BylawsBYLAWS HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY SECTION A SECTION OF THE SOCIETY OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY (17) Submitted to the Division 17 Executive Board Revision submitted to the Division 17 Executive Board Revision submitted to the Division 17 Executive Board May 5, 2016 Article I The name of this Section of the Society 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 their 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 across 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 Society 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:
Article II The Section welcomes members from the Society 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 Society 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 privileges 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. (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. Article III 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., Membership Chair, Web Master, 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 Membership Chair, Web Master, 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. 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 Society of Counseling Psychology in sufficient time to be included in the Society’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 proceedings 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 Society 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 Webmaster of the Section shall assume responsibilities for overseeing the content of the web site, coordinating web design with relevant stakeholders, ensuring material is posted timely and reviewed appropriately, and fielding requests regarding website content, and developing relevant policies in conjunction with the Section Executive Board Members if needed. 8.The Membership Chair will conduct outreach to prospective members within Division 17, across divisions within APA, and other professional organizations. The Membership Chair also will update and maintain the HPS membership list and associated Listserv. The Membership Chair will have one vote in all meetings. 9.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. The Student Representative will conduct outreach to prospective student members through the Division 17 Student Affiliate Group (SAG). The Members-at-Large and Student Representative will each have one vote in all meetings. 10.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. Article IV 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 the Web Master, Membership Chair, two Members-at-Large, and a Student Representative, shall constitute the Governing Board of the Section. The Web Master, Membership Chair, 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.No officer or member of the Governing Board may receive a fee for any services rendered. Elected and appointed members of the Governing Board will assume responsibilities immediately following the annual meeting at the APA convention. Appointments of the Web Master, Membership Chair, Members-at-Large, and the Student Representative will be made by the incoming Chair. Article V 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 Governing 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 proceedings of the Section shall be regulated and controlled according to Roberts Rules of Order for parliamentary procedure unless and because procedures 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 Society 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. Article VI 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 candidates 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. Article VII In order to promote its goals and further its programs, the Section will charge a one-time initiation fee to new membership. This initiation fee will be set, collected, and disbursed as follows. 1.The initiation fee will be consistent with the Initial dues amounts 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 initiation fees to differ based upon membership category. It should be noted that Section initiation fees may be no higher than 50% of Division 17 dues. 2.Initiation fees 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 initiation fees must be placed on the agenda according to Article V of these Bylaws. Members will be notified in writing of any proposal to raise initiation fees prior to any vote. Any proposal to raise initiation fees will be accompanied by a brief statement from the Section Secretary-Treasurer as to the need for an increase and will be circulated at the meeting. 3.Initiation fees will be collected by the Membership Chair and passed to the Section Secretary-Treasurer for deposit in a bank account managed by APA with both the Section Secretary-Treasurer and the Chair having signatory responsibility. 4.The Section membership application will state that the Initiation fee should be included with the submitted application. 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. 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. Article VIII 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 adoption 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. |