Updates from executive midwinter board meeting


Updates from the board for Div. 54 members.

 
By Avani Modi, PhD
 
We had a productive two-day meeting in Savannah, Georgia, this past January with several interesting highlights for our Div. 54 members:
  • The Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference (SPPAC) planning is going well for San Diego and the 2016 conference will likely be held in Atlanta, Georgia. Be looking for our 2015 SPPAC twitter feed while at the conference.
  • Sharon Berry, who has led the SPP mentoring project since its inception will be transitioning her duties to Joanna Patten in the near future. They will be working with SIG leaders to provide mentorship matching based on specific interests.
  • Under Elissa Jelalian, PhD’s leadership, Div. 54 will be exploring new website options this year to enhance our capabilities and the needs of the division, including SIG space and a more user-friendly format that allows for real-time updates. A taskforce is currently being developed to lead these endeavors.
  • Div. 54’s presence at APA continues to decline. The board discussed ways to encourage attendance at APA given the new exciting program initiatives, including interdivisional symposia, as well as internships on parade, and the ability to closely interact with Div. 54 leaders through student programming/workshops.
  • The Journal of Pediatric Psychology ( JPP ) and Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology ( CPPP ) recently published excellent joint special issues focused on Evidence-based treatment in pediatric psychology edited by Tonya Palermo, PhD ( JPP ) and Bryan Carter, PhD ( CPPP ). The focus of the JPP special issue is on comprehensive systematic reviews/meta-analyses of evidence-based treatment approaches while the CPPP special issue highlights applied clinical activities and models of practice that incorporate evidence-based treatment in clinical settings with diverse clinical populations.
  • Three Div. 54 members received targeted grant proposals this year, including Christopher Cushing, PhD; Elizabeth Towner, PhD; and Kristoffer Berlin, PhD.
  • The board continues to find ways to give back to its membership. We are excited to share that we have increased the number of student travel awards for the upcoming year, including student travel awards specific for APA, which will be held in Toronto this August.
The board is excited to share this information with Div. 54 and we welcome your thoughts and feedback.