Volunteer Opportunities - Where do you fit in?

Board Liaison: The purpose of the AzPA Board Liaison is to provide a mechanism for communication between the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners and the Arizona Psychological Association. 

Continuing Education: Responsible for the continuing education activities for the Association. These activities include the development of intermediate or advanced level professional workshops, securing speakers and reviewing evaluations. The committee also reviews applications submitted to AzPA for co-sponsored programs as well as articles and quizzes submitted for continuing education credit. Chair: Lesley Manson, Psy.D.

Convention: The selection of the program speakers, organization of the convention format, scheduling of activities and accompanying events, and publicity fall within the area of responsibility for this committee as does the solicitation of sponsors and exhibitors for the convention. Chair: Daniel Schulte, PhD 

Disaster Response Committee: The DRN Committee is made up of a network of psychologists,clinicians, and students with a mission to offer volunteer assistance to victims, first responders, community members, and others in need. The DRN Committee maintains a focus on disaster response, general community support, and overall support of the health and safety of Arizonans. Chair: Brittany Brown, Psy.D.

Diversity Committee: The AzPA Diversity Committee proudly seeks to broaden cultural awareness and sensitivity among Arizona mental health providers through peer and community education, advocacy, consultation, mentorship, and training. The Diversity Committee invites and welcomes professionals, allies, and anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The purpose of this effort is to initiate and engage in activities which increase social justice and mitigate the years-long impact of prejudice, bias, and exclusion. Chairs: Shannon Dodani, Psy.D. 

Early Career Psychologists: The goal of the committee is to provide access to speakers on the topics of professional identity, leadership, practice and career building, as well as opportunities for networking and information sharing. Chairs: Zorash Montano, Ph.D. and Sarah May, Ph.D.

Ethics: Responds in an educational, supportive, and consultative manner to inquiries (defined as questions concerning clarification and edification of ethical issues) by AzPA members. The committee commits to assisting AzPA members in making ethically informed decisions and to clarify any ethical consequences of their decisions. Co-Chairs: Deborah Partington and Jeni McCutcheon

Finance Committee: This committee monitors the association's finances which includes reviewing monthly reports, watching revenue forecasts and projected expenses and their impact on current and short-term cash position. Also responsible for the preparation of an annual operating budget and review of non-budgeted requests, making recommendations to the Governing Council as needed. As requested, provides insight and leadership for other committees. If you are interested in the finance committee, please contact AzPA Executive Director Jessica Painter.

Interprofessional Relations: Maintains contact with like committees of the state organizations of psychiatrists, social workers, and/or other related disciplines when such committees exist. They coordinate and facilitate the contacts of local interdisciplinary committees with their counterparts from the various disciplines throughout the state. Chair: Lesley Manson, Psy.D.

Leadership Development Committee: This committee develops strategies for identifying leaders and facilitating support of their engagement in the organization in leadership roles, solicits suggestions of candidates for office in the Association, and presents an election ballot with the names of the candidates for the offices and for the Graduate Student Representative to be filled in. In addition, this committee has an awards subcommittee which manages the annual awards for AzPA. Chair: Michelle Melton, Psy.D.

LGBTQ: Keeps abreast of legal, ethical, cultural, and clinical information relevant to civil rights issues in general and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues in particular. Offering education and training to psychologists and other mental health providers, and promote public education and awareness regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender concerns and issues. This committee is a subset of the Diversity Committee.

Legislative: Keeps abreast of current trends in legislative action that affect psychologists. Responsible for reviewing and monitoring legislation introduced before the legislature, directly interacts with legislators to explain the role of psychology, to appear before committee hearings, and to intercede with other professional organizations as necessary to explain the relationships of psychology and allied professions. Chair: Ginger Carlson, Ph.D.

Membership: The Membership Committee identifies persons qualified for membership in the Arizona Psychological Association and develops methods and procedures to encourage such identified persons to join and remain members of the Association. They are also responsible for developing letters, brochures, and other membership tools that can be used in membership recruitment and retention efforts. Chair: Heather Okvat, Ph.D.

Military & Veterans Affairs: Focuses on developing, establishing and maintaining a network of psychologists and other health and wellness professionals to provide services to improve the well-being of members and veterans of the military and National Guard as well as their families. To achieve this goal, the committee will work to develop education in providing psychological services to its target population and developing holistic and integrative services with primary care physicians professionals.

Political Action: Provides the opportunity for members and staff of the Arizona Psychological Association interested in the future of the profession of psychology to contribute to the support of worthy candidates for Arizona statewide ad local public offices who believe, and have demonstrated their beliefs, in the principles to which the profession is dedicated. To further this purpose, the Committee is empowered, within the legal parameters of Arizona law, to solicit and accept voluntary personal contributions and to make expenditures in connection with the attempt to influence the selection, nomination, or election of any qualified individual to any Arizona statewide or local office. Chair: Jeff Thomas, Psy.D.

Prescriptive Authority: The goal of the committee is to gain prescriptive authority for appropriately trained, licensed psychologists in Arizona. Offering a combination of education, community outreach, and legislative efforts. Chair: Kristen Northup, MSW, M.A. 

Psychologically Healthy Workplace: This committee solicits, evaluates, and recognizes organizations for their efforts to foster employee health and well-being while enhancing organizational performance and productivity. The committee and awards program is on hold currently. 

Public Education Committee (Includes Communications & Information Committee): Seeks opportunities to increase the visibility of psychology in the community and to provide accurate information concerning psychology and psychologists to the public. Also disseminates information relative to psychology to the AzPA community and provides information and services that are designed to enhance the practice of psychology to members. They establish appropriate contacts with the public news media for the purpose of dispensing accurate information concerning the Arizona Psychological Association via press releases and appropriate statements. The committee is seeking volunteers, guest speakers/experts for both monthly Lunch ‘n Learns, “Coping with Change & COVID,” and podcasts on “Psychologically Healthy & Effective Workplaces”. Chair: Job Elliott  and Kevin Tran

Rural Psychology: This committee provides a dedicated listserv and other opportunities for those practicing in rural areas throughout the state to enhance communication, networking, problem solving practice issues, referrals, etc., specific to the rural practice setting. They also explore and identify ways to develop and establish psychological services as a mental health services focal point for the general area through a central agency, (hospital, school, rural fire services), and ways to forge relationships with state and other agencies to gain underwriting resources where now there are none. Chair: John Martin, Ph.D.

Social Media: The social media committee uses platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to inform members of the latest AzPA news, updates and events. Chairs: Geetha Somarouthu and Courteney Tully. 

Student Affairs: The student committee seeks ways to promote student involvement in AzPA by providing means of communication, education and networking for all levels of students pursuing a degree in psychology. It also provides a mechanism for communication between the state university departments and AzPA, working to promote an understanding of the purposes and objectives of the association, fostering cooperative efforts toward attainment of common goals. Co-Chairs: Nathaniel Benavidez and Bianca Carrasco.