Committees
Service on committees is a great way for members to be creative, develop relationships, build skills, gain leadership experience, and ensure the health of IPA. The level of time commitment varies by committee. We seek diversity on all our committees.
In This Section
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Advocacy Team
Federal Advocacy
JoAnna Romero Cartaya, Ph.D.
State Advocacy
Brenda Payne, PhD
Director of Professional Affairs
Elizabeth Lonning, Psy.D., MCSP
Training Director
Matthew Cooper, Psy.D.
Lobbyist
Amy Campbell
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Time Commitment
1-5 hrs / month
(depending on desired level of investment)
workspaces
Desired capacity
2 advocacy coordinators and 3+ active members
Diversity and Social Justice
The Diversity and Social Justice committee promotes awareness of and advocates for diversity and social justice action. This includes identifying and developing diversity initiatives that support the growth of the organization and serve the needs of the public. The DSJ committee is dedicated to creating a more welcoming environment for psychologists and other mental healthcare professionals that identify as ethnic minorities and/or are from marginalized populations. More broadly, there is a focus on promoting human values of equality and justice, and decreasing the gap in mental health disparities in the state of Iowa by increasing psychologists’ cultural competence via educational opportunities.
Chair
Lisa Streyffeler, PhD
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Time Commitment
1-3 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
2 co-chairs and 8 active members
DSJ Committee Co-Chair #1 (10 hours per month):
- Organize and lead monthly DSJ meeting (2.5 hours per month)
- Chair the Committee Meetings – currently monthly, but at the discretion of the committee.
- Create agenda, minutes, Zoom link, and task lists
- With the help of committee members, the Chair organizes diversity trainings for IPA membership (e.g., salons, workshops, or retreats) (1-2 hours per month)
- Organize Special Initiatives (e.g., diversity town halls, surveys) (2-3 hours per month)
- Organize social events (e.g., coffee and conversations) (When there is a social, 1 hour per month)
- Notify membership of local diversity community events (e.g., Pride week, Juneteenth Day Picnic, lectures, etc). (30 mins per month)
- Contribute to the Winter TIP by writing a Diversity Update. This article updates IPA membership about all the committee’s efforts for the year. (1 hour)
- Diversity Spotlights on E-list (30 mins)
- Bimonthly Executive Council Reports (15 minutes)
- Submit annual diversity updates to APA (1 hour)
- Respond to member, EC, and committee emails regarding ongoing initiatives, projects, or any issues that arise.
DSJ Committee Co-Chair #2 (4 hours per month):
- Maintain DSJ content on IPA website
- Ensure DSJ committee member profiles are current
- Remove past events promoted by DSJ
- Post upcoming diversity events and trainings
- Update list of resources as needed
Optional Co-Chair Duties:
Attend Executive Council meetings every other month.
Role of DSJ Committee Members:
- Attend monthly DSJ meetings
- Write a Diversity Profile to submit to the E-List
- Contribute at least 1 article to TIP
- Assist Chair with organizing diversity trainings (e.g., salons, workshops, retreats)
- Assist chair with organizing initiatives and special projects (e.g., town halls, creating surveys, etc.)
- Help organize social events (e.g., Coffee and Conversations)
Early Career Psychologists
This committee works to enhance the development of ECPs by emphasizing support for relationship building, professional development, and fostering leadership in IPA. Members participate in quarterly meetings and volunteer to assist with other events/functions as needed.
Chair
Maggie Doyle. Psy.D.
Mary Schenkenfelder, Ph.D
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Time Commitment
1-2 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
1 chair (or 2 co-chairs) and 7-9 active members
ECP Committee Chair (3 hours per month):
- Organize ECP committee meetings (2 hours every 3 months)
- Chair the Committee Meetings – currently quarterly, but at the discretion of the committee
- Create agenda, minutes, Zoom link, and task lists
- Coordinate two ECP scholarships, such as updating scholarship and sending emails to listserve/E-list asking for applications, awarding scholarship (2 hours per year)
- Send ECP welcome emails to new ECP members (varies, 10 minutes per month)
- Respond to relevant emails and requests (varies, 15 minutes per month)
- Prepare EC report and attendance at EC (suggested but not required) (3 hours every 2 months)
- Maintain the committee group E-list (TBD)
- Delegate tasks, including the tasks listed on this document, as needed (varies, 15 minutes every 4 months, typically at meetings)
ECP Committee Members:
- Attend 4 hour-long meetings per year either via Zoom or in-person, if applicable (1 hour every 3 months)
- During meeting, participate in planning, brainstorming, and implementation of events that further the goals of the ECP committee such as increasing ECP involvement with IPA
- Volunteer for tasks discussed during meetings
- Assist with choosing ECP scholarship winners, such as scoring applications (2 hours once per year)
- Post on the ECP FB page relevant content (time varies)
Additional Duties for Chair and/or Member:
- Participate in membership committee (1 hour per month)
- Participate in website committee (1 hour per month)
- Administrate the ECP FB page (times varies)
- Update ECP IPA website page as needed (TBD)
- Encourage other ECPs to join the committee
Ethics
We are pleased to announce that the Iowa Psychological Association Ethics Committee is now accepting requests for consultation. Ethics consultation is intended to assist IPA member psychologists as they seek to resolve ethical dilemmas.
Chair
Members
Barry Schreier, Ph.D.
Stacey Pawlak, Ph.D.
Allison Bywater (graduate student member)
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Time Commitment
workspaces
Desired capacity
- Review the confidentiality and consultation limits posted on the IPA website.
- Send an email to the committee chair with "Ethics Consultation Request" in the subject line (or fill out the online form on the IPA website) outlining your question and relevant details.
- Include a phone number and times when you would be available to receive a call as all communication will be conducted via phone.
- A member of the Ethics Committee will make every effort respond to the consult request within five (5) working days. If the matter is urgent, you should contact your malpractice insurance carrier and/or an attorney.
- The committee member will then consult with the full committee (maintaining your confidentiality) and you will be notified of committee recommendations in a phone conversation. You will not receive a written account of your consultation.
- The Ethics Committee will maintain de-identified information about the ethical principles in question for summary purposes, but written details of the consultation and recommendations will not be maintained once the consultation is complete.
We plan to occasionally share educational information with the IPA membership. We are also interested in adding a couple more members to the IPA Ethics Committee. If interested, please contact Ron Hougen (hougen.ronald@mayo.edu). Students who would like to join the Ethics Committee must have completed at least one graduate level ethics course and be a member of IPA.
Limits of Confidentiality and Limits of the Consultation
As a service to IPA members, the IPA Ethics Committee is available to respond to inquiries from members on ethical issues related to the practice of psychology. Consultation with the Ethics Committee is intended to assist the psychologist in moving towards resolution of ethical dilemmas. Consultation is not designed to serve as a substitute for the psychologist’s own professional judgment. Neither IPA nor any member of the Ethics Committee assumes any liability regarding this consultation, and responses by the Ethics Committee or its members do not constitute legal advice. If you have any legal questions, it is solely your responsibility to seek appropriate legal advice.
The responding Ethics Committee member will assign a case number to your contact. This process maintains confidentiality when other Ethics Committee members discuss your case. Consultation is conducted strictly by phone, and you will not be provided with a written account of your consultation. The Ethics Committee will maintain de-identified information about the ethical principles in question for summary purposes, but details of the consultation and recommendations will not be maintained once the consultation is complete.
It is important that you are aware of Standard 1.05 of the 2002 APA Ethics Code which states, "If an apparent ethical violation has substantially harmed or is likely to substantially harm a person or organization and is not appropriate for informal resolution… psychologists take further action appropriate to the situation. Such action might include referral to state licensing boards or to the appropriate institutional authorities” such as the State of Iowa Child Protective Services.
A member of the Ethics Committee will make every effort to respond to the consultation request within five (5) working days. Your initial discussion will be with the Committee member who returns your call. The Committee member will consult with the entire Ethics Committee (maintaining your confidentiality), and you will be notified of committee recommendations in a phone conversation.
Finance
The Finance committee provides oversight and assessment of the financial health of IPA to the Executive Council. The finance committee, in consultation with the treasurer, also makes recommendations to the Executive Council for changes in budget, accounting procedures, and expenditures. This committee meets via Zoom on a monthly basis.
Chair
Katie Kopp, Ph.D.
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Time Commitment
1-2 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
1 chair and 7-9 active members
Membership
The Finance committee provides oversight and assessment of the financial health of IPA to the Executive Council. The finance committee, in consultation with the treasurer, also makes recommendations to the Executive Council for changes in budget, accounting procedures, and expenditures. This committee meets via Zoom on a monthly basis.
Co-Chairs
Nicole Keedy, Ph.D.,
Alissa Doobay, Ph.D.
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Time Commitment
1-3 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
2 co-chairs and 4-6 active members
Membership Committee Co-Chairs:
Co-Chair #1:
Emphasis on committee responsibilities, goals, and strategies (10 hours per month)
- Organize MC meetings (3.5 hours per month)
- Chair the Committee Meetings – currently monthly, but at the discretion of the committee
- Create agenda, minutes, Zoom link, and task lists
- Communicate to membership and respond to relevant emails and requests (1 hour per month)
- Delegate and assist with specific projects/strategies (1 hour per month)
- Various meetings/communication with leadership (1 hour per month)
- Prepare bimonthly Executive Council (EC) report and attendance at EC meetings (3.5 hours every 2 months)
- Track new members for the EC Reports
- Include action items that require EC vote or input. Identify strategies to ensure member retention or recruitment success.
- Conference-related planning and execution (4 hours, twice per year)
- Blog articles (3 hours, once or twice per year)
- Include report on MC Strategic Plan efforts for a winter blog post
- Goal and strategy-setting and associated meetings (4 hours, once per year)
- Ensure an annual review and commitment to the committee’s Strategic Planning goals
- Special projects, as needed
Co-Chair #2:
Emphasis on recruitment, applications, renewals, and E-list (10 hours per month)
- Respond to applications (1.5 hours per month)
- Connect new members with warm outreach members, as requested ECP involvement with IPA
- Send out the new member descriptions and introductions to the E-list
- Send emails to all IPA members regarding specific membership issues (30 minutes per month)
- Communicate to membership and responding to general member questions (2 hours per month)
- Ensure online IPA Committee descriptions and Student Committee list are updated annually
- MemberClicks tasks and invoicing (1 hour per month)
- Monitor and follow-up regarding unpaid dues invoices
- Website committee- related tasks (1.5 hours per month)
- Various meetings/communication with leadership (1 hour per month)
- Collaborate with the treasurer in addressing specific member dues issues, and in sending a letter regarding the renewal process in December
- Submit a list of new licensees to Executive Director in August/September to send recruitment letters
- Recruitment letters/outreach (2 hours, every 2 months)
- Review/update/send recruitment letters to licensed non-members and CE attendees who are not members. Follow up with non-members who attend IPA events by sending emails with information about IPA, including membership levels and benefits.
- Coordinate renewal follow-up (6 hours beginning of year)
- Create and maintain spreadsheet of non-renewed members
- Disseminate renewal scripts and divide tasks between committee members
- Suspend non-renewed members
- Update number spreadsheets and report to EC and at conference each year (4 hours, once per year)
- Write a blog submission (3 hours, once or twice per year)
- Include report on membership numbers for a summer blog post.
- Special projects, as needed
- Coordinate the Student Mentorship and Sponsorship programs
- Advertise both programs to membership and in student recruitment materials
- Recruit IPA members to serve as mentors
- Match student members with mentors
- Request donations to support sponsorship program
Membership Committee Members:
- Attend monthly committee meetings
- Identify means to enhance connections and improve communication between IPA members
- Assist in organizing 2 conference social events annually
- Engage in recruitment of new members (licensed psychologists, psychology faculty, counseling center staff, graduate students, undergraduate students)
- This may include email outreach, writing and sending letters, involvement in social media and E-lists
- Brainstorm and implement rewards and benefits of membership
- Organize initiatives to retain IPA members
- Assist in annual follow-up with non-renewed members
Program Planning Committee
This committee is dedicated to organizing and coordinating educational and professional development events for IPA.
Members
David VanHorn, Ph.D.,
Dave Beeman, Ph.D.,
Isaac Hooley, Ph.D.
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Time Commitment
1-2 hours per month
workspaces
Desired capacity
1 chair and 3 active members
Psychopharmacology
This committee is interested in exploring ways to educate Iowa psychologists about pharmacological issues to make them better clinicians when working with patients, including those issues most relevant to prescribing psychologists (RxP). This emphasis includes continuing to advance efforts for Iowa psychologists to obtain their master of science in clinical psychopharmacology (MSCP) through an APA designated program, gathering resources for the clinical assessment and practicum portion of training in Iowa, and continuing to monitor our law for potential fine tuning of language. The committee also works to offer continuing education opportunities for prescribing psychologists in Iowa as well as licensed psychologists who want to learn more about psychopharmacology. In addition, committee members serve as ambassadors for the RxP movement in Iowa as well as assist other states who want to pursue introducing legislation in their state.
Chair
Elizabeth Lonning, Psy.D., MCSP
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Time Commitment
1-2 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
1 chair and 3 active members
Public Education
This committee strives to raise public awareness of the benefits and value of psychological intervention, reduce stigma surrounding mental health, remove information gaps that inhibit access to appropriate care and treatment, and provide empirically based public information needed to access mental health services. The committee members collaborate with IPA in promotion of psychology to the public through media, advertising, and community outreach programs. Current and past activities of committee members include participating in a public education blog, providing interviews to the media, participating in public education podcasts, leading presentations at community events, and creating public education materials for distribution to the public.
Co-Chairs
Warren Phillips, Ph.D,
Valerie Keffala, Ph.D.
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Time Commitment
1-5 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
2 co-chairs and 4-6 active members
Strategic Plan Committee
This committee is responsible for developing and overseeing the long-term strategic goals of the IPA. Members will engage with various stakeholders to gather insights and ensure the plan aligns with the needs of the community.
Chair
Dave Beeman, Ph.D.
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Time Commitment
1-5 hours per month
workspaces
Desired capacity
2 co-chairs and 4-6 active members
Website, E-Communications and Blog (WEB) Committee
The purpose of the IPA website is to enhance communication by providing access to timely, accurate and useful information about IPA activities. The website provides electronic access to news, events, and meeting schedules. Additionally, members can use the website to access forms and documents, including agendas, minutes, budgets and reports. Other information may also be included, provided it is for the benefit of IPA members. The blog includes member-written content regarding information related to psychology in Iowa. Members can submit content any time. The website committee is open to any member who wishes to assist in tasks associated with soliciting and compiling blog content.
Chair
Suzanne Hull
Blog
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Time Commitment
1 hr / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
1 editor and 2+ members
Website
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Time Commitment
1-2 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
1 chair and 4-6 members
Disaster Response Committee
The Disaster Response Committee supports IPA members and the public in responding to disasters through (1) establishing key partnerships with IPA committees along with local and national disaster-related organizations, (2) educating IPA members and the public on disaster mental health, and (3) supporting efforts to recruit more disaster mental health volunteers in the state of Iowa.
Chair
Ashley Freeman, PhD
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Meeting Frequency
every 1-2 months
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Time Commitment
1-2 hrs / month
workspaces
Desired capacity
2 co-chairs and 4-10 active members
Composition of the DRC Committee
- The Chair or Co-Chair is appointed by the President, at the recommendation of the committee, and serves a term of two years. The Chair or Co-Chair is eligible for continuous terms if they so desire, and if they have the approval of the President. Each term begins on January 1 and ends on December 31 of every other calendar year.
- The Committee will ideally be comprised of 4-10 active members including IPA student members.
- All IPA student members are welcome and encouraged to join the committee.
Committee Chair (Co-Chair) Responsibilities:
- Committee Meetings:
- Organize quarterly (or more frequent) meetings.
- Conduct meetings, send out agendas in advance of meetings, and take meeting minutes or appoint someone to do so.
- Committee Reports:
- Submit a written report to the Executive Council prior to EC Meetings. If there is nothing to report, the Chair/Co-Chair will submit a report to the EC stating there was nothing to report.
- Submit an annual Strategic Plan Worksheet for the following year prior to the December EC meeting of the current year.
- Submit an annual Strategic Plan Report summarizing progress toward goals and objectives prior to the December EC meeting of the current year.
- Submit a report to the President for the Annual Report/Business Meeting in April of each year.
- Respond to relevant emails and requests for information/support in response to disasters affecting members. If unable to respond, will delegate to another committee member.
- Maintain files for smooth transfer of information and responsibilities to incoming Committee Chairs.
- Ensure review and implementation of the Committee’s Strategic Plan.
- Delegate tasks to committee members and ensure oversight and follow-up of tasks for reporting to Executive Council.
Committee Member Responsibilities:
- Actively participate in committee meetings.
- Participate actively in committee document creation including reviewing documents sent out by the Chair/Co-Chair in advance of each meeting.
- Committee members will serve a term of at least one year and are encouraged to continue involvement as able.
- Complete free one-hour Red Cross Introductory Disaster Mental Health Training or one-hour Psychological First Aid Training.
- Additional disaster mental health trainings and service opportunities are encouraged but not required.
Committee Member Responsibilities:
- Identify, establish, and maintain key partnerships with local and national disaster-related organizations.
- Coordinate with other IPA committees as appropriate.
- Educate IPA Membership on disaster mental health.
- Maintain list of disaster-related resources and distribute to membership and the public as needed.
- Coordinate with the Public Education Committee to provide disaster-related resources to the public.
- Collaborate with the WEB Committee to develop and publish relevant disaster-related website to IPA members and the public.
- Encourage clinician engagement in disaster response efforts.