The mission of the Ohio Psychological Association Committee on Social Responsibility is to promote and coordinate the involvement of psychologists in programs and projects in the community, including advancing a social justice agenda by applying the science and practice of psychology to human welfare, as well as advocating for the fair treatment of Ohio residents through education, training and public policy.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
National Eating Disorders Week "Someday Melissa" Screening: Wrap-Up
On Wednesday, 2/25 from 6 - 9pm, the Ohio Psychological Association, in conjunction with Columbus State Community College, hosted a screening of the documentary "Someday Melissa." The documentary is the story of Melissa Avrin, who lost her life to an eating disorder. Following her death, Judy Avrin, Melissa’s mother, formed Someday Melissa – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, that was established to promote awareness of the dangers of eating disorders. The documentary is the story of an eating disorder, loss and hope. It’s the organization's desire that through the film, speaking engagements, this website, and educational materials, they will provide a beacon of hope to those suffering with their own disorder (www.somedaymelissa.org). Over 40 students, faculty, and community members attended this event, which included an expert panel consisting of mental health professionals and survivors of eating disorders. Dr. Heather Guthrie represented the Ohio Psychological Association on the panel. Other panelists included Michael Hicks, M.S.Ed., LPC from the CSCC Counseling Center, Samantha Tortora, M.A., LPC-CR from the Center for Balanced Living, Sarah Blanda, and Courtney Ruppert, M.A.
Although National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is over, there will always be a need to spread awareness of Eating Disorders. NEDA has a great plethora of resources that you can utilize to spread awareness at this website: http://nedawareness.org/. Here is the direct link to posters and other resources: http://nedawareness.org/get-involved/materials
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 CoSR Members
Elizabeth Harris, Ph.D. (Chair)
Mary Lewis Karen Hardin Kathleen Ashton Amanda Mitchell Michael Ranney Nicole Bosse Ashley Debeljak Bethany Walker
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