News from the Committee on Youth and Families
The Committee on Youth and Families has been very active this year.
By Rachel Tunick
APA’s Committee on Children, Youth and Families (CYF), within APA’s Public Interest Directorate, is comprised of six APA members elected for staggered three-year terms. The committee is charged with identifying and disseminating information concerning the psychological status of children, youth and families, and advocating for their interests in the context of APA-related issues. The CYF committee holds two formal meetings annually and maintains active monitor and liaison relationships with APA boards, committees, task forces and divisions.
The CYF has recently been involved in a number of initiatives and projects of potential interest to SPP members. These include the following:
- The December 2014 issue of CYF News (a semi-annual publication) was guest edited by committee member Jodi Quas, PhD, and is entitled, “Adolescence: A Unique Period of Challenge and Opportunity for Positive Development.” The August 2015 issue was guest edited by committee member Caryn Rodgers, PhD, and focused on resiliency in African-American youth. The next issue of CYF News will be published in spring 2016. Guest edited by committee member Arthur (Andy) Horne, PhD; this forthcoming issue focuses on the Safe and Welcoming Schools project.
- CYF is translating the W. T. Grant Foundation report, “Disparities in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Mental Health Services in the U.S,” into a clinician’s guide for practice and a policymaker’s briefing guide.
- At the August 2015 APA convention in Toronto, the CYF presented inaugural awards for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth and Families. Recipients were Jonathan Comer, PhD (Early Career), and Lynn Miller, PhD (Mid-Career). Nominations for the 2016 awards are due on Jan. 15. See additional information.
- At the 2015 APA convention CYF co-sponsored a symposium entitled, “Intimate Partner Violence and HIV: Intersectionality and the Accumulation of Risk.”
- For the seventh year CYF will participate in the selection process for the American Psychological Foundation Annette Urso Rickel Dissertation Award for Public Policy, which supports dissertation research on public policy that has the potential to improve services for children and families facing psychological issues.
- The CYF is helping to update the 2002 APA resource, “Developing Adolescents: A Reference for Professionals” and will include topics such as sleep, technology and brain development.
- The Office on CYF, which works very closely with CYF, recently contributed to an APA publication, “Resilience Booster: Parent Tip Tool,” a useful resource for working with families.
If any member of SPP would like to raise issues for CYF, please be in touch with Rachel Tunick, current SPP liaison to CYF.