Committees

We encourage you to become active on one of our committees. Please contact us.

2007-2008 Executive Committee

APA 2008 Program Committee

Co-chaired by Joan Cook and Richard Thompson. The 2009 co-chair with be Dawn Hughes.

Awards Committee

The Awards Committee is chaired by Terry Keane. This committee develops criteria for awards and creates processes for giving those awards to deserving contributors to trauma psychology. The committee gave the following awards for 2007:

  • Award for outstanding contribution to Practice in the field of Trauma Psychology - Christine A Courtois
  • Award for outstanding contribution to the Science of Trauma Psychology - Dean G.Kilpatrick
  • Award for outstanding Service to the field of Trauma psychology - Judie Alpert
  • Award for outstanding dissertation in the field of Trauma Psychology - Carolyn Allard, University of Oregon

Disaster Relief Committee

The Disaster Relief Committee is chaired by Gilbert Reyes. This committee focusses on psychological responses to disaster.

Diversity Committee

Co-chaired by George Rhoades and Priscilla Dass-Brailsford. The Diversity Committee is interested in highlighting the intersections of multicultural experience and trauma. We're especially interested in increasing representation both of psychologists of color, and issues of people of color and other underrepresented groups in research, practice, and education about trauma. We are working on the development of international cross-cultural practicum/internships in Trauma Psychology and beginning work to establish accreditation of these sites.

Education and Training Committee

The Education and Training Committee, chaired by Anne DePrince encourages education and training at doctoral and post-doctoral levels in the science and practice of trauma studies, and oversees the creation of Continuing Education programs.

Fellows Committee

The Fellows Committee assists members in applying to APA for initial Fellow status. We also encourage Division members who are already APA Fellows to become Fellows of Division 56. Information about either process can be obtained from the current Chair, Charles Figley.

Finance

Chaired by the Treasurer, this committee deals with all budgetary matters for the Division.

International Committee

Chaired by Elizabeth Carll. This committee insures that international issues are represented in division business and policies and fosters international collaboration and communication concerning trauma related issues.

Liaison Comittee

Chaired by Joyanna Silberg, this committee maintains liaisons to other trauma-related professional organizations, including but not limited to ISTSS and ISSD.

Membership Committee

Chaired by Sandra Mattar. This committee is responsible for recruitment of members and processing applications.

Nominations and Elections Committee

Lenore Walker is the chair of Nominations and Elections. Please contact her if you are interested in any elected office in the Division.

Policy Committee

Chaired by Diane Elmore. The mission of the APA Division 56 Public Policy Committee is to share the scientific and clinical expertise of the division membership and the broader trauma field with policy makers to help inform and promote appropriate and effective public policies related to psychological trauma. The Public Policy Committee has been working on a variety of federal policy issues related to psychological trauma in conjunction with the Public Interest Government Relations Office at APA. These efforts have included sharing information and resources with policy makers, drafting and reviewing legislative proposals, recommending trauma experts for consultation and presentations and meeting with congressional offices, federal agencies, and stakeholder organizations.

Practice Committee

Chaired by Christine Courtois.This group is concerned with all aspects of treating the effects of psychological trauma and will monitor the state of the field, identify areas of need for training and research, funding and dissemination, and look for ways to help provide informational resources to Division members. This committee is currently working on a number of projects including a project with Division 35 on curricula about violence against women and children, inclusion of a complex trauma diagnosis in the DSM V in collaboration with other groups within the field of trauma treatment, writing a Monitor article on trauma, developing training videos on trauma through APA, creating a current best practice standards for trauma treatment.

Publications Committee

Currently chaired by the newsletter editor, this group develops content and standards for all of the division's publications

The newsletter is published twice yearly. Contributions from members are actively solicited. J.Christopher Collier is our editor.

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, and Practice. The Editor will be Steven N. Gold, with Co-Associate Editors Christine Courtois and Kathleen Kendall Tackett.

The website offers rich resources about trauma psychology for Division 56 members, including audio recordings of our featured convention symposia, training programs, and electronic copies of the division's newsletter. The Website Editor is Laura S. Brown.

Science Committee

The Science Committee monitors the state of the field, identifies areas of need for research, and provides informational resources to Division members regarding scientific research on trauma. We will also provide guidance to Division 56 leadership on an as-needed basis. Our goals include working on ways to make the science of psychological trauma more available to the general public in a way that is accurate. These include working on Wikipedia entries on psychological trauma and related issues and on conceptualizing and selling a better federal funding structure for trauma research. Further information about the work of this committee can be obtained from its chair, Jennifer J. Freyd.

Special Interest Groups

The SIG Committee develops guidelines for SIGs within the division, assists interested members in establishing new SIGs, and coordinates between SIGs and the Executive Committee. It is chaired by Desnee Hall.

Student Affairs Committee

This committee is chaired by Patrick Meade. We have begun to create a nationwide network of fellow students with interests in trauma and are creating a forum in which we can participate in current academic conversations and events regarding cutting-edge work within the field of trauma. Our committee currently has three sub-committees:

Task Force Examining Psychologists' Role in Interrogation From The Perspective of Trauma

Chaired by Nnamdi Pole, this group is working to contribute to the important discussion of what role (if any) psychologists have in interrogations for national security purposes. The Task Force's aim will be to gather and present the expertise of trauma-oriented psychologists as it pertains to this highly controversial topic. Division 56 members who have relevant information, experiences, or opinions may direct them to Nnamdi.

Task Force on Mental Health of Military and Families

Chaired by Jaine Darwin, this task force will have two charges that allow the task force to study the needs of military and of the extended family of the military with a specific emphasis on the needs of veterans and their families after return from deployments in the war zone. One subgroup will study the diagnosis and treatment of the 40-50% of soldiers returning with a diagnosable mental health condition, the 17-20% with PTSD and the differential between PTSD and TBI. The other subgroup will study the secondary and vicarious trauma suffered by the extended family and how to prevent it.