Fall
2023
Fall
2023
INBALANCE is published three times each year by the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Division 53, American Psychological Association.
President’s Message
By Yo Jackson, PhD, ABPP, SCCAP President
Hello members of SCCAP! Yo Jackson here – your 2023 President. I hope this edition of the newsletter finds you well and rested after a very successful APA convention. It was great to see and hear so many fantastic presentations on innovation and impact in our field and to reconnect with so many amazing members of our Division and learn about their work.
In This Issue
2023 APA Convention Recap
We would like to extend our gratitude to all the APA Convention 2023 presenters and attendees. What an inspiring time we had together in Washington, D.C. for the 2023 APA Convention! READ MORE
Future Directions Forum Preview
At our 2024 Future Directions Forum, we’ll offer professional development workshops, as well as small group and one-on-one expert consultations on all aspects of academic work. READ MORE
ABCCAP Update
How do parents and pediatricians find expert child and adolescent psychologists without knowing their training and experience—those who are truly specialists? Answer: Board certification. READ MORE
Journal Update: EPCAMH
EPCAMH welcomes Andres Viana, PhD, ABPP, as our interim Associate Editor while Jill Ehrenreich-May, PhD, takes a well-deserved sabbatical during the remainder of her ABCT presidential year. READ MORE
SCCAP Conference Planning Update
We hope to host our first official SCCAP conference in 2025 and are moving forward with planning. We would appreciate it if you would please take approximately 5-10 minutes to answer a few questions. READ MORE
Council of Representatives Report
The Council met in Washington, DC, on August 1-3, 2023. We voted to adopt as policy several statements and guidelines. READ MORE
In Focus
A Selective Mutism Primer: What It Is, How It’s Diagnosed, and Approaches to Treatment
By Rachel Merson, Psy.D.
Although anxiety disorder diagnoses in youth have become increasingly common (Racine et al., 2021), selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder that remains understudied and is often misunderstood. Individuals with SM are consistently unable to speak in certain social contexts (e.g., at school, with new people), despite generally demonstrating age-appropriate verbal communication abilities in environments in which they are comfortable (e.g., with a best friend, at home). A relatively uncommon disorder, data suggest that SM affects less than 1% of youth (Muris & Ollendick, 2015). In a large sample of elementary school children in the United States, Bergman and colleagues (2002) identified SM in approximately 1 out of 133 students (0.75%). SM typically first emerges in early childhood, but often is not identified and diagnosed until formal schooling begins (Kristensen, 2000). If untreated, it can persist into adolescence and even adulthood.
Evidence-Based Therapies for Keeping Families Together
By Alana L. Riso & Michael A. Southam-Gerow, PhD
Evidence-based practice (EBP) was strongly promoted by the American Psychological Association nearly two decades ago (see APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006). The EBP concept is now an integral part of a recent federal initiative for children and families in need, known as the Federal Family First Prevention Services Act (“Family First;” NCSL, 2022). Our Center for Evidence Based Partnerships in Virginia (CEP-Va) is the state’s technical assistance center for Family First. Family First has the potential to have an enormous impact on families in need. This article presents the background and purpose of Family First and outlines the selection process for its list of EBPs.
About InBalance
SCCAP enhances the science and practice of clinical child and adolescent psychology by supporting its membership, and the field’s workforce, in the domains of (a) research; (b) evidence-based practice; (c) training and career development; (d) diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (e) dissemination.
The Vision of SCCAP is to improve the mental health and resilient development of children, adolescents, and families with a full commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Editor
Anthony Puliafico, PhD
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Email: InBalanceEditor@sccap53.org
Associate Editor
Lindsay Holly, PhD
Marquette University
Email: lindsay.holly@marquette.edu