Association News
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• Congratulations to David W. Hess, PhD, ABPP and Patti C. Rogers, MS, LSW on their re-election to the Board.
• Welcome to the newest Board Members, Linda R. LaForgia, MSW, LISW-CP; and E. Jason Mask, MSW, LCSW.
• On behalf of the Association, I would like to express my appreciation to all those members who submitted their name as candidates. For the Association to remain viable, it needs to have the active participation of its members. I hope you will consider running for the Board again in the future.
• Thanks to Laura A. Cushman, PhD, Marcia L. Bernstein, MSW, LCSW, and Lester Butt, PhD, ABPP for all their work on the Board of Directors. They have devoted significant time and energy to Association activities.
CLINICAL PRACTICE
• Thanks to Rebecca J. Adcock, PhD for all her work as Committee Chair.
• Thanks to Charles H. Bombardier, PhD, and James Burge, MSW, LCSW, for all their work as committee members.
• Welcome to Sara J. Klass, MSW, C-ASWCM, and Ellen M. Cloyed, MSW, ACSW, LISW, newly appointed members of the committee.
• The committee is reviewing and updating the current edition of the Standards for Psychologists and Social Workers.
• The committee is updating the Suggested Reading List.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
• Welcome back to David W. Hess, PhD, ABPP, on being re-appointed to the committee.
• Welcome to Linda R. LaForgia, MSW, LISW-CP, on being appointed to the committee.
• The committee is looking for ways to increase Web Board usage. By making it more user friendly, the committee hopes AASCIPSW Members will take advantage of this important communications tool.
MEMBERSHIP
• Thanks to Cynthia A. Clark, MSW, LCSW, and Linda R. LaForgia, MSW, LCSW, for all their work as committee members.
• Welcome to Caroline J. Anderson, PhD, and Annette M. Bailey, PhD, newly appointed members of the committee.
• Award winners are recommended by the Membership Committee from a pool of nominees and endorsed by the Board of Directors. We extend congratulations to this years deserving winners:
Clinical Performance Award – Irby D. Ferguson, MSW, ACSW
Essie Morgan Excellence Award – Stephen T. Wegener, PhD, ABPP
James J. Peters Distinguished Service Award – Norman D. Haw, RRP, CCRC; Rose C. Trincher, MD
Organizational Achievement Award – VA SCI/D Strategic Health Care Group
• The AASCIPSW Award Program is your opportunity to recognize a colleague’s dedication and contribution to the SCI field. Take the time to nominate a deserving colleague.
NOMINATING
• Consider running for a position on the Board next year. Its an excellent opportunity to grow professionally while giving something back to the Association.
PROGRAM
• Thanks to Madeleine Joseph, MSW, RSW, for all her work as a committee member.
• Welcome back to Pamela J. Fitzpatrick, PhD, on being re-appointed Committee Chair.
• Welcome back to Nancy M. Benjamin, MSW, CSW, on being re-appointed to the committee.
• Welcome to Laura A. Cushman, PhD, on being appointed to the committee.
• Plan to attend the Annual Conference in September. It looks like another terrific program!! Check out the Conference Highlights below.
RESEARCH
• Welcome back to Neil Bockian, PhD and Steven Perkel, DSW, LCSW, newly re-appointed to the Committee.
• Due to unforeseen budget constraints in FY 2006, the Association has been forced to cancel the current (2005–2006) Research Grant Program funding cycle and suspend the Research Grant Program indefinitely.
STRATEGIC PLANNING TASK FORCE
• The Task Force has prepared a final report that will be presented to the membership. Several new and exciting initiatives are being considered.
MEMBERS MAKING NEWS
Helen T. Bosshart MSSW, LCSW, received the VA Social Work Pioneer Award in June 2004, and was an author on two publications on clinical practice guidelines, published in Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine and SCI Nursing.
Bernard S. Brucker, PhD, ABPP, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Division 22 (Rehabilitation) of the American Psychological Association for Distinguished Contributions in Rehabilitation Psychology (2004). He was re-elected as president of the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology, the ABPP Specialty Board for Rehabilitation Psychology, and was elected chair of the Council of Presidents of Specialty Academies in Professional Psychology. In addition, he was elected vice president of the Council on Specialties and was appointed to the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Advisory Council for the State of Florida.
Ellen M. Cloyed, MSW, ACSW, LISW, was awarded the Donald H. Gerdom Executive Director’s Service Award at the Iowa Paralyzed Veterans of America annual meeting for her “many years of sensitive service, caring heart, and creative mind used to aid and benefit the many members of the Iowa Paralyzed Veterans of America and for all veterans in her care” (2004).
Based on a grant proposal submitted by Carol Gill, MD, SCI Site Manager and C. Denise Coutsouridis, ACSW, LCSW, former SCI Coordinator, now SW Coordinator, Extended Care, both of VANJHCS, our organization received a $10,000 Quality of Life Health Promotion grant from the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) to support training for the Program Manager of the Spinal Cord Injury /Disorders Empowerment Program. The program manager will be a veteran consumer who will provide training and guidance for other veterans with SCI/D. The program will take place in our Veterans Empowerment Room, which has computers and is also used for veteran groups and activities.
Health Promotion is one of the thirteen Quality of Life grant categories. Health Promotion grants are funded through a cooperative agreement between CRPF and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the acceptance letter, the “award is made on the enthusiastic recommendation of the CRPF Board’s Quality of Life Grants Committee. The competition was extremely fierce, and in most cases, grants awarded were less that the requested amount. We hope that you will leverage this CRPF award to garner public awareness of your project and support from other funding sources.”
Timothy R. Elliott, PhD, ABPP, was appointed editor of Rehabilitation Psychology for a five-year term, and also won the Dorothy Booz Black Award from the Society of Counseling Psychology (Div 17 in APA) for outstanding research achievement in health applications of counseling psychology in August 2004 at the APA convention in Hawaii.
Alan L. Goldberg, PsyD, ABPP, JD, received the Peter J. Attarian Award of the Southern Arizona Psychological Association for outstanding contributions to psychology and an American Psychological Association citation for outstanding contributions to the advancement of public interest policy (awarded at the APA consolidated meetings, fall 2004).
David W. Hess, PhD, ABPP, has been awarded the Rosa S. Cifu Endowed Professorship in Rehabilitation Research at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Sigmund Hough, PhD, ABPP, has recently been appointed Training Director of the Boston Consortium Postdoctoral Fellowship Program–VA Boston Healthcare System.
Mark V. Johnston, PhD, was elected Fellow of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Mitchell Rosenthal, PhD, ABPP, is President-elect of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, was appointed to the Board of Trustees, American Board of Professional Psychology; was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer of Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation; and presented the 18th annual William Spencer Lecture at Baylor College of Medicine/TIRR in October, 2004.
Marcia Scherer, PhD, is Secretary of the American Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Mitchell S. Tepper, PhD, MPH, was awarded a Phase I grant, Sexual Health Profiler for Disabled Individuals, through the NIH SBIR Program. He also was awarded a contract to edit a four volume set: Sexual Health, for Praeger Publishing.
David S. Tulsky, PhD, was appointed Program Chair, Division 22 for the 2005 APA Annual Meeting.
Stephen T. Wegener, PhD, ABPP, will succeed Allen W. Heinemann PhD, ABPP, as President of APA Division 22. Allen also serves as President of the American Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine.
NOTE: Your colleagues and friends would like to hear about your new job, promotion, publications, presentations, or life events. Please forward any newsworthy tidbits of information for inclusion in this column to:
Stephen Sofer, PhD
Association News Section Editor
American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers
75-20 Astoria Boulevard
Jackson Heights, NY 11370-1177
Fax: 718-803-0414
E-mail: ssofer@unitedspinal.org
19th ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
The AASCIPSW Program Committee and Board of Directors are pleased to offer a great lineup of speakers and presentations for the 2005 Annual Conference. Please check the Conference Program for the specific presentation time and location.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
The AASCIPSW Program Committee is pleased to announce that Gary L. Karp will deliver the Keynote Address entitled ”Adjusting to a Life on Wheels.”
ADDITIONAL INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Having to Prove Ourselves: Parents with Disabilities Explain it All for You
Rhoda Olkin, PhD
Accessing Higher Education for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries
Alan Strauss, MA, and Bryan Barten, MA, CRC
ETHICS PRESENTATIONS
An Approach to Ethical Decision making
Thomas R. Kerkhoff, PhD
Ethical Issues from an Individual and Organizational Perspective
Robert T. Guenther, PhD
The Cure vs. Psychosocial Needs Conundrum: The Ethics of Inclusion
David W. Shannon, LLM
Choosing Death over Tetraplegia in the Films of 2004
Gale G. Whiteneck, PhD
SYMPOSIA & WORKSHOPS
International Classification of Functioning
Family Functioning and Emotional Well-Being After Spinal Cord Injury
Translating Clinical Questions into Research
Women with Violently Acquired Spinal Cord Injuries
The Triumph Over Tragedy: Lessons of Recovery and Hope
Therapeutic Coaching for Parents with Spinal Cord Injuries/Disorders: Enhancing Parental Role Efficacy
SPECIAL EVENTS
APA–Division 22–American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology: Update and Rehabilitation Psychology Issues
Take this opportunity to speak with the President of APA’s Division 22 and hear the latest news in this informal setting. Bring your breakfast!
NASW Update and Social Work Issues
Take this opportunity to discuss current social work issues in this informal setting. Bring your breakfast!
Newcomers Welcome
Welcome all new AASCIPSW Members or first time conference attendees. Have any questions about the Association? Meet with members of the Membership Committee and learn more about your Association. Bring your breakfast!
New Committee Chair Orientation
You agreed to become Chair of a Committee. Now what? Find out! Meet with members of the Board of Directors and find out what you need to do. Bring your breakfast!
An Update of the VA SCI/D Program
Calling all VA Psychologists and Social Workers! Take this opportunity to hear what is new in the VA Health Care System from the Chief Consultant in this informal setting. Bring your breakfast!
VA SCI Psychosocial Professionals Forum
Calling all VA Psychologists, Social Workers and Case Managers! Take this opportunity to meet your colleagues and speak with members of the SCI/D Strategic Health Care Group in this informal setting.
EXHIBITION HALL EVENTS
Monday Night Welcome Reception
Come share sumptuous food and drink and engage in scintillating conversation with friends and colleagues. This is the opportunity to renew acquaintances and establish new friendships.
Food Concession
Lunch will be available for purchase in the vendor Exhibition Hall. This will afford attendees an ample opportunity to visit the vendor booths and the poster Presentations during the lunch break.
Vendor Exhibits
Back by popular demand! Be sure to visit the booths offering a wide variety of professional and personal goods and services.
Poster Presentations
Visit the Poster Presentations and have an opportunity to talk with the authors.
Wine and Cheese Reception
Take this opportunity to enjoy a wine and cheese reception while “schmoozing” with your colleagues. Visit the Vendor Exhibits and Poster Presentations as well!