APA's Council Bans Psychologist Participation in National Security Interrogations

American Psychological Association ^ | August 7 | Staff

[PghBaldy]

TORONTO — The American Psychological Association’s Council of Representatives voted overwhelmingly today to prohibit psychologists from participating in national security interrogations.

The measure passed by a vote of 156-1, with seven abstentions and one recusal. The resolution states that psychologists "shall not conduct, supervise, be in the presence of, or otherwise assist any national security interrogations for any military or intelligence entities, including private contractors working on their behalf, nor advise on conditions of confinement insofar as these might facilitate such an interrogation."

The new policy does allow for psychologist involvement in general policy consultation regarding humane interrogations. The prohibition does not apply to domestic law enforcement interrogations or domestic detention settings where detainees are under the protection of the U.S. Constitution.

The council also voted to create a blue-ribbon panel to review APA’s ethics policies and procedures, and issue recommendations to ensure the policies are clear and aligned with best practices in the field.

The moves came in response to a report commissioned by APA's Board of Directors that found there was undisclosed coordination between some APA officials and Department of Defense psychologists that may have resulted in less restrictive ethical guidance for military psychologists in national security settings. APA has apologized for the organizational failures and association governance is working to correct faults in APA's policies and procedures.

“These actions by APA’s council are a concrete step toward rectifying our past organizational shortcomings,” said Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, APA past president and a member of a special committee that received the independent review. “We are now moving forward in a spirit of reconciliation and reform.”

Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, APA’s president-elect and another special committee member, pledged to help implement these new policies as she steps into her new leadership role in 2016.

“We have much work ahead as we change the culture of APA to be more transparent and much more focused on human rights,” McDaniel said. “In addition, we will institute clearer conflict-of-interest policies going forward, all of which are aimed at ensuring that APA regains the trust of its members and the public.”

The policy adopted today clarifies that psychologists can only provide mental health services to military personnel or work for an independent third party to protect human rights at national security detention facilities deemed by the United Nations to be in violation of human rights, such as the U.N. Convention Against Torture and the Geneva Conventions.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 122,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.

[PghBaldy]

Press release from a few days ago. Did not find it by searching.

[House Atreides]

The APA leadership is essentially 100% ‘RAT, progressives and (for an unknown percentage) communists IMHO. In any case, they are certainly anti-American.

[driftdiver]

Tell us how you feel about that..

[nathanbedford]

This press release simply reveals one more institution that has been co-opted by the left and exploited for political purposes.

It is clear that the position of The American Psychological Association’s Council of Representatives is not yet the position of the whole body, although that is probably inevitable, and it is also clear that it does not carry the weight of an ethical mandate, although that too is inevitable.

The left is adept at co-opting institution after institution and turning them against the Constitution and our national interest. Usually it succeeds in having the institution and its propaganda arms funded by government. So the people end up financing the perversion of one more of the institutions it relies upon to make our society civil.

I have no doubt that before the people go to the polls November 2016 the American Psychological Association, either officially or by some of its members, will publish a study declaring that the Republican candidate, whoever he may be, is somehow psychologically deficient. For good measure, they might also throw in the whole Republican Party.

[BwanaNdege]

The APA leadership is essentially 100% ‘RAT, progressives and (for an unknown percentage) communists IMHO. In any case, they are certainly anti-American.

Save ink - just call them "idiots".

[Gaffer]

One would think that if their scruples and professional snobbery dictated they swear off government business in that area, they should swear off government business in all the other areas, too.

Change the word psychologist to faith-based entity (any mom and pop consumer enterprise) and put that in a service-to-gays context instead of interrogation and where are we?

Wouldn’t somebody from the government/judiciary be clamoring for forcing these nut jobs to act against their principles?

[Salvey]

The APA has been fundamentally transformed.

[rarestia]

This press release simply reveals one more institution that has been co-opted by the left and exploited for political purposes.

Not picking on you, sir, but I do want to point out something you said that is prescient.

There are some "gun control" bills being floated around DC right now having to do with sharing of mental health information with Federal and State governments in an attempt to stop sales of firearms to mentally unstable individuals. This article is a little concerning, since the APA is going to be the organization that decides if they're on-board with the idea of sharing patient mental health information with the government. They may be opting themselves out of participation with interrogations, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be on board with gun control efforts.

That being said, I think this is going to exacerbate our nation's mental health issues, as people will forgo a trip to a shrink in lieu of going it alone out of fear that their conversations will be reported to the government. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've gone through some tough times in my life from bad breakups to alcoholism, and talking with a non-biased third party was always helpful to me. I would absolutely think twice about that if they decided to make a reporting requirement out of it, esp. if the requirements were as nebulous as most government legalese tends to be.

[hal ogen]

Useful idiots...

[CodeToad]

The APA has no authority. Just a bunch of leftist freaks. These are the pinheads that made Homosexuality and self-mutilation cross-dressing “normal”.