Section for the Professional Practice of Counseling Psychology of the Society/Division of Counseling Psychology (17) of the American Psychological Association
Approved by Society/Division Executive Board, January 3, 2017

Article I
Name and Purpose

1. The name of this organization shall be the Section for the Professional Practice of Counseling Psychology of the Society/Division of Counseling Psychology (17) of the American Psychological Association (hereinafter referred to as the Section, the Society/Division, and the APA respectively).

2. Consonant with the objectives of the Society/Division of Counseling Psychology and the American Psychological Association, as expressed in Article I of their respective Bylaws, the purposes of this Section are to encourage, promote and facilitate contributions by Society/Division members and other psychologists to the field of Counseling Psychology, particularly as such contributions pertain to the professional practice of Counseling Psychology, and to represent the interests of those engaged in the professional practice of Counseling Psychology to the Society/Division within the APA and to external constituencies. Specifically, the goals of this Section are described under five major headings:

A. Professional Support and Identity

1. To promote the professional practice of Counseling Psychology as the science and profession of Psychology evolve and the social context changes;
2. To bring together counseling psychologists and other affiliates who specialize and/or have an interest in a broad range of professional practice issues in Counseling Psychology;
3. To maintain a support network and a forum for sharing ideas and common experiences among counseling psychologists and other affiliates who specialize and/or have an interest in a broad range of professional practice issues in Counseling Psychology;
4. To promote by mentoring and other means, the advancement of professional practice in Counseling Psychology;
5. To encourage, nominate and support those engaged in professional practice for appointment and election to positions of leadership as well as for awards in the Society/Division (17) and the APA.

B. Education, Training and Information Dissemination

1. To be instrumental in focusing awareness on a broad range of professional practice issues within Counseling Psychology;
2. To promote and support the professional education and training of counseling psychologists and other affiliates who work in professional practice and with a broad range of professional practice issues in ways that are consistent with the Bylaws and Rules of the APA and Society/Division 17;
3. To work with Society/Division 17, other APA Society/Divisions and directorates and the APA as a whole, including boards, committees, and groups that are actively concerned with psychologists who work in professional practice and with a broad range of professional practice issues;
4. To work with other organizations on a wide range of issues affecting the professional practice of Counseling Psychology;
5. To organize and promote meetings, sessions and conferences pertaining to a broad range of professional practice issues in Counseling Psychology consistent with the Rules of Society/Division 17;
6. To encourage the preparation, publication and distribution of technical and professional manuals, reports, directories, guides, etc, pertaining to a broad range of professional practice issues within Counseling Psychology consistent with the Rules of APA and Society/Division 17.

C. Professional Practice

1. To extend application of the knowledge and methods of the science of psychology to the professional practice of Counseling Psychology;
2. To promote high standards of competence in the professional practice of Counseling Psychology;
3. To promote practice standards and ethical principles and practices that are consistent with the Bylaws and Rules of APA and Society/Division 17 for all psychologists who work in professional practice and with a broad range of professional practice issues;
4. To encourage the maintenance and/or development of organizational patterns and administrative procedures that will facilitate professional and ethical treatment of clients, employees, students and members involved in professional practice.

D. Diversity and Public Interest

1. To promote public understanding of a broad range of professional practice issues for Counseling Psychology;
2. To increase public and professional awareness and affirmation of the importance of diversity in the professional practice of Psychology, with particular emphasis on Counseling Psychology;
3. To support, encourage, and promote diversity of the characteristics, work settings, roles and activities of those engaged in professional practice in Counseling Psychology;
4. To advocate and provide leadership for professional practice issues which significantly affect the well-being of the public.

E. Scientific Affairs

1. To promote the integration of science and practice into the professional practice of Counseling Psychology;
2. To provide summaries of current knowledge and practices pertaining to the professional practice of Counseling Psychology;
3. To provide leadership in the identification of significant issues for research and publication pertaining to the professional practice of Counseling Psychology;
4. To encourage research on a broad range of issues in the professional practice of Psychology and Counseling Psychology by members and affiliates of the Section, Society/Division and other appropriate groups.

Article II
Membership

1. The membership of the Section shall consist of Members , according to the conditions stated herein.

A. Member

Any Member, Fellow, Associate, or Affiliate (including student affiliates) of the Society/Division (17) who has an interest in the purposes of the Section may apply to be a member of the Section. A Section member shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Section and is eligible to vote in Section elections, hold appointed office, and serve on Section committees or task forces. All Section members may hold elected Section offices.

2. A majority of the Section must be voting members of Society/Division 17 (i.e., Members and Fellows).

3. Dues

All Members and Affiliates will pay Section dues in accordance with guidelines detailed in Article VIII. Dues may be set a $0.00 or above by the Leadership Team.

4. General Procedures

A. Each applicant for Section Member status must complete the application material approved by the Section Leadership Team. Applications for Section membership are available on the Section website or through the Membership Chair. The Criterion for membership is expressed interest in joining the Section for Professional Practice.

B. Applications for Section membership are reviewed by the Section Membership Chair, presented for approval to the Section Leadership Team, and reported at the annual Section business meeting.

Article III
Officers

1. All section officers must be Members, Fellows, or Affiliates of the Society/Division (17).

2. The officers of the Section shall be the Chair, Chair-elect, Treasurer, Communications Chair and Past-Chair. The terms of Office for the Chair, the Treasurer and the Communications Chair shall each be two years. The terms of office of the Chair-Elect and the Past-Chair shall each be one year. All terms of office will run from the end of the annual business meeting of the Society/Division following the election to the end of the annual business meeting of the Society/Division of the appropriate calendar year. All officers of the Section shall serve as its Leadership Team, with the Chair-Elect and the Past-Chair alternating years of service on the Leadership Team (i.e., the Chair-Elect serves the year immediately preceding assumption of the Chair and the Past-Chair serves the year immediately following completion as Chair).

3. The Chair shall be the individual who has served as Chair­-Elect. The Chair shall performs such duties as are customarily incident to the office of a Society/Division 17 Section Chair. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Section and the Leadership Team, exercise general supervision of the affairs of the Section, prepare an annual budget with the Treasurer, and coordinate nominations and elections Responsibilities of the Chair include, but are not limited to the following:

A. Delegating responsibility for tasks or special projects not specifically assigned in the Bylaws;

B. Responding in the name of the Section, with appropriate consultation with the Leadership Team if necessary, to requests from individuals or organizations;

C. Planning the agenda and local arrangements for Section and Leadership Team meetings;

D. Articulating and advocating Section positions to others;

E. Providing for appropriate recognition of retiring Section officers;

F. Serving as liaison to the Society/Division 17 Executive Board and appointing other liaisons, where appropriate. The Section recognizes that the Society/Division 17 Executive Board or President appoints all liaisons, monitors and observers to any APA Committees or Boards and other organizations. The Section may, however, provide suggestions for liaisons, monitors or observers to the Society/Division 17 President.

4. The Chair-Elect shall carry out such duties as may be assigned by the Chair or the Leadership Team. The Chair-elect or the Past-Chair (depending on schedule of elections), in the absence of the Chair, will preside at meetings. In the event that the office of Chair is vacated, the Chair-Elect shall assume the full functions of the Chair. The Chair-Elect shall serve as a member of the Program Committee.

5. The Communications Chair shall maintain minutes and other records of the Section and Leadership Team meetings; issue all official calls to meetings; conduct special ballots as may be ordered by the membership of the Leadership Team; maintain written communication with Society/Division 17 and other relevant bodies; and perform such special duties as may be assigned by the Chair or the Leadership Team. The Communications Chair shall also be responsible for the collection of articles and information for Section and Division website The Communications Chair shall be responsible for including the following disclaimer in every Section newsletter: “The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the policies of the American Psychological Association, the Society/Division of Counseling Psychology, or its Sections.”

7. The Treasurer shall have custody of and be responsible for all Section funds and shall perform such other functions as are described in Article VIII.
8. The Past-Chair is the most immediately retired Chair of the Section and shall serve as a member of the Leadership Team for the year immediately following the term of office as Chair. If for any reason the Past-Chair cannot complete the term of office, the office shall remain vacant throughout the balance of the term in which this occurs.
9. In case of death, disability or resignation of the Chair-­Elect, Communications Chair, or Treasurer, the Leadership Team by majority vote shall make a pro tem appointment to serve until a successor can be duly elected to complete the unfinished term.

Article IV
Leadership Team

1. The Leadership Team shall be comprised of the Chair, Chair-elect or Past-Chair (depending on schedule of election), Communications Chair, Treasurer, and other leadership roles in the Section, including, but not limited to, the Program Chair(s), Awards Chair, Research Chair, Membership Chair, Student Representative(s), and ECP Representative(s).

2. The Leadership Team shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Section and carry out the specific functions and duties assigned to it by various articles in these Bylaws and by actions of the members in annual or special meetings.

3. The Leadership Team shall meet at least once a year. While these meetings ordinarily shall be open, the Leadership Team may, upon a majority vote, convene in executive session. These executive sessions are intended for consideration of such matters as personnel decisions, legal affairs and fiscal issues.

4. The Leadership Team will make reports of its own actions and of committee and task force activities to the members and the Executive Board of Society/Division 17, including, as a minimum, reports at the annual conventions of the American Psychological Association.

5. The Leadership Team shall be responsible for ensuring that:

A. The Section complies with Society/Division 17’s Bylaws and the “Rules and Procedures for Formation, Governance, and Operations of Sections;”

B. The Section refrains from any activity that creates the potential for legal risk to the Section, Society/Division or the APA;

C. Section officers attend the APA sponsored Society/Division educational training on legal risk management;

D. Section officers submit to the Society/Division’s Executive Board for approval its initial Bylaws and any proposed changes in its Bylaws;

E. Section officers avoid scheduling Section meetings or conferences at times that may conflict with Society/Division 17 business meetings or regional conferences;

F. Section officers submit to the Society/Division’s Executive Board for review and approval on a semi-annual basis the following:

(1) a proposed budget with specified line items;
(2) membership application forms;
(3) a roster of names and addresses of officers;
(4) a membership list verified to assure that all Section members are either Society/Division members, Society/Divisional affiliates, or members of the APA who are not members of the Society/Division;
(5) mid-year and year-end activity reports;
(6) the Treasurer’s report which includes actual income and expenses;
(7) any proposed changes in the Section Bylaws and in Rules and Procedures;
(8) copies of any publications (e.g., directories, newsletters, Section brochures, conference programs); and
(9) reports of proposed changes in the governance structure (e.g., new committees, ad hoc groups) not contained in the Section Bylaws.

Article V Committees

3. The Chair shall appoint committee chairs as may be needed to conduct the affairs of the Section.
4. Committee chairs will report on the activities of their respective committees at the annual meeting of the Section.
5. The Section shall have an annual Nominations and Elections Committee and Program Committee that will determine, through a peer review process, how it will use its allocated Society/Division 17 program time. Information regarding selected programs (e.g., title, presenters, etc.) will be sent to the Chair(s) of the Society/Division 17 Program Committee in time to be included in the Society/Division’s program allotment, assigned by the APA Board of Convention Affairs.

Article VI Meetings

1. The Section shall hold its Annual Section Business Meeting during the time and in the locality of the annual convention of the APA for the transaction of business and discussion of professional and scientific matters.

3. Notice of the Annual Section Business Meeting shall appear on the Section and Division website and program materials
4. Members may introduce agenda topics to be addressed at the Annual Section Business Meeting by contacting the chair in advance of the meeting. The deadline for submission of agenda items will be published with the announcement of the meeting. Agenda items can be introduced by members during the “New Business” portion of the meeting.

Article VII
Nominations and Elections

1. For the initial Section election, a Chair, Communications Chair, and Treasurer shall be elected by a plurality mail ballot vote of all ballots cast by all members in good standing. For all elections thereafter, the Chair-Elect, Communications Chair, and Treasurer shall be elected by a plurality ballot vote of all ballots cast by all members in good standing.

2. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall consist of three members, the Past-Chair who will serve as Committee Chair, the Section Chair, and one other person appointed by the Section Chair. It shall be the duty of the Nominations and Elections Committee to conduct and supervise the mail elections of the Section.

3. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall issue a call for nominations to the membership via either a mailing or the Society/Division 17 Newsletter (subject to the approval of the Editor and the Society/Division 17 Executive Board).

4. The following schedule of terms of office shall govern the call for nominations and elections:

• Chair-Elect, Communications Chair — election conducted during odd-numbered years (i.e., 2017).
• Treasurer–election conducted during even-numbered years (i.e., 2016).
• The terms of office for officers elected in the initial Section elections will be adjusted to establish the above term schedule in the future.

5. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall certify a list of names of persons who are nominated for each office, secure permission for candidates’ names to be placed on the ballot, and prepare a ballot for voting members.

7. The Nominations and Elections Committee Chair will coordinate Section nominations and elections with those of the Society/Division and APA. The election results shall ordinarily be reported by the Section to the Society/Division 17 Executive Board at least one month prior to the Society/Division’s annual business meeting.
8. Elected officers for the upcoming year shall assume office at the close of the annual Society/Division 17 business meeting of the year they assume office.

Article VIII
Dues and Finances

1. The Section, with approval by the Society/Division 17 Executive Board, may assess dues from its members and affiliates if so indicated by a majority vote. Individual Section dues shall not exceed the sum of one-half (1/2) the total individual dues and assessments charged by the Society/Division during the preceding year. The Section Treasurer, with oversight by the Society/Division Executive Board, shall be responsible for the billing and collection, or verification of collection, of dues and assessments, which shall be payable during the first quarter of the Section’s current fiscal year.

2. The Section Treasurer will work with the Society/Division Treasurer to establish and maintain appropriate financial procedures.

3. The Section Treasurer shall submit the following: a) an annual report of income and expenditures; and b) a proposed budget to the Society/Division Executive Board as its midyear meeting.

4. The Section Treasurer shall prepare and submit an annual report and such interim reports as may be ordered; and, with the Chair, prepare an annual report of income and expenditures and a proposed budget to the Society/Division 17 Executive Board at its midyear meeting.

5. The Section Treasurer is authorized to disburse funds (including signing checks) and make payments that have been duly authorized in the approved budget. In the event of the inability of the Section Treasurer (due to unavailability or incapacity) to disburse funds, the Section Chair is authorized to disburse funds (including signing checks) on behalf o the Section under the same provisions. All other financial documents, other than direct payment disbursements as noted above, shall be signed by the Section Chair and the Section Treasurer.

6. As a Section of a Society/Division of the APA, a tax-exempt organization under 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Section will disburse funds by policies and methods consistent with that tax status.

8. The Section’s fiscal year shall be the same as the fiscal year of the Society/Division.
9. Members who have not paid dues during the current fiscal year may be considered as having tendered their resignation from the Section by non-payment.
10. In the event of the dissolution of the Section, any assets of the Section, including monies in its Treasury, will become, after meeting any outstanding financial obligations of the Section, a part of the Society/Division treasury.

Article IX Amendments

1. The Section, by a 2/3 vote of the Section Members and Affiliates present at the Annual Section Business Meeting, or by a majority vote of the Section Members and Affiliates on a mail ballot, may adopt such amendments as have been presented and read at the Annual Section Business Meeting or mailed to the membership at least one month prior to the voting date or deadline on the proposed amendment.

2. Final approval and adoption of any change in these Bylaws in contingent on the approval of the Executive Board of Society/Division 17.