Twelve Hundred and Counting!

As Division 56 heads into its second full year of existence, we've expanded our reach in ways that belie the youth of the organization. We're living up to our mission in a major way:

• Our membership has grown, and we are now among the middle tier of APA divisions as our numbers topped 1200 in early November.
• We are engaged in interdivisional activities with a number of other well-established groups in APA, starting with the exciting Violence Summit being held in February 2008.
• We've established task forces on matters of moment and concern to our members, including the painful issue of psychologists' involvement in interrogations, and the challenging topic of responding to the needs of returning war veterans and their families.
• We're spearheading efforts to insure that trauma is taken into account in up-coming revisions of the DSM, and we're in the foreground of getting trauma on the agenda for research funding.
• Our special interest groups section is up and running, with two SIGS fully established.

It's been a highly productive period, and will remain so with your continued support, membership, and active engagement. Because we're new, we have space for your interest and involvement, so take a closer look here at what we're doing and find where you'd like to put your energy.

Why is it important to keep trauma on APA's agenda?

• Because trauma has been implicated as a risk factor in many major disorders
• Because war, terrorism, and disaster are actively on the national agenda
• Because cutting-edge research about trauma and children's development needs dissemination
• Because the scholarship about trauma is still not in psychology's mainstream, and our convention programs can help to put it there
• Because the wisdom of psychology's trauma experts can be better utilized by our profession and by the public

Why join Division 56?

Because now that we've got our seat at the table we need to be sure that trauma is represented in APA's policies and activities. We are in a position, thanks to having a representative on APA Council, to initiate proposals for projects and working groups, to develop products, and to form coalitions to address the pressing issues of trauma that are, sadly, growing ever more frequent today. While in the past we've been dependent on our allies in other groups within APA to champion trauma issues, with the establishment of Division 56 we can now take a leadership role.  Join us! »

Get involved!

Check out the Committees page to see what we're doing and find places to plug in. There is a wide range of opportunities for your involvement on the ground floor of the Division's activities. We especially encourage members who've never been involved in APA before to take this chance to have an impact.

Donate to Division 56

Are you a book author who receives royalties from your work on trauma? Consider donating some portion of your royalties to Division 56; it's an easy way to support the work of the organization and give back to the field of trauma psychology. Are you looking for a good end-of-year tax deduction? Write a check to Division 56, which is a not-for-profit organization. Have ideas about how to raise money for the Division? Get in touch with any of our elected officers to share your ideas.