Presidential Message
Happy August SPP members!
I hope everyone has had a great summer. In this month’s column, I’m excited to give you an update on happenings within SPP, including a recap of APA 2023 and an email you will receive shortly to provide feedback on our bylaws.
Confirm your SPP Membership: We noticed this past year that a number of individuals thought they had renewed their memberships but actually had not! Please remember that you must be an active member of SPP to participate in committees, workgroups, taskforces and SIGS. Please check your member portal even if you think you are a current member, confirm your membership, and update your profile before the end of the year. You do not have to renew with APA in order to renew with SPP. We value each and every one of our members. Please email the central office at info@pedpsych.org if you have any questions or concerns. Please note, we will be updating our list serve shortly and if your membership isn’t up to date, you will no longer have access.
APA 2023: It was great to see so many of you in Washington, DC for amazing pediatric psychology programming led by our program chair Thomaseo Burton, PhD, and co-chair Colleen Stiles-Shield, PhD. Each day brought a diverse group of speakers, and the number of attendees at each program spoke volumes. Thank you to all who attended and a tremendous thank you to our presenters for showcasing the best of pediatric psychology.
We also held our second Town Hall at APA. Thank you to all who attended. If you were not able to attend, you can watch a recording of it here:
Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing - Zoom
We were fortunate to have Dr. Stephen Gillaspy from APA (and fellow pediatric psychologist) join to provide some updates and things to be on the lookout for as it comes to the practice of psychology. It’s a must watch! Also at the Town Hall, we began to think about what the mission and vision for SPP should, and could, be. This work will continue in our SPP Presidential Taskforce on Social Justice. We want to ensure that our society has a mission and vision that truly encompasses our values and goals as a society.
And stay tuned for more information about APA 2024 in Seattle
… Colleen will be there to greet you as she chairs what will be a terrific program!
SPPAC 2024: And with APA ending, we now turn our full attention to SPPAC 2024 in New Orleans on April 25th through 27th. Program chair Naadira Upshaw, PhD, and co-chair Lauren Harrison, PhD, have announced their call for proposals with our conference theme: What’s next? Defining the Path Forward for Pediatric Psychology. Be on the lookout for more information and make sure to get your proposals in by October 16th. For the second year in a row, all posters and paper abstracts accepted for presentation will be published in a Supplement of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.
Bylaws: Soon, all SPP members will receive notice to provide feedback on our bylaws. It has been several years since our bylaws were updated, and as we make changes, we want to invite your voices for incorporation into the bylaws, or in other avenues. Stay tuned for more information on how you can provide your thoughts. You can find our current bylaws here: Bylaws - Society of Pediatric Psychology (pedpsych.org)
Other happenings: A new taskforce has been launched to examine the composition of our board. As our organization continues to grow, we want to make sure our board composition will help us successfully reach our goals. You will receive more information as this group begins their work.
Don’t forget! Coffee Hours with the Board: Be sure to mark your calendars for Coffee Hours with the Board. These are informal gatherings with SPP Board members (or delegates) to learn more about the things happening in our organization, and for us to hear from you. Zoom links will be sent on the listserve. Come join us!
Be well, and please do not hesitate to reach out at any time!
Melissa Santos, PhD
SPP President
msantos@connecticutchildrens.org