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Announcements

Call for 2021 AAPA Professional and Student awards applications due July 31, 2021

By Announcements, Awards, Call for Applications

Full descriptions of awards review here

The AAPA Awards and Recognition Committee requests nominations for the following:


Professional Awards
• Okura Community Leadership Award
• Distinguished Contributions Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Early Career Award for Research
• Early Career Award for Service

Student Awards *separate from the Division on Students Awards
• Dissertation Research Grant
• Stephen C. Rose Scholarship for Psychology Research on Asian American Youth


All award winners will be notified prior to the annual AAPA Convention. Presentation of all awards will
take place at the 2021 Annual AAPA Convention Awards Ceremony.
Current members of the Executive Committee are not eligible for these awards during their term of
office. Members of the AAPA Awards and Recognition Committee and of the Executive Committee
may make nominations; however, if they do, they must withdraw from the voting process related to any
nominee for whom they have written a letter of support.
Criteria and Nomination Procedures: Descriptions of each award, nomination criteria, and required
materials are provided on the following pages.
Submissions:
• Materials for each award must be compiled into one PDF document titled with the nominee’s
name and award name. For example, “KaraBautistaDissertation.pdf”.
• Submit only one nomination per email to asaw@depaul.edu. Please put the name of the applicant
and “AAPA Awards” in the subject line of the email.
• Faxes or mailed submissions will not be accepted. (If you don’t have access to email, please
work with a colleague who does).
• Please notify one of the committee chairs if you would like to resubmit a nomination packet
from last year.


*Please note, the Awards and Recognition Committee does not provide feedback on application
materials.


Deadline: Nominations must be received by July 31, 2021 11:59 EST. Late and incomplete
submissions will not be reviewed.

AAPA 2021 National Convention Oct 1-3

By Announcements, Convention

2021 ANNUAL CONVENTION (Virtual)


Expanding Our Banyan Tree: Unity, Inclusivity, and Intersectionality in Scholarship

Proposal deadline June 14th, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST

Proposal submission information at this link. Submit proposals here.

About the 2021 Convention:

In light of our theme, Expanding Our Banyan Tree: Unity, Inclusivity, and Intersectionality in Scholarship, we are seeking proposals that highlight specific
issues challenging Asian-identified communities as well as our relationship to issues
impacting other racial and ethnic minorities. We are also seeking proposals that draw
attention to underrepresented and multiple intersecting identities across such groups.
In addition, we are interested in submissions that focus on collaborative projects (both
nationally and internationally), interdisciplinary scholarship, multicultural perspective,
cross-cultural psychology, and other works that further social justice movements,
especially in light of the rise in Anti-Asian violence. We encourage submissions from
researchers, community leaders and activists, mental health providers, and educators
who work with underrepresented communities. Moreover, we welcome submissions
from professionals and scholars in allied fields (e.g., Anthropology, Asian American
Studies, Communication, Education, History, Law, Nursing, Political Science, Public
Health, Psychiatry, Social Work, Sociology, and Counselor Education) with whom we
collaborate and whose work informs Asian American mental health.
We invite you to join us on this path of self-exploration, reflection, loving, and growth as we steer AAPA toward an exciting and inclusive future.

Statement in Support of Naomi Osaka & Mental Health Advocacy in the Workplace

By Announcements, News, Press Release, Statements

see .pdf version here

Date: June 3, 2021

We, the Asian American Psychological Association, write this statement in adamant support of Naomi Osaka’s decision to not appear before international media during the French Open in order to preserve her mental health. Osaka risked her professional career and her income with this decision to advocate for her personal mental health and that of her fellow athletes, especially in the face of toxic and oppressive workplace policies. As a biracial Black and Japanese woman, she has previously and continues to face racism and sexism from the media, both at home and on the world stage. Her openness about her mental health draws attention to mental health conditions that are experienced by many people. There are an estimated 41.5% of adults in the U.S. who have had recent symptoms of depressive and anxiety disorder (CDC, 2021) and 62% of Asian Americans-alarmingly- report unmet mental health needs (Saw et al., 2021). Additionally, a 2016 study found that 30% of the female athletes surveyed reported symptoms of depression, and found symptoms of anxiety and eating disorders were unaddressed.

Osaka’s actions highlight the barriers that exist, even for highly successful professionals, to establish boundaries in order to protect their well-being and mental health. Women of color experience a complex intersection of racist and sexist experiences in the workplace, especially when they are treated as a token representative of a marginalized group. Being a racialized token in any context, and especially in highly visible positions, makes one especially vulnerable to experiencing racialized trauma on a regular basis. Osaka’s experience as a tennis professional mirrors this research. The penalty that Osaka has experienced by the French Open is, unfortunately, familiar to many people who are discouraged from setting boundaries in their workplaces and fear repercussions for making their mental health challenges public. It is these policies that reify societal stigmas associated with seeking mental health services. We applaud Osaka for standing up against workplace demands that are detrimental to her mental health and urge all employers to consider how workplace policies can actively harm or help the well-being of workers. Employers can support the mental health of employees by providing health insurance with good mental health coverage, as well as flexibility and accommodations to prioritize and support mental health. 

We commend Osaka for modeling self-advocacy, self- and community-care. This is not the first time that she has used her platform to address important societal issues. She has openly supported Black Lives Matter, spoken out against anti-Asian racism, and worn face masks with the names of victims of police brutality during the US Open. We stand with her and ask the sports community and all workplaces to look at workplace culture, demands, and policies with an eye toward creating more inclusive and equitable environments that prioritize human wellness.   

The primary mission of the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) is to advance the mental health and well-being of Asian American communities through research, professional practice, education, and policy.

Contact: communication@aapaonline.org

RESOURCES 

1 in 4 Project: https://www.1in4project.org/

  • organization for student athletes that works to overcome shame associated with mental health in sports with a focus on self-advocacy

Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation: https://www.aaadf.org/

  • foundation that provides resources for those coping with mental issues with a focus on community building

Athletes for Care: https://athletesforcare.org/?

  • nonprofit by former pro athletes working to advocate for the health of athletes with mental illness

The Players’ Tribune Mental Health Awareness Collection: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/collections/mental-health-awareness

  • A media outlet for pro athletes to post and share their stories related to mental health
  • Noteable article: Dear Black Women by Las Vegas Ace’s A’ja Wilson

Mental Health Issues with Female Athletes:

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/2019/01/19/mental-health-issues-female-athletes-focusing-body-while-forgetting-brain/2628472002/

  • British Journal of Sports Medicine, 30 percent of surveyed female student-athletes showed signs of depression.

National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Hotline 800-950-6264

https://www.nami.org/help

  • The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public. HelpLine staff and volunteers are experienced, well-trained and able to provide guidance.