American Psychological Association Division 17 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY SECTION

 

BYLAWS

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY SECTION

A SECTION OF THE DIVISION OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY (17)
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Submitted to the Division 17 Executive Board
June 25, 1995 

Article I
Name and Purpose

The name of this Section of the Division of Counseling Psychology (Division 17) of the American Psychological Association (APA) shall be the Health Psychology Section (HPS).

The area of health psychology has had a strong tradition of employing counseling psychologists. Initially, counseling psychologists with an interest in the domain of health psychology made thier contributions within the Veterans Administration Medical Center system. Since these early years, counseling psychologists have expanded beyond a single institution and have had a significant impact on the science and practice of our discipline in health related contexts either through research with medical, rehabilitation, or related populations, direct service to individuals accross their lifespan (e.g., prevention, adjustment to and recuperation from illness, healthy lifestyle changes, psychological concomitants of medical illnesses), teaching and training of graduate students or the education of other health care professionals, or involvement with health policy.

The Section on Health Psychology, a Section of the Division of Counseling Psychology (Division 17) of the American Psychological Association, ascribes to the Mission of Division 17 and that of APA. Further, the Section is accountable to the governing board of Division 17 and will, therefore, operate in a manner that is consistent with the APA Bylaws and Rules, Division 17 Bylaws and Rules and Procedures for the Formation, Governance and Operation of Sections.

Members of the Section have an interest in or actively participate in the science and practice of counseling psychology in health related contexts through an array of activities. Specifically, the purpose of the Section is as follows:

• to support the role of counseling psychologists as active participants in the field of health psychology, disease prevention, health education, behavioral medicine, rehabilitation, and related areas;
• to promote counseling psychologists as valuable contributors to the field of health psychology, disease prevention, behavioral medicine, rehabilitation, health education and related areas;
• to promote well controlled research concerning the effectiveness as well as the costs of counseling interventions on health and disease-related variables and outcomes;
• to advance efforts toward the integration of practice and science and further the evaluative, scientific, and applied activities of Section members;
• to promote and support the education and training of counseling psychologists who are interested in health related fields;
• to bring together counseling psychologists and counseling psychologists-in-training who specialize and/or have an interest in health psychology, disease prevention, health education, behavioral medicine, rehabilitation, and related areas and to provide a forum for individuals interested in health related areas to exchange ideas and network with one another.

The Section welcomes members from the Division of Counseling Psychology, other Divisions of the American Psychological Association, and students.

1. The membership of the Section shall consist of two classes: Section Member and Section Affiliate.
2. At least 50 members of the Section must be voting members of Division 17.
3. To qualify for the status of Section Member, an individual shall be a Fellow, Member, or Associate Member of the Division of Counseling Psychology (17) and of the APA who has an interest in the stated purpose of the Section. A Section Member shall be entitled to all the rights and priviledges of the Section including but not limited to holding Section office, serving on committees or task forces, and voting in Section elections. Voting members of Division 17 who are Section Members may hold elected offices in the Section. In order to remain in good standing, a Member will be expected to stay current on Division and Section dues and assessments.
4. The section will have two categories of Affiliate members: Section Professional Affiliates and Section Student Affiliates.
   1. (a) Professional Affiliates

      To qualify for the status of Professional Affiliate, an individual shall be a member of the APA who has an interest in the stated purpose of the Section but is not a Member or Fellow of Division 17. A Professional Affiliate member is entitled to all the rights and privileges of the Section except that an Affiliate Member cannot hold elected office. Professional Affiliates of the Section can hold appointed office. Professional Affiliates may serve on Section committees and task forces and can vote in Section elections but shall not vote on Division-related matters or be entitled to represent the Section to the Executive Committee of Division 17. They will be expected to pay Section dues and assessments in order to remain in good standing.

      (b) Student Affiliates

      Any student or post-doctoral fellow who has an interest in the purpose of the Section and is a member of APAGS or the Division 17 Student Affiliate Group may apply for affiliate status in the Section. Student Affiliates may not hold elective office but may hold appointed office. They may serve on Section committees and task forces. A Student Member may remain in this membership classification for no longer than one year after the completion of their educational or training program. Student members will be expected to pay section dues and assessments in order to remain in good standing.

5. An Affiliate Member who becomes a member of Division 17 shall automatically become a Member of the Section.

1. The officers of the Section shall consist of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer. These officers must be Section Members and voting members of Division 17. The elected officers (i.e., Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer), along with the appointed officers (i.e., two Members-at-Large and a Student Representative) shall constitute the Governing Board of the HPS. Appointed members of the Governing Board may be either Members or Affiliates of the Section. All terms for elected officers are 2 years.
2. The Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected by Section members and Section Affiliates. The Members-at-Large and Student Representative will be appointed by the Chair with the advice and consent of the other elected officers. The officers shall serve a two year term of office. The two Members-at-Large shall serve a two year term, although initially one member will be appointed for a one year term and one member will be appointed for a two year term of office, respectively. The Student Representative will serve a one year term of office. Vacancies on the Board will be appointed by the Chair with the approval of the Board.
3. The Chair has all the powers and performs all duties commonly incident to, and vested in, the office of a president of a corporation. The Chair serves as the chief executive officer and has responsibility for the supervision of all business coming before the Section, stated or implied, that is related to the welfare, stature, and proper operation of the Section. The Chair presides at and prepares the agenda for all meetings, has one vote in all meetings, appoints standing and special committees, subcommittees, and other units as may be required for the work of committees. It is also the responsibility of the Chair to submit semiannual reports to the Executive Board of the Division of Counseling Psychology in sufficient time to be included in the Division's bi-annual reports as identified in the Rules and Procedures for the Formation, Governance and Operation of Sections.
4.  The Chair-Elect of the Section performs all duties incumbent upon the Chair during the absence or disability of the Chair and has one vote in all meetings.
5. The Past-Chair of the Section performs all duties incumbent upon the Chair-Elect during the absence or disability of the Chair or Chair-Elect and has one vote in all meetings.
6. The Secretary-Treasurer of the Section performs all duties commonly incident and vested in an office of the secretary of a corporation, including but not limited to the taking and distributing of true minutes of the procedings of all meetings. In addition, the individual is responsible for developing a budget, collecting dues, and monitoring income and expenditures. It is also the responsibility of the Secretary-Treasurer to submit semiannual reports to the Executive Board of the Division of Counseling Psychology including financial and tax information as specified in the Rules and Procedures for the Formation, Governance and Operation of Sections.
7. The Members-at-Large and Student Representative will assist the officers in all matters that are related to the welfare, stature, and mission of the Section. Members-at-Large and Student Representative will each have one vote in all meetings.
8. In addition to their other duties, members of the Section's Governing Board are expected to attend one of Division 17's educational training workshops on Legal Risk Management.

1. The officers of the Health Psychology Section of Division 17 will consist of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer. These officers shall be elected from the Section membership. These individuals, along with two Members-at-Large and a Student Representative, shall constitute the Governing Board of the HPS. The Members-at-Large and Student Representative shall be appointed by the Chair.
2. The governance of the Section shall be conducted by the Governing Board. The Board shall have supervision, control, and direction of the business of the HPS in the realization of its mission in a manner consistent with Division 17 and APA Bylaws and Rules. The Governing Board will approve all appointments and actions of the Chair except as otherwise stated.
3. With the exception of the annual meeting, meetings shall be called by the Governing Board on an as needed basis. In the event of an emergency situation that requires timely action, a poll of members of the Executive Board (conducted by telephone, e-mail, fax, or other form of communication) will be taken by the Secretary-Treasurer. The information, recommendation, or vote of the Board members will be passed along to the Chairperson who will take action according to the recommendation of the Board.
4. During the first year of the Section's operation, the Governing Board will be appointed by the existing Chair or Co-Chairs of the Health Psychology Section-in-Formation. No officer, or member of the Governing Board may receive a fee for any sevices rendered. Elected and appointed members of the Governing Board will assume responsibilities immediately following the annual meeting at the APA convention. Appointments of Members-at-Large and the Student Representative will be made by the out-going Chair.

1. There shall be a membership business meeting of the Section held during the annual convention of the American Psychological Association. The purpose of this meeting shall be to allow for a discussion of information and concerns regarding the HPS between the general membership and the members of the Geverning Board. Any member of the Section shall have the right to place a matter on the agenda of the business meeting. Items for the agenda must be directed to the Chair at least 30 days prior to the publicized first day of the APA convention.
2. Five percent of the members shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of members for the transaction of any business. The meeting may be adjourned if the number of members present falls below the five percent necessary for a quorum. The meetings and procedings of the Section shall be regulated and controlled according to Roberts Rules of Order for parliamentary procedure unless and because prcedures are provided by these Bylaws.
3. No Section meetings shall be in conflict with Division 17 Executive Board meetings or the Division's Business Meetings.
4. The Governing Board will meet at least annually, typically just prior to or during the APA annual convention. The Chair sets the agenda with input from the other members of the Governing Board and the HPS membership. At this meeting, each officer will report appropriate business as well as consider reports from members outside of the Governing Board who have served on ad hoc committees, task forces, standing committees, etc.
5. Members shall be notified of meetings through a published announcement in the Section Correspondence or newsletter or Division 17 Newsletter. All publications originating from the Section will include the following statement: "The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the policies of the APA, the Division of Counseling Psychology, or its Sections."
6. Other scientific, professional, and/or business meetings of the Section or appointed committees may be called by the Chair or an appointed representative with the agreement of the Governing Board. The membership of the Section will be notified of these meetings through published announcements in the Section Correspondence or newsletter or a separate mailing.
7. Any professional or scientific meeting (e.g., conference, workshop) sponsored by the Section shall follow the Division's rules and procedures for "Regional, Section and SIG Conferences and Workshops." Any such meeting will be coordinated through the Division's Continuing Education and Regional Conferences Committee in order to insure that all special rules and procedures are followed.

1. The Governing Board is responsible for soliciting nominees, determining their eligibility and willingness to serve, and preparing the election ballots with no less than two (2) candidates for each elected office.
2. The Governing Board or its agent shall invite, in writing, suggestions from the membership for nominations for offices allowing at least thirty (30) days for such suggestions. The Board shall cause to be placed on the formal ballot for election of officers, the names of no more than two candidates receiving the largest number of nominations by the membership. In addition, the Board may add to the official ballot additional names of candidates of its own choice.
3. Each member of the Section shall have one vote. In the election of officers, a plurality of the votes cast shall elect.
4. Any public policy positions, development and alteration of the Bylaws, and assessments beyond those of Division 17 and initially established Section dues shall be approved by a majority of those voting members casting a ballot and must be consistent with the APA and Division 17 Bylaws and Rules. Further, any proposed changes in Bylaws or proposed public policy position needs to be approved by the Executive Board of Division 17 and APA Legal Council prior to dissemination outside the Section.
5. The Chairperson-elect and Secretary-Treasurer will be elected by a plurality vote from a ballot containing no less than two condidates for each office to be filled.
6. Only Members and Affiliate members of the Section are eligible to elect officers of the Section.
7. Successful and unsuccessful candidates will be notified of the election results by a member of the Governing Board or a designated committee chair prior to their being reported to the Executive Board of Division 17 and the general membership of the Section.
8. Elections shall be conducted in accordance with the regulations set forth in the bylaws of Division 17.
9. The election results shall be reported by the Section to the Division 17 Executive Board at least one month prior to the Division's next regularly scheduled Executive Board meeting.

In order to promote its goals and further its programs, the Section will charge dues to its membership. These dues will be set, collected, and disbursed as follows.

1. Initial dues will be set by a majority vote of the Section membership (to include all members who pay dues) at its first annual meeting. It is possible for dues to differ based upon membership category. It should be noted that Section dues may be no higher than 50% of Division 17 dues.
2. Dues may be raised no more than once a year by a majority vote of the Section membership at its annual meeting. A request to raise dues must be placed on the agenda according to Article V of these Bylaws. Members will be notified in writing of any proposal to raise dues prior to any vote. Any proposal to raise dues will be accompanied by a brief statement from the Section Secretary-Treasurer as to the need for a dues increase and will be circulated at the meeting.
3. Dues will be collected by the Section Secretary-Treasurer and maintained in a bank account with both the Section Secretary-Treasurer and the Chair having signatory responsibility.
4. Dues notices will be sent to all Section members within 30 days following the anual meeting. Dues are payable on receipt and must be rendered by December 31 of that year. If a Section member fails to pay dues by that date, he or she will be regarded as having resigned due to nonpayment.
5. The Section's fiscal year will be from January 1 to December 31.
6. At the annual meeting, the Section Secretary-Treasurer will present an itemized financial statement, to include all income categories and disbursements. The statement must be accepted by the voting membership at the meeting. The statement, with any corrections, will be sent with the dues notice to all Section members (see #4 above).
7. A proposed budget, with anticipated income and expenditures, will be submitted for approval to the Governing Board during its annual meeting at the APA annual convention. The Governing Board must approve the budget by a majority vote.
8. The Section Secretary-Treasurer will work with the Division Treasurer to establish and maintain appropriate financial procedures (e.g., tax information). Further, the Section Secretary-Treasurer will submit semi-annual financial reports to the Division 17 Executive Board by July 15 and December 1 of each year. These reports will represent an annual report of income and expenditures and a proposed budget, respectively, and are to follow the line-item format used by APA to report both income and expenditures.
9. The Section exists to promote the educational, scientific, and professional aims of counseling psychology and health promotion and thus asserts itself as a non-profit organization. In the case that the Section dissolves itself or is dissolved by action of the Division 17 Executive Board, all financial resources remaining after obligations are met are to be forwarded to Division 17 Treasurer for use by the Division.

1. Amendments or changes in the Bylaws may be proposed by the governing Board or by members of the Health Psychology Section at the annual business meeting. Proposed amendments or changes to the Bylaws need to be received by the Chair at least 30 days in advance of the annual business meeting in order to be placed on the agenda.
2. A copy of the proposed amendments or changes to the Bylaws shall be submitted to the Division 17 Executive Board by the Section officers for their review and approval prior to Section members voting on the changes.
3. Once approved by the Division Executive Board, a copy of the proposed amendments or changes and a ballot shall be mailed to all members of the Section by the Secretary-Treasurer or the proposed changes will be announced in the Section Correspondence, newsletter, or other mailing.
4. A two-thirds majority of those voting on the proposed changes shall be required for the adoptation of amendments or changes.
5. Final approval and adoption of any change in the Section by-laws is contingent on the approval of the Executive Board of Division 17.