OPA Committee on Social Responsibility: April is Autism Awareness Month

Friday, April 1, 2011

April is Autism Awareness Month

The Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism prevalence report that concluded that the prevalence of autism was 1 in every 110 births in the United States and almost 1 in 70 boys. Psychologists work with children who have autism and their parents, and the American Psychological Association has some good information on Autism. For more information, please visit the Autism Society's Awareness Month page as well as the CDC's Information Page about Autism Awareness Month.

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Goals

1. Enhance image of psychologists through encouraging pro bono work.

a) Suicide Prevention Walks in October
b) “For the Greater Good” articles highlighting volunteer work by Ohio Psychologists
c) Media Award

2. Plan for unique community programs that can be implemented under the auspices of the OPA, involving psychologists and others.

a) Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February)
b) Legislative Health Fair (May)
c) VA Health Fair, Mental Health Awareness Month (May)
d) A Home Within Project
e) YMCA Programs
f) Library Programs
g) High school psychology class speaker requests

3. Inform and educate the OPA Board and member psychologists about relevant social justice issues that affect Ohio residents in collaboration with the Diversity Committee, LGBT Subcommittee and other parts of the OPA structure.

a) “Did You Know” articles in the OPA Notes e-newsletter
b) Foodbank Drive (May-June)
c) Social networking
i) OPA Facebook Page
ii) OPA on Twitter
iii) COSR Blog

4. Work with the OPA Advocacy Committee to support the development of public policy that promotes equitable mental health treatment and other applications of psychological principles for societal concerns.

a) Legislative Health Fair in conjunction with OPA Legislative Day (May)
b) PEC and other committee members at State Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. (March)

5. Represent psychology in public forums and with other mental health organizations and consumers.

a) Legislative Health Fair (May)
b) VA Health Fair (May)

6. Provide resources about mental health issues to the public via the Public Education Campaign and the Public Section of the OPA website, with the purpose of informing the public about psychology, and destigmatizing mental illness and use of mental health services.

a) Social networking
i) OPA Facebook Page
ii) OPA on Twitter
iii) COSR Blog
b) Media Award
c) YMCA Programs
d) Library Programs
e) High school psychology class speaker requests
f) Legislative Health Fair
g) VA Health Fair
h) Support group resources/self-help section of OPA website

7. Work together with OPA as a whole to recognize psychologists who have contributed their expertise and service significantly to the cause of public interest.

a) “For the Greater Good” Articles
b) Media Award

8. Through the Disaster Response Network, develop a corps of trained psychologists with state and regional leadership that is linked to APA’s DRN program and is able to respond to a variety of disasters.

OPA Committee on Social Responsibility

Friday, April 1, 2011

April is Autism Awareness Month

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