The president’s message
President Tonya Palermo outlines SPP’s strategic objectives and initiatives, including creation of an online resource library and development of a new journal
By Tonya M. Palermo
At the Midwinter Executive Committee Meeting the board devoted significant time to redefining SPP’s mission and vision. This work provided the foundation for setting goals and strategic priorities to guide the society in the near future. The following is a summary of the board’s planning efforts. Each year, strategies and projects will be selected to advance these strategic initiatives.
Strategic Objectives
- Enhance focus on evidence-based practice and practice-oriented initiatives
- Serve as the authoritative source of information about pediatric psychology for the public and other health professionals
- Advance and support education in pediatric psychology through a yearly national conference
- Develop and sustain a website that provides a valuable and integral resource for the membership
- Advocate for pediatric psychology services on a national level
- Support special research initiatives
- Devise strategies to develop and retain the future generation of pediatric psychologists
- Expand internationally
2012 Strategic Initiatives
SPP is funding three major projects this year to advance several of these strategic initiatives. The first project revitalizes SPP’s focus on evidence-based practice through creation of an online resource library. This library will contain a range of materials intended to provide clinicians, students, and researchers with information, skills, tools, and a summary of the evidence for pediatric psychology assessments and interventions. Fact sheets that provide accessible information on the prevalence, etiology, consequences, and evidence-based psychological treatment of common pediatric conditions will be developed. Evidence-based assessment resource sheets summarizing the evidence base for standardized measures in different outcome domains will be produced. Over time, we will add new resources in the areas of skills, tools, and evidencebased interventions using a variety of mediums.
The second major new project is the development and publication of a new journal, Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. The intent of the new journal is to provide a forum for publishing descriptions of the practice of pediatric psychology and of the organization and delivery of clinical services. We are currently soliciting nominations for the first journal editor to develop the issues that the APA will publish in 2013 under the imprint of the Educational Publishing Foundation. This new venture will provide an important complement to the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.
The third major project is to advance and support education in pediatric psychology through our national conference held each spring. We are working on multiple strategies to increase the conference’s educational value, which includes the creation of a new board position for a National Conference Program Chair for each annual meeting. The next national conference will take place in New Orleans, La. April 11-13, 2013.
Planning for the Future
We have set an overarching goal to maintain financial stability and to invest funds in strategies that extend SPP’s mission. Over the past few years, we have received increased revenue from Oxford Press for our Journal of Pediatric Psychology contract, helping us achieve an overall strong financial status as an organization. In addition, under SPP Treasurer David Elkin’s astute guidance over the past four years, we have established a solid base for our securities. We are in a more confident place to now consider the best way to finance projects through a blend of our investments and membership dues.
This is a time of tremendous growth and opportunity for the society. It has been a busy year thus far, and I sincerely thank each of my colleagues for their commitment, time, and energy to help launch these new projects. In addition, I thank our membership for their support. As we implement our new strategic initiatives, I look forward to hearing more ideas from the membership and to communicating our progress with you.