligible.

Next steps: For information on eligibility and application materials, please go to our website. All applications must be submitted to apags@apa.org by 11:59PM EST on 2/15/16.

Graduate Students Have Rights. APAGS Just Spelled Them Out.

What rights should psychology graduate students expect no matter where or what they study? (Image source: Julia Manzerova on Flickr. Some rights reserved.)

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a graduate student in psychology discuss aspects of their training or education that seemed inequitable, I could pay back all my loans.

Too often in graduate school, students come across situations in which they believe their rights have been infringed upon in some way. When this occurs, many students feel at a loss for how to advocate for themselves and what they can or should be able to reasonably advocate for. The result for many students is dissatisfaction, frustration, and occasionally leaving a training program or experience.

The APAGS Committee has honed in on this student concern over the past year and opted to move forward with creating a student “bill of rights.” This was a very detailed process that included a literature review of various student right documents from across the world, drafting lists of rights based on this literature and our own experiences, and completing many revisions with input from APAGS leaders and many outside resources.

At long last, the APAGS Committee voted in December to approve a document titled, “Position Statement on the Rights of Psychology Graduate Students.” The Committee is planning to distribute these rights across various platforms and to a variety of constituents. The Committee is even considering bringing the document to APA’s Council of Representatives for consideration as an official policy document! That’s a huge step, and we will keep you posted.

In the meantime, we hope that students, programs, and other interested parties can use this document to their benefit. Use it to advocate for your own rights and thereby create a program or training experience of the highest caliber. If you have other ideas and reactions, we would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below!

Here now is the text of our position statement, which is also available on our website.

Position Statement on the Rights of Psychology Graduate Students

Preamble

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) deems the rights described in this document to be indispensable to the fair, equitable and respectful treatment of every psychology graduate student throughout their education and training. The protection of these rights fosters the highest quality graduate training experience. APAGS considers these rights essential, not aspirational, and we urge graduate programs to implement these rights in their unique settings and training environments. We encourage current and prospective students to utilize these rights in making informed graduate program selections and in advocating for themselves as issues arise.

1. Institutional Environment

1.1 Right to respectful treatment by faculty members, colleagues, staff, and peers.

1.2 Right to have professional and personal information handled in a sensitive and respectful manner such that personal information is only disclosed when it is deemed necessary for educational or training purposes, and that students are informed prior to any such disclosure (See Ethical Standard 7.04).

1.3 Right to affordable insurance inclusive of health, vision, dental, and mental health care coverage.

2. Program Policies

2.1 Right to publicly available, accurate, and up-to-date descriptions of costs, the availability of financial support, and the likelihood of ongoing support throughout training (e.g., percent of students with full and partial financial support during year one, year two, etc.; available funding options), to be provided prior to or immediately following the program’s interviews for prospective students (See Ethical Standard 7.02).

2.2 Right to accurate and up-to-date information from research advisors and thesis/dissertation committee members on professional factors that could impact student training, career development, and timely program completion.

2.3 Right to access and exercise formal written policies regarding leave and accommodations as they pertain to pregnancy, parenting/caregiving, bereavement, medical or mental illness, and disability.

2.4 Right to access and exercise formal written policies and procedures regarding academic and placement/internship requirements, administrative procedures, evaluation, advisement, retention, average “time to degree,” and termination (See Ethical Standard 7.02).

2.5 Right to express opinions and have representation on campus committees relevant to professional development, with voting privileges where appropriate.

2.6 Right to exemption from new graduation or program requirements, developed after admission, that might result in a delay of graduation.

3. Professional and Educational Training Opportunities

3.1 Right to appropriate professional training (e.g., teaching, research, clinical practice) in the current standards and practices of the discipline and specialty area (See Ethical Standard 7.01).

3.2 Right to be evaluated by faculty consistent with current ethical practices in employment, progression through the program, and grading, solely on the basis of academic performance, professional qualifications, and/or conduct (See Ethical Standard 7.06).

3.3 Right to quality mentorship.

3.4 Right to change advisors and committee members for professional and personal needs.

3.5 Right to receive timely, ongoing feedback on all areas of trainee competency and the opportunity to address growth areas with support from faculty.

3.6 Right to co-authorship in publications when the student has made significant contributions of ideas or research work (See Ethical Standards 8.11 and 8.12 a-c).

3.7 Right to freely communicate and collaborate with other academic colleagues.

3.8 Right to lead, assemble, and participate in organizations and activities outside the academic program.

3.9 Right to engage in self care as a routine practice throughout training (See Ethical Standards 3.05 and 3.06).

4. Work Environment

4.1 Right to fair compensation for services provided during training (e.g., graduate, teaching, and research assistantships).

4.2 Right for students providing services during training (e.g., teaching, research, clinical, and administrative graduate assistantships) to enjoy the recognitions, rights, privileges, and protections afforded to employees under state, provincial, territorial, and national labor laws.

4.3 Right to study and work in an environment free of exploitation, intimidation, harassment, or discrimination based on one’s student status, race, ethnicity, skin color, national origin, religion, political beliefs, economic status, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, medical or mental health conditions, ancestry, citizenship, military veteran status, or any other identity salient to the individual in admissions and throughout education, employment, and placement (See Principle E and Ethical Standards 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.08).

4.4 Right to work under clearly expressed and mutually agreed-upon job descriptions and work or training conditions.

4.5 Right to perform only those tasks that relate to academic program requirements, professional development, and/or job duties.

4.6 Right to provide constructive and professional feedback to supervisors, directors, administrators, and staff concerning the quality and content of supervision

5. Appeals and Grievances

5.1 Right to clearly defined official grievance procedures and informal complaint procedures.

5.2 Right to whistleblower protection for exposing professional, ethical, or legal violations (See Ethical Standard 1.08).

5.3 Right to due process for any accusation of violation or infraction.

5.4 Right to be free of reprisals for exercising the rights contained in this document (See Ethical Standard 1.08).

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