Center for Digital Strategy & Services

In June 2016 APA launched the Center for Digital Strategy and Services (CDSS) to centralize activities and projects with components expressed through digital channels. Housed in the ITS Business Integration unit, CDSS seeks to expand APA’s outreach and impact through the use of the web and social media to disseminate psychological science. CDSS has already had a significant impact on APA:

• CDSS took the reins for all website work and processed over 3,000 requests for work since June. We also made significant upgrades to the look and feel of the core website. Positive comments from users have been backed up by lower bounce rates and deeper sessions (the period of time when a visitor is actively engaged on the website) across the site’s 40,000+ pages.
• CDSS introduced in-house video services in 2016. Our first Facebook Live stream (on the Psychology of Poverty) was seen by over 14,000 individuals, and our hashtag video to support #mentalHealthReform was one of our top five Twitter stories this year. At the end of the year, CDSS hired a new social media manager to begin the process of centralizing the function.
• CDSS took a leadership role in digital strategy in the second half of the year. Our efforts bolstered the reach of APA’s campaign to pass mental health reform legislation, helping APA obtain nearly 30,000 letters to government representatives; the legislation passed as part of the 21st Century Cures Act.

Center for Learning and Career Development

The Center for Learning and Career Development (CLCD), created through the collaborative efforts of the APA Membership Office and the Education Directorate, is dedicated to the career advancement and professional development of psychologists. CLCD will focus on aggregating and developing high-quality training materials to help member psychologists obtain resources for, and engage in, lifelong learning relevant to the diverse settings in which they work.

CLCD opened in mid-2016 and has been planning its programs for 2017, which include a five-part series on substance use disorders and addictions and a series on the science of learning; video webcasts series on such topics as leadership, mentoring and improving practice delivery; telepsychology programs in partnership with Palo Alto University; and an online mentor-match networking tool for APA members attending the convention.

Overview of SUD and Addictions

Center for Psychology and Health

Created in 2013, the Center for Psychology and Health (CPH) is designed to provide overall coordination and advance activities to achieve one of the goals of APA’s strategic plan — expand psychology’s role in advancing health care. CPH convenes monthly meetings attended by leaders throughout APA to discuss priorities and foster interorganizational collaborations. CPH also engages in a variety of organizational collaborations to apply psychology’s expertise to many aspects of health:

• In 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded CPH $2 million under a three-year cooperative agreement to help train psychologists to work within integrated health care systems. Clinicians who participate in the Integrated Health Care Alliance, a collaborative, peer-based learning initiative, will eventually be part of leading and creating positive change for the entire health system.
• CPH, in collaboration with Deloitte, released a 20-page white paper on how models that integrate physical health, behavioral health and social determinants can improve health outcomes and lower costs.
• CPH staffed the Integrated Primary Care Alliance, an initiative of APA President Susan McDaniel, which was attended by 81 leaders representing 25 national health and mental health professional organizations. The group discussed critical issues and developed a collective action agenda.

Psychologists in Integrated Health Care: Introduction

Center for Workforce Studies

The Center for Workforce Studies (CWS), housed in the APA Education Directorate, is responsible for the collection, analysis and dissemination of information about the psychology workforce and education system. Through the use of surveys, federal statistics and data mining, CWS gathers information about the profession of psychology — including its scientific and educational communities, practitioners and psychologists working in the public interest.

The year saw the release of six comprehensive workforce reports. Of particular note were the 2015 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers; 2015 Member Profiles; and 2015 County-Level Analysis of U.S. Licensed Psychologists and Health Indicators. CWS also continued its popular Datapoint feature in the APA Monitor. These one-page summaries present major findings on topics like career paths for psychology degrees holders and postgraduate plans and salaries of recent recipients of psychology research doctorates.

What are the postgraduate plans and salaries of recent recipients of psychology research directorates?