Monitor on Psychology - December 2011 - (Page 20)

Government relatIons update Focusing on service member suicides At a Washington, D.C., summit, APA teamed with the University of Utah’s National Center for Veterans Studies to identify best practices for suicide prevention among service members and veterans and to alert members of Congress to the pressing need to continue to support such initiatives. by bEN VoNAChEN ecent reports issued by the Department of Defense (DoD) reveal seriously troubling increases in the rates of suicide among service members in the Army and Marine Corps. The statistics compiled by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suggest that an average of 18 veterans r will die by suicide on any given day. These troubling data have led to increasing calls from policymakers to redouble efforts to address this epidemic of military and veteran suicides. To draw more attention to the problem, APA’s Public Interest Government Relations Office teamed with the University of Utah’s National Center for Veterans Studies (NCVS) A meeting with members of the House veterans Affairs Committee focused on innovative strategies for reducing suicide risk in military service members and veterans. From left to right: rep. tim Walz (D-Minn.), rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine), rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (r-n.Y.), rep. Phil roe (r-tenn.), rep. Gus Bilirakis (r-Fla.), Dr. Janet Kemp, Dr. Craig Bryan, Dr. David A. Jobes and Dr. M. David rudd. 20 to co-host three days of events in Washington, D.C., focused on reducing suicide risk in military and veteran populations. The Sept. 12–14 summit included two congressional briefings where psychologists spoke with key lawmakers on effective strategies for reducing suicide risk in this population. “It’s important for APA and psychology to remain front and center on this critical issue,” said Diane Elmore, PhD, MPH, associate executive director of APA’s Public Interest Government Relations Office and coordinator of APA’s activities on military and veterans issues. “APA members are making noteworthy advances toward understanding this very real problem facing many of our service members and veterans. The recommendations generated from these collaborative events can help psychologists and other mental health professionals in reducing suicide risk among our nation’s warriors.” At the first congressional event — a roundtable with members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee members— APA and other experts spoke about current initiatives and needed resources with a bipartisan group of members of Congress: Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Ann Marie Buerkle (R-N.Y.), Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.), Michael Michaud (D-Maine), Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.). The panel — moderated by APA Monitor on psychology • DeceMber 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - December 2011

Monitor on Psychology - December 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Willpower Pioneer Wins $100,000 Grawemeyer Prize
Single-Sex Schooling Called Into Question by Prominent Researchers
Maternal Depression Stunts Childhood Growth, Research Suggests
For Boys, Sharing May Seem Like a Waste of Time
Good News for Postdoc Applicants
In Brief
Treatment Guideline Development Now Under Way
Government Relations Update
Psychologist Named Va Mental Health Chief
The Limits of Eyewitness Testimony
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Deconstructing Suicide
Questionnaire
A Focus on Interdisciplinarity
A Time of ‘Enormous Change’
The Science Behind Team Science
Good Science Requires Good Conflict
A New Paradigm of Care
Speaking of Education
Science Directions
New Labels, New Attitudes?
Psychologist Profile
Early Career Psychology
Unintended Consequences
Better Options for Troubled Teens
Saving Lives, One Organ at a Time
New Journal Editors
APA News
Division Spotlight
Guidelines for the Conduct of President-Elect Nominations and Elections
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - December 2011