SCCAP Elections

SCCAP Elections

SCCAP is pleased to present our slate of candidates—as well as their respective statements—for our upcoming 2022 Executive Committee election.

President-Elect Candidates

Andrea Chronis-Tuscano, PhD

I am honored to be nominated to run for President of SCCAP. Throughout my career, my professional values fall squarely in line with the SCCAP mission, integrating: (a) research; (b) evidence-based practice; (c) training and career development; (d) diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (e) dissemination.

If elected President, I will work with the SCCAP Executive Board and membership on initiatives to further disseminate information about evidence-based treatments to the lay public, expanding on the effectivechildtherapy.org initiative, with a particular emphasis on reaching and empowering underserved populations. In addition, I will promote initiatives to support diverse young scholars conducting research on (and with) communities that have not historically been represented in evidence-based treatment research. Finally, I will continue the wonderful SCCAP mentoring programs.

There is so much left for us to learn, and I hope that, as President, I can make meaningful contributions to the important and inspiring work that SCCAP has always done!

Treasurer Candidates

Gerald P. Koocher, PhD, ABPP

As a founding member of SCCAP, I have long had a strong interest in its operation and management. I have served on the board previously, including as a former president in the Section 1 era and two years as a Council Representative (resigning to serve as APA Parliamentarian for Drs. Jessica Daniel and Rosie Davis).

My experience with finance and budgeting is extensive. I served as treasurer of three APA divisions and as APA treasurer for two five-year terms. I also served 18 years as a Trustee of Trust Insurance (formerly the APA Insurance Trust) including two years as chair. I served as treasurer of the American Psychological Foundation. I have also held university roles with direct line responsibility for budgets as large as $65MM.

I have time and energy available to “give back” to elements of our profession and would enjoy doing so with SCCAP. Clinical child psychology was my first “home” in psychology, and I was honored to receive society’s Distinguished Professional Contribution Award (1983). I would welcome the opportunity to devote my time to advancing the SCCAP’s goals in whatever way might be most useful.

David Langer, PhD, ABPP

It has been an honor to serve as SCCAP’s treasurer, managing our budget and overseeing our financial contracts. In my five years as treasurer, we have nearly doubled our endowment while expanding our financial support of several initiatives and keeping membership dues constant (and student membership free). I’ve worked with the SCCAP board, committees, and members to fund and financially manage SCCAP’s many exciting initiatives and collaborations, including: SCCAP’s grants and awards, our newly redesigned electronic newsletter, the Leadership Education to Advance Diversity (LEAD) Institute, the Future Directions Forum, and our recently established Child Mental Health in Action grants program. In 2020, I renegotiated our journal publishing contract with Taylor & Francis, securing an even more favorable contract for SCCAP. If given the opportunity to continue to serve SCCAP and its members as treasurer, I will continue to: (1) improve upon our financial policies and procedures to protect the resources that support SCCAP’s activities, (2) transparently manage our finances, (3) work to align our investments with our society’s values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and (4) work with SCCAP members and affiliated groups to further SCCAP’s mission through initiatives, projects, and collaborations.

Representative to APA Council Candidates

Mary Louise Cashel, PhD

I am seeking re-election for a second and final term for the Division 53 Board Position as APA Council Representative. I have been a member of both APA and SCCAP for over 20 years. I have dedicated my career to psychological service, research and training focused on the interests of children, youth and families.

In my role as Division 53 Council Representative, I have supported APA resolutions on opposing racism, promoting the interests of gender diverse youth and families, and other initiatives pertaining to equity, diversity and inclusion. I joined the Education and Training Caucus and I voted in favor of the Education and Training Guidelines for Psychological Assessment in Health Service Psychology, in addition to the Professional Practice Guidelines for Evidence-Based Healthcare. As a member of the Child and Family Caucus, I spearheaded a new initiative related to homeschooling. Given the substantial rise in homeschooling, even prior to the pandemic, and the lack of regulation across most states, we are collaborating with the Division 16 Council Representative and the Coalition of Psychology in the Schools and Education to establish a toolkit for parents. The toolkit is intended to help promote parental consideration of all of the academic, developmental, social, emotional and physical needs of their children as they pursue homeschooling plans. Finally, I have participated in multiple work groups designed to enhance the functioning of APA Council as a whole.

In sum, I bring a broad range of experiences collaborating with many agencies and individuals at local, regional, State and Federal levels, and within education. I would like to continue to advocate as the voice of Child Clinical and Adolescent Psychology in the implementation of the APA Strategic Plan. There are many significant changes within the field and within APA on the horizon. I hope to continue serving SCCAP in this role.

Yasmine Moideen, PhD, LP

The APA Council of Representatives is the legislative body of APA and governs the affairs and funds of the association. It consists of representatives of divisions and SPTAs, and members of the APA Board of Directors. The representative from SCCAP functions as a liaison and also sits on the SCCAP Child Mental Health in Action Grant selection committee. My interest in this position is threefold: I am passionate about children’s mental health, especially in light of pandemic stressors; I am a strong advocate for children in underrepresented sectors; and I feel a strong sense of duty to promote best practices in our field.

The stresses of the pandemic will affect a generation of children in the form of an increase in depression, anxiety, learning concerns, and poor access to psychological assessment. These concerns have led to a dramatic increase in the need for services, a delay in early diagnosis and treatment, and limited supply of services. Part of the public policy solution will rely on appropriate funding, grants, and policymaking. As experts in child/adolescent mental health, SCCAP is poised to play a crucial role in informing APA council in these matters. I look forward to serving in this capacity.

I am a fierce advocate for underrepresented groups. I worked with the Minnesota Psychological Association (MPA) Diversity Committee on creating a Difficult Dialogue series on diversity topics. I led a team in organizing the 2020 Minnesota Multicultural Summit, which focused on Somali refugee and LGBTQ issues. The SCCAP Representative to APA Council should ideally have a keen eye for those from underrepresented sectors, as these are the groups that rely heavily on funding decisions and policymaking.

Finally, I am devoted to bettering our practice through serving on local and national professional associations. I am the President of the Minnesota Psychological Association, and have served in various leadership positions, including chair of the Diversity Committee, founding member of our Child Psychology Division, and Secretary to Executive Council. My time with MPA has taught me how to function as part of a team, work on and lead a committee, and work on representing concerns of our membership. I hope to bring this set of skills in my role as SCCAP Representative. Your vote in support of my nomination is appreciated. I welcome the opportunity to serve SCCAP in the capacity of Representative to APA Council.

Member-at-Large Candidates

Jennifer L. Hughes, PhD, MPH

I am pleased to be considered for the Member-at-Large (MAL) Science and Practice position. Through my past SCCAP service, I gained valuable perspective on the ongoing initiatives of the SCCAP Board, as well as developed new ideas for how the MAL Science and Practice may serve and benefit SCCAP members. In my role as Newsletter Editor, I worked to highlight both innovations in research and clinical practice for our InFocus articles in order to provide timely and relevant information to SCCAP membership. As MAL, I would continue to work with the SCCAP communications team to amplify the important clinical and research work done by our members. I recently joined the SCCAP Clinical Practice Institute Planning Committee, where I have worked alongside the current MAL of Science and Practice to develop the initial series, “Culturally-Sensitive Evidence-Based Practices for Children and Adolescents” for our membership. Given the high interest, I would anticipate continuing this series with input from SCCAP members on topics of interest. I am passionate about the dual focus of science and practice in this role, as my career as a clinical researcher has included both clinical service delivery and research in developing, testing, and implementing interventions. I have learned firsthand about the opportunities and barriers in implementing evidence-based practices across settings, given my past experiences in providing training in evidence-based approaches to graduate students, private practices, community mental health providers, and international providers through the Depression Treatment Quality Initiative, Zero Estimated Suicides in Texas, Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network, and Youth Aware of Mental Health programs. Additionally, given my role in developing implementation science community partnerships, I have worked with stakeholders and agencies to develop plans to adopt these practices in ways that are sustainable and that keep fidelity to the evidence-based models. If elected MAL, I would be excited at the prospect of further developing SCCAP’s support of the delivery of evidence-based practices to its membership, in collaboration with members at all career stages.

More From Spring 2022

More From Spring 2022