A n n uA l R e p o R tBC Psychological Association Annual General Meeting 201612:00pm Friday November 18th, 2016 @ University Golf Club

AnnuAl RepoRt2015 – 2016Published byBritish Columbia Psychological Association 402 – 1177 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V6H 1G3

PHone 604.730.0501 | FAx 604.730.0502ReFeRRAl 604.730.0522 or 1.800.730.0522eMAil info@psychologists.bc.caWeBsite www.psychologists.bc.ca

bOARd OF diReCTORs

PResiDentMurray Ferguson, D. Psych., R. Psych.ViCe-PResiDentMarilyn Chotem, ed.D., R. Psych.tReAsUReRDonald Hutcheon, C. Psychol. (UK)., ed.D., R. Psych.

DiReCtoRsDouglas Cave, MsW, RsW, Ph.D., R. Psych.,MA, AMP, MCFPYuk shuen (sandra) Wong, Ph.D., R. Psych.noah susswein, Ph.D., R. Psych.Paul swingle, Ph.D., R. Psych.

exeCuTive diReCTORRick Gambrel, B.Comm., llB.

MARkeTing COORdinATORinkyung (inky) Kang

eduCATiOn COORdinATORPriya Bangar

AdMinisTRATive AssisTAnTJaya sarika Vadrevu

MissiOn sTATeMenTBritish Columbia Psychological Association provides leadership for the advancement and promotion of the profession and science of psychology in the service of our membership and the people of British Columbia.

MAndATethe mission of the British Columbia Psychological Association (BCPA) encompasses several objectives which are spelled out in section two of the Association’s Constitution:1. to serve the science and profession of

psychology and its applications throughout the Province of British Columbia;

2. to support and stimulate any activity which mutually enhances the interests of the public welfare and of psychologists;

3. to support and enhance the continuing professional education of psychologists;

4. to support and advance the interests of the science and profession of psychology throughout the Province of British Columbia.

COMMiTTee ChAiRsADVoCACY CoMMitteeMarilyn Chotem, ed.D., R. Psych.

ContinUinG eDUCAtion CoMMitteeDouglas Cave, MsW, RsW, Ph.D., R. Psych.,MA, AMP, MCFP

CoMMUnitY enGAGeMent CoMMitteePatrick Myers, Ph.D., R. Psych.

DisAsteR ResPonse netWoRKJeanne M. leBlanc, Ph.D., R. Psych., ABPP

MeMBeR seRViCes CoMMitteeDouglas Cave, MsW, RsW, Ph.D., R. Psych.,MA, AMP, MCFP

Co n t en t s

03 Annual General Meeting Agenda

04 Letter from the President

06 Letter from the Executive Director

07 Committee & Taskforce Updates

14 Administrative Report

16 Letter from the Treasurer

18 Board Nomination 2016

19 Proposed Budget for 2016 – 2017

AG M AG endA 2016

1. CAll TO ORdeR: MuRRAy FeRgusOn, d. PsyCh., R. PsyCh., PResidenT

2. APPROvAl OF The AgendA

3. APPROvAl OF The PReviOus AgM MinuTes (nOveMbeR 28Th, 2014)

4. RePORTs

A. President: Murray Ferguson. D. Psych., R. Psych. I. Thank you to Board Members, Committee Chairs, B. Treasurer: Donald Hutcheon, C. Psychol. (UK)., Ed.D., R. Psych. i. Approval of Auditor’s Review Report ii. Approval of 2016 – 2017 Budget C. Advocacy: Marilyn Chotem, Ed.D., R. Psych. D. Continuing Education: Douglas Cave, MSW, RSW, Ph.D., R. Psych., MA, AMP, MCFP E. Member Services: Douglas Cave, MSW, RSW, Ph.D., R. Psych., MA, AMP, MCFP F. Community Engagement: Patrick Myers, Ph.D., R. Psych. G. Administration: Rick Gambrel, B. Comm., LLB.

5. OTheR business

6. AdjOuRnMenT OF The AnnuAl geneRAl MeeTing

4 BC Psychological Association

l e t t eR fR o M t he pRe sid en t

s the association that represents the profession of psychology in British Columbia, the BCPA

staff and volunteers work tirelessly for the you, the membership. This year has been another successful one for the association,

which has seen an increase in the number of members to record levels, the most successful psychology month on record, the completion of previously discussed focus groups, a wonderful Piece of Mind Art Exhibit under the CEC committee, movement towards efforts to promote psychology within government and the health authorities, and our Executive Director being elected the Chair-Elect of the Council of Executives of State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations (CESSPA), the first time for an Executive Director of a Canadian psychological association.

With respect to psychology month, the BCPA efforts have grown tremendously over the past few years and in 2016 we had the most successful effort in our history with respect to reaching the public in British Columba. A number of members engaged in many radio and print interviews, there have been well received lectures in association with the Vancouver and Surrey Public Libraries, and for the first time the BCPA also offered psychology month talks in languages other than English. Additionally, the BCPA is one of only two health organisations who have been retained as partners with the Vancouver Public Library, which is a tremendous acknowledgement of the level of professionalism and the engaging talks that BCPA members have always given. Indeed, this is also a testament to the hard work of the BCPA staff, who engage directly with the VPL so well behind the scenes.

As noted above, 2016 has been the most successful year for membership in the history of the BCPA and I hope to see this continue with even greater numbers in 2017. It is absolutely wonderful to see so many psychologists

recognising the benefits of BCPA membership and appreciating the important role that the association plays in promoting psychology and psychologists in the province. Indeed, the Community Engagement Committee continues to work diligently to connect with the public in different and exciting ways, and is looking to expanding these connections in the coming year. Further, the Advocacy Committee has continued to work determinedly to bring improved awareness to government agencies of how better access to psychological services provided by registered psychologists can improve the mental health of British Columbians in a cost effective manner, and how psychologists can help to improve policy decisions related to mental health in this province.

The financial viability of the association continues to be strong with the growth in membership, advertising and workshop revenue. Our interim treasure, Dr. Don Hutcheon, has continued to be to do an excellent job in managing the finances of the association, and I would like to thank him for returning to the role to assist us over the past 6 months.

I would also like to express by sincere gratitude to all of the members who have given their time and volunteered in a wide array of activities in support of this organisation. All of these members have busy lives with jobs, private practices, families and no doubt many other commitments, yet they have selflessly volunteered to move the BCPA and psychology forward in the province. Without these volunteers this association would not been anywhere near as successful as it continues to be. I trust you will all join me in thanking these members for the efforts they have put forth through 2016.

This year has truly been a great success for the BCPA and this could not have happened without the tremendous effort of the team in the BCPA office. They have all been such a pleasure to work with over the last year and I can assure you

Murray Ferguson, D. Psych., r. Psych. Murray completed his doctorate in Clinical and Forensic Psychology at Monash University in Australia. He currently works in private practice and with the Department of National Defence at 19 Wing Comox. He has also worked in institutional and community based forensic mental health services for adults and youth, and in academic settings, teaching and engaging in research pursuits. Murray has previously sat on the executive committees of the National and Victorian Branches of the College of Forensic Psychologists in Australia. He is interested in seeing psychology reach its potential in British Columbia and for there to be affordable access to psychology for all British Columbians in need.

5Annual Report 2015 – 2016

that the BCPAwould be a lesser organisation without them. I would very much like to thank Rick Gambrel, Inky Kang, Priya Bangar, and Sarika Vadrevu for all of their incredible work through some extraordinarily busy times. Their efforts to ensure the best for the membership of the BCPA has never wavered and all members, in addition to the board, should be thankful for their continued hard work. Please, if you attend the AGM, workshops, or any other BCPA events, take a moment to stop them and say thank you for their all that they do.

It has been a pleasure to serve as the President of the British Columbia Psychological Association over the past 12 months and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do so. I would like to wish all the best to incoming President, Dr. Marilyn Chotem, and I look forward to working under her leadership over the coming year.

Sincerely,

A. Murray Ferguson, D. Psych., R. Psych.,President, British Columbia Psychological Association

6 BC Psychological Association

l e t t eR fR o M t he e x eC u t i v e d iReC t o R

rick gaMbrel, b. coMM., llb.The Executive Director of the BCPA. Mr. Gambrel has a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and a Law Degree from UBC. Prior to working at BCPA, he was a trial lawyer for over 30 years, as well as Managing Partner of a number of law firms. He is Past President of both the Trial Lawyers Association of BC and of White Rock Concerts, one of Canada’s leading classical music presenters. Contact: rick.gambrel@psychologists.bc.ca

or yet another year, I have excellent news to report.

BCPA has significantly increased its historically high membership numbers, from 735 members

at the end of 14–15, to 780 members at the end of 15–16. Psychologists recognize the value of a BCPA membership, including all of the important advocacy and public education initiatives of the Association over the past year.

Overall Association revenue is up, without any increase in your dues or workshop fees.

We offered a strong roster of workshops again this year, on a wide range of topics, serving members and non-members alike.

We did more advocacy and more community engagement, all while holding the line on the administrative expenses of the association, even though our membership increased by 6%.

And BCPA’s prominence on the national and indeed, international level has grown again this year. I now serve as the Chair Elect of CESPPA, the international organization for executive Directors of Psychological Associations. I am the first Canadian Chair Elect to ever serve CESPPA. As well, I serve as one of 6 members of the national governing body of the BMS brokered professional liability insurance program, and I am the BCPA representative to CPAP — the Council of Professional Associations of Psychology — our national association of psychological associations.

BCPA has also done more advocacy this year. We made more submissions to the BC legislature Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth, offering more recommendations to assist government in meeting the challenges around youth mental health.

Our community engagement efforts were, in my opinion, the strongest in the country. Psychology Month saw dozens of media interviews by BCPA psychologists, reaching over 7 million of people. We attended numerous wellness fairs including business and union meetings, to advocate for greater annual coverage limits for psychological services in extended health plans. And our Piece of Mind art exhibits grew to include not just Vancouver, but UBC and Kamloops, resulting in media coverage about psychology surrounding all of those events.

As I always say, there is greater strength in greater numbers, so please, encourage your colleagues to join BCPA.

We have a small but very talented and dedicated staff at BCPA, who work very hard. I want to acknowledge my staff — Inky Kang, Priya Bangar and Sarika Vadrevu, along with our wonderful interns, Yuvraj Pratap Singh and Sara Saeedi Chakoub, for their wonderful, dedicated work. And thank you, the members, for your continued support of BCPA and to the Board and committee volunteers for stepping up and dedicating their time to volunteer for the association.

I wish you all the best in the year ahead. And, as always, please call me if you have any questions or comments.

Rick C GambrelB.Comm., LLB.Executive Director

7Annual Report 2015 – 2016

Co MMi t t ee & tA sk f o R C e u pdAt e s

09 Advocacy Committee

10 Continuing Education Committee

Co MMi t t ee C h A iR s

12 Community Engagement Committee

AdvocAcy committee

MARilyn ChoteM, ed.d., R. psyCh.

Marilyn is one of the Board of Directors of the BC Psychological Association. She was the primary contributor to the proposal for Integrating Psychological Services into Primary Health Care with proposed funding from MSP. Her interest in being on the board is to increase accessibility of psychologists to the people who need psychological services most, yet lack the financial means to receive them, whether it is out-of-pocket or inadequate third party coverage. She has been doing psychotherapy in BC since 1978 in a variety of settings including addictions, child and youth mental health, adult mental health, adult eating disorders, EAP and private practice. She has a private practice in West Vancouver working with individuals, couples and families with a variety of presenting concerns.

continuing educAtion committee & member ServiceS committee

douglAs CAve, MsW, RsW, ph.d.,R. psyCh., MA, AMp, MCFp

My MSW and PhD in Counselling Psychology were granted by UBC. My Post-Doctoral Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology is from New Mexico State University. I am an Assistant Professor and Lead Faculty for Behavioural Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. My clinical work is at the Centre for Practitioner Renewal at Providence Health Care where I provide care to healthcare providers. Previously, I worked in the areas of addictions, sex-related and LGBT concerns, trauma among peacekeepers and forensics. Some of the things that are important to me regarding psychology in BC are: enhancing the relationship between medicine and psychology, developing healthy and resilience-enhancing workplaces, fostering an expansion of psychological services, and examining psychologists’ ability to bill to MSP.

11 Members Services Committee

8 BC Psychological Association

community engAgement committee

pAtRiCk MyeRs, ph.d., R. psyCh.

Patrick Myers received Ph. D. in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta. He has been a very active part of the Community engagement Committee for many years and the Chair for the past year. Also, he was one of the Board Members of the BC Psychological Association. Patrick has given a number of free public talks for BCPA during psychology month over the years as well as doing media interviews for the association. He sees clients in Yaletown, Burnaby and Coquitlam.

diSASter reSponSe network & ApA council of repreSentAtive

JeAnne M. leBlAnC, ph.d., ABpp, R. psyCh.

Dr. Jeanne LeBlanc received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in 1997, and then completed an internship and post-doctoral training in Rehabilitation Neuropsychology. She has also earned a Diplomate in Rehabilitation Psychology. Scopes of practice have included extensive work in the area of rehabilitation neuropsychology (hospital and private practice based), managing and providing clinical support to a rural community child and adolescent outpatient treatment clinic, working in the prison system in California, and years of teaching at the University and Graduate level. During the past number of years, Dr. LeBlanc has volunteered in a number of areas, including: 3 years of service to the Board of BCPA, participation in the DRN since 2004 — becoming BC representative to the APA's DRN in approximately 2006, and representative of psychology in the Ministry of Health's Disaster Psychosocial Services (also since about 2006). Areas of emphasis in regards to the role of psychology in BC includes (but is not limited to): advocating for greater availability of mental health services (including working towards MSP inclusion), providing opportunities and resources for our disaster response volunteers, and advocating for psychology to have a seat at the table in respect to provincial decisions made regarding mental health issues and the scope of our profession. Additionally, interests include continued efforts to promote the value of seeking help from psychologists, in our community, and to promote medical/psychological relationships.

9Annual Report 2015 – 2016

A dvo C AC yCo MMi t t ee

aDvocacy coMMitteeMembers of the Advocacy Committee are BCPA volunteers responsible for bringing advocacy matters to the attention of the Association, attending advocacy meetings with and making written submissions to government and other stakeholders, elaborating and carrying out advocacy initiatives.

The BCPA Advocacy Committee is gaining momentum. In January 2016, the Canadian Psychological Association Practice

Directorate held a two-day workshop on advocacy with Sean Moore presenting. Sean

Moore is a retired lobbyist with the federal government who has his own consulting firm in Ottawa. Rick Gambrel, Executive Director of BCPA, and Dr. Marilyn Chotem, Advocacy Committee Chair, attended this workshop in Ottawa. The materials we returned with became the guiding template for the work the committee has done since.

The main thrust of the training was to identify potential allies, clarify our goal and message, and develop a strategic plan. Our goal is to improve access to psychologists for those who need the specialized services of psychologists. We also wish to elevate the status of psychologists in the public service from “Allied Health” (which includes masters level training or less in a variety of disciplines) to doctors of psychology with training comparable to physicians. We are identifying key contacts in government and the Ministry of Health. We are also planning to engage with physicians to discuss the mental health needs of their patients. Dr. Kelly Price has arranged a meeting with the Doctors of BC Collaborative on Child and Youth Mental Health to discuss the specialized role of psychologists in Child and Youth Mental Health. Dr. Price and Dr. Murray Ferguson, BCPA President, will be attending this meeting.

The Committee sent a letter to Ms. Keva Glynn, Executive Director, Mental Health Services, Ministry of Health, requesting a meeting to discuss the mental health needs of British Columbians and to advocate for inclusion of psychologists in policy and planning. We sent her the BCPA paper, Psychologists’ Role in Primary and Community Care in British Columbia to inform her of the specialized services that only psychologists can provide, as well as, evidence of the cost effectiveness of psychological services. In particular, we wish to discuss the specialized skills of psychologists, the need for a designated person responsible for Mental Health Services in each of the Health Authorities, and the need to

improve salaries for psychologists in order to recruit and retain them in the public service. We will be drafting similar letters to send to physicians in the relevant committees within Doctors of BC. Lastly, we will be drafting letters to send to politicians, particularly in light of this being an election year.

Another project of the Advocacy Committee was the adaptation of a brochure put out by the California Psychological Association for politicians on how to deal with difficult constituents. We are hoping to get a psychologist in each constituency to meet with their MLA to advocate for psychology and offer the brochure for assistance in dealing with any difficult constituents. If this interests you, please contact Marilyn Chotem at mchotem@shaw.ca. We will put materials together and encourage members to engage with politicians in friendly conversations with a strong emphasis on educating them on the training and skills of psychologists, and the difference between a regulated and unregulated profession.

In summary, the committee is gaining momentum. We welcome members with an interest in advocacy. Our meetings are the fourth Thursday of the month from noon to 1 pm. The meetings are held at the BCPA office, but most attendees call in on the conference line.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilyn Chotem, Ed.D., R.Psych. #773Advocacy Committee Chair

10 BC Psychological Association

Co n t inuin G ed u C At io n Co MMi t t ee

continuing eDucation coMMitteeMembers of this committee are responsible for recruiting prospective workshop presenters, evaluating past workshops, and supervising changes to the Continuing Education program. The aim of the Committee is to maintain CPA accreditation for offering CE opportunities, with the aim to increase the number of members who regularly attend workshops organized by BCPA.

he Continuing Education (CE) Committee is a committee of the BC Psychological Association: it is headed by Dr. Douglas Cave.

Members of this Committee are responsible for recruiting prospective workshop presenters,

evaluating past workshops, and supervising changes to the Continuing Education program. The aim of the Committee is to maintain CPA accreditation, with the aim to increase the number of members who regularly attend workshops organized by BCPA.

During the fiscal year (September 1st, 2015 – August 31st, 2016) we had a total of four professional development workshops which were as follows:1. Dr .John Briere: New directions in the treatment of complex

trauma: Mindfulness, affect regulation, and emotional processing. November 27th, 2015 — 159 attended.

2. Dr. Larry Waldman: The Graduate Course You Never Had: Private Practice Development & Effective Marketing. March 11th, 2016 — 35 attended

5. Dr. Mark Lau: Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy: From Theory to Practice. April 8th, 2016 — 48 attended

7. Dr. Adam Radomsky: Difficult to treat? Not anymore! Cognitive Therapy for OCD. May 27th, 2016 — 52 attended

For 2016–2017 we have organized the following workshops:1. Dr. Christine Korol: Embracing the Disruption: Adding

innovative technology to your Psychotherapy practice that your clients will love. September 30th, 2016 — 70 attended

2. Dr. John Briere: Working with the pain paradox: Integrating Mindfulness Principles into Modern Psychotherapy. November 18th, 2016

3. Dr. Greg Neimeyer: ICD:10 and DSM 5 April 21st, 2017

4. Dr. Erica Wise: Resolving Complex Ethical Dilemmas and Milticultural Competence and Ethics. May 19th, 2017

We aim to recruit speakers who are well known experts in their field. One rule of thumb for an expert is someone who has published over 50 articles in the area and/or has one or more professional books that clinicians have bought. I have always personally supported and advocated for evidence-based therapies and interventions and I hope that this standard will continue after my departure. Our workshops are not large and therefore participants can feel free to ask questions and interact with the speaker. Feedback from our workshops has been very positive. Please attend one or more of our forthcoming workshops. Thank you for participating at our workshops.

11Annual Report 2015 – 2016

MeMbeR seRv iC e s Co MMi t t ee

MeMber services coMMitteeThe Member Services Committee is responsible for guiding the membership recruitment and retention efforts of BCPA and also monitoring and improving the membership benefits offered by the association, including the Referral Service. This committee is also responsible for the member survey and member and non-member focus groups.

his fiscal year (2015 – 2016) was very notable for BCPA memberships. We finished the year with 780 members, up significantly from

last year’s total of 735. As of October 31, a record number of members (741) have renewed their

membership for 2016 – 2017. Psychologists obviously see the value in a BCPA membership and see that the value is increasing each year.

While we learn about the field and trends across North America, we need to hear from members. BCPA continues to reach out to members through the members’ survey. Through this survey we are able to better meet your needs. The next time the survey comes into your email inbox, I hope you take the time to let us know your opinions, ideas and experiences so we can strive to best meet your needs.

BCPA continued to reach out to members and non-members alike, through focus groups. Like the member survey, with the focus groups, we hope to hear about your priorities and develop some strategies to best meet them. Over the past year, focus groups were conducted at the following locations:

• TheKelownaProfessionalGroup• SurreyEthicsSalon• VancouverEthicsSalon• VancouverIslandHealthAuthority

We are in the process of analysing the results of these focus groups and will provide you with the results as they are available. We hope to continue conducting focus groups with members and non-members. We are holding these focus groups at workshops and at planned meetings of psychologists including at ethics salons.

We are very interested to hear from you. If you have a group of psychologists who are meeting and would be willing to participate in a brief focus group, we will make every effort to meet you and your group.

As a member you well know the list of benefits of membership:• DiscountsonBCPA-sponsoredContinuingEducation

events and Ethics Salons;• Thesatisfactionofknowingthatyouarecontributing

to the Advocacy and Community Engagement efforts of BCPA

• AfreeyearlysubscriptiontotheBC Psychologist;• Professionaldevelopmentandnetworking

opportunities;• Discountsonliabilityinsurance,withaveragesavingsof

77% ($1,100) over non-discounted rates;• Discountsonpropertyinsuranceplans;• AccesstoAssociationhealth,dentalanddisability

insurance;• Accesstothee-mailforum,whichallowsyoutodiscuss

with and learn from other psychologists.Throughout the year, BCPA has continued to expand its services to members, by expanding its educational programs, expanding its Advocacy and Community engagement efforts, and reduced its operating costs.

Sincerely,

Dr. Douglas CaveCommittee Chair

12 BC Psychological Association

Co MM u ni t y en GAG eMen tCo MMi t t ee

coMMunity engageMent coMMitteeMembers of the CEC are responsible for planning and executing public events and information campaigns, as well as writing on the blog of the Association with the assistance of Association staff. The Committee’s long-term goal is to build a history of public events centred on psychology, as well as efficient and effective community engagement campaigns.

psyChology Month tAlksWe have had an even more successful Psychology Month this year. We worked with Peak Communications to spread the word again. The Psychology Month talks schedule included talks in Italian and Punjabi and not just in Vancouver, but in Surrey as well. Each of the staff attended at the evening talks to manage the events. We partnered with both the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) and the Surrey Public Library (SPL), to deliver 10 Psychology Month talks. We doubled the number of media interviews from last year (16). This year we had 31 interviews in total and increased number of overall people that saw our interviews by approximately 2 million to over 7 million views. The interviews included two with the Vancouver Sun, featuring two separate Registered Psychologists and speakers as part of the VPL series.

2016 Psychology Month speakers included: Dr. Michael Sheppard- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Dr. Patrick Myers — The Happiness Trap: Finding the Middle Way Through Life, Dr. Kamaljit Sidhu — Anxiety, Panic and Anger: A Beginner’s Guide (presented both in Punjabi and English and As a result she generated 10 media hits with six separate interviews, including one TV opportunity, four radio interviews and one Vancouver Sun feature story in the Health section. Dr. Veronica Kallos-Lilly — A Heart to Heart About Love, Dr. Noah Susswein — Empathy and Adolescents, Dr. Du-Fay Der: Stress — The present tense and psycho-therapeutic interventions and Ms. Anna Bossi presenting in Italian — The Concept of Resilience.

Our Psychology Month partners Vancouver Public Library were so impressed with Psychology Month, that even though they have cut their health partnerships significantly they have decided to continue to partner with BCPA thanks to our growing relationship and the continuing success of Psychology Month.

pieCe oF Mind

Piece of Mind is an art exhibition merging the worlds of art and psychology. Over the past year, POM was presented at UBC, the Kamloops and at the Vancouver Public Library. The VPL exhibit featured 30 works and an opening night attended by over 100 people with a program that more extensively featured psychologists this year. Those who attended very much enjoyed and appreciated the program. We also hosted 2 learning to paint workshops at VPL which were well received.

Media coverage for piece of mind included coverage in the Vancouver Sun, the Georgia Straight, and on CBC Radio.

At the Emily Carr College of Art and Design, the BCPA Piece of Mind Award in Health Design for innovation in the Field of Psychological Health and Well-being went to Jodie Lavery for ‘The Wellness Project’ which is a campaign aimed to help people feel more confident speaking about their mental health and well-being.

After a successful 3 years of running the Piece of Mind Exhibition, BCPA have made the decision to put Piece of Mind on hiatus for 2017 and are devoting those resources in other ways to promote psychological health within the community.

BottoM line ConFeRenCeAlso during Psychology month 2016, BCPA had a table at the Bottom Line Conference on workplace mental health. At the conference we spoke to dozens of representatives of unions and major employers to lobby them to increase extended health plan annual coverage limits for psychological services to at least $2,000.

13Annual Report 2015 – 2016

disAsteR psyChosoCiAl ConFeRenCeBCPA was an exhibitor at the first ever Disaster Psychosocial Response Conference, featuring speakers and delegates from all over BC and indeed North America. At the conference we again spoke to representatives of unions and major employers to lobby them to increase extended health plan annual coverage limits for psychological services to at least $2,000, ad to boost support for first responders who suffer from PTSD and other psychological consequences of their work. As well, BCPA DPS representative, Dr. Jeanne LeBlanc was a feautered speaker and on the organizing committee of the conference.

14 BC Psychological Association

MeMBeRship2015–2016 was another successful year for BCPA memberships. We finished the year with 780 members (the largest membership in the association’s history) and the vast majority of you (741) have renewed to October 31st for 2016–2017. Psychologists obviously see the value in a BCPA membership and see that the value is increasing each year.

As a member you well know the list of benefits of membership:• DiscountsonBCPA-sponsoredContinuingEducation

events and Ethics Salons;• Thesatisfactionofknowingthatyouarecontributing

to the Advocacy and Community Engagement efforts of BCPA

• AfreeyearlysubscriptiontotheBC Psychologist;• Professionaldevelopmentandnetworking

opportunities;• Discountsonliabilityinsurance,withaveragesavingsof

77% ($1100) over non-discounted rates;• Discountsonpropertyinsuranceplans;• AccesstoAssociationhealth,dentalanddisability

insurance;• Accesstothee-mailforum,whichallowsyoutodiscuss

with and learn from other psychologists.

CostsWe are acutely aware that we are spending your money. The staff and I are always looking for ways to reduce operating costs without sacrificing quality of service to the members. Administration expenses increased only 1.6% this past year, even though we are doing more, for 6% more members. This was done by negotiating better contracts with suppliers and by constantly monitoring our financials to look for ways to save money during the year and by engaging in a detailed and rigorous budgeting process.

RevenueThere was a growth in membership revenue for the organization this past year, without any increase in membership dues rates, due to the increased number

A d Minis t R At i v e Rep o R t

of members. And this is in a larger context of other professional associations around North America seeing significant decreases in membership numbers and revenues. BCPA is proudly bucking this trend.

ethiCs sAlonsWe held 10 ethics salons this past year, in Vancouver, Victoria, and Surrey.

WoRkshopsDuring our 2015–2016 fiscal year (from September 2015 to August 2016) BCPA presented four very successful workshops that were attended by more people than ever before. And the workshop today, presented by Dr. Briere, is once again very popular and is the first workshop in BCPA history to be presented via webcast, as well as in person.

AdvoCACyThis year BCPA has done even more advocacy, as you will read about elsewhere in this report, which included submissions to government, industry and unions. Advocacy is clearly one of the most important benefits of a BCPA membership, and you can rest assured that we will be doing more advocacy in the coming year.

Of course, there is more strength in greater numbers. We can do even more with more support. So please encourage your colleagues that are not BCPA members to join us.

CoMMunity engAgeMentWe are doing even more Community engagement than ever before.

Our Psychology Month initiatives, including a series of 10 public talks, reached an audience of over 7 million of people, through dozens of interviews, article and television and radio stories. Staff and member volunteers attended the CMHA Bottom Line Conference to advocate for increased coverage for psychological services. The Piece of Mind art exhibits expanded beyond Vancouver to

rick gaMbrel, b. coMM., llb.The Executive Director of the BCPA. Mr. Gambrel has a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and a Law Degree from UBC. Prior to working at BCPA, he was a trial lawyer for over 30 years, as well as Managing Partner of a number of law firms. He is Past President of both the Trial Lawyers Association of BC and of White Rock Concerts, one of Canada’s leading classical music presenters. Contact: rick.gambrel@psychologists.bc.ca

15Annual Report 2015 – 2016

include Kamloops and UBC. And BCPA psychologists were interviewed in the media on dozens of occasions.

nAtionAl And inteRnAtionAl ACtivitiesI have represented BCPA on a number of national and international bodies. I am the BCPA representative to CPAP — the national association of psychological associations. As well, I am one of 6 members of the governing body for the BMS brokered national professional liability insurance program — owned by members, for members. I am also the Chair elect of CESPPA – the international body of Executive Directors of psychological associations and gave a presentation to that body at their annual meetings this year held in conjunction with the APA convention in Denver Colorado.

And we will continue, with your help and support, to do more in the year ahead than we did last year.

A WoRd oF thAnksThis association is truly a team effort, involving not just myself, but you, the members, the dedicated committee and event volunteers, the hard-working Board and my wonderful staff, Inky Kang, Priya Bangar and Sarika Vadrevu, along with our wonderful interns, Yuvraj Pratap Singh and Sara Saeedi Chakoub.

Rick Gambrel, B.Comm., LLb.Executive Director

16 BC Psychological Association

l e t t eR fR o M t he t Re A suReR

his past fiscal year (September 1st, 2015 – August 31st, 2016) BCPA earned a modest profit from operations in the amount of

$8,214, by increasing membership by 6% over the previous year and by reducing overall

expenses by some $14,000. Revenues exceeded those budgeted by about $3,000 and expenses came in about $5,000 less than budgeted.

RevenueThe major revenue increase was in membership dues collected, thanks to a 6% increase in the number of members that belong to BCPA. Total revenue saw a small decrease over the year previous as one more workshop was presented in 14–15 than in 15–16.

expensesIn the past fiscal year, overall expenses were reduced by some $14,000. Administration expenses saw a small 1.6% increase, despite the 6% increase in the number of BCPA members. With one less workshop presented, and a corresponding decrease in continuing education registrants, those expenses decreased accordingly. Production and mailing costs for the BC Psychologist were reduced by $3,000.

Despite significantly increased advocacy and community engagement activities, those committees saw a decrease in expenses. Board of Director’s expenses decreased to reflect that we did not do any media training this past year for board and committee members. This training will be remounted again this year under the auspices of the Community Engagement Committee.

Dr. DonalD hutcheon, c. Psychol. (uk)., r. Psych.Dr. Hutcheon registered with the College of Psychologists of British Columbia in 1999 and is qualified in the three specialties of clinical psychology, counselling, and industrial organizational psychology. His practice includes assessment and treatment services for individuals, couples, and groups using a range of treatment strategies. These include cognitive behavioral approaches, mindful awareness, solution-based treatment, and behavior modification. Dr. Hutcheon also assists families using a structural approach.Outside of his professional responsibilities, Dr. Hutcheon maintains a balanced lifestyle through involvement with his family and an active participation in sports and recreation.

The BCPA investment portfolio (total value of all securities) for the current fiscal year was valued at $172,693 as of August 31st, 2015, which is an increase in its value from a year earlier ($171,549). This is a snapshot in time of the value as at that date. We take professional advice on how to deal with our investments to ensure the best return possible for the Association. Taking a longer view, BCPA’s investments, though conservative, have performed well over a 5 year term, earning an almost 5% return over that time.

In the budget proposed, the BCPA is on track to break even for fiscal 2016–17. Expenses have been carefully calculated. On the revenue side, for the 2016–2017 year to date, we have currently substantially exceeded last year’s membership renewals to the same date.

Lastly, the BCPA Board and staff have worked hard to manage the budget carefully and control spending. In the fore front is maintaining a carefully balanced budget for 2016–17 by growing revenue and protecting our investments.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Donald Hutcheon, C. Psychol. (UK)., Ed.D., R. Psych.

17Annual Report 2015 – 2016

bcpa committees

• advocacycommittee

Members of the Advocacy Committee are BCPA volunteers responsible for bringing advocacy matters to the attention of the Association, attending advocacy meetings with and making written submissions to government and other stakeholders, elaborating and carrying out advocacy initiatives.

• continuingeducationcommittee

Members of this committee are responsible for recruiting prospective workshop presenters, evaluating past workshops, and supervising changes to the Continuing Education program. The aim of the Committee is to maintain CPA accreditation for offering CE opportunities, with the aim to increase the number of members who regularly attend workshops organized by BCPA.

• communityengagementcommittee

Members of the CEC are responsible for planning and executing public events and information campaigns, as well as writing on the blog of the Association with the assistance of Association staff. The Committee’s long-term goal is to build a history of public events centred on psychology, as well as efficient and effective community engagement campaigns.

• eventsvolunteer

BCPA always need volunteers to assist at our events. If you can1. speak at a Psychology Month public talk, or2. volunteer to speak on a panel Piece of Mind, or3. staff a booth at a wellness fair,we welcome your support.

• BCpsyChologist volunteer

The BC Psychological Association issues a quarterly journal, the BC Psychologist, which is freely available to BCPA members and affiliates both online and in print. The BC Psychologist is a venue for discussion regarding the future of the practice and science of psychology in BC. In it, you will find reviews of books and recent research findings, discussions about professional ethics and current affairs, as well as information on our activities. The publication is distributed to members of the Association. Anyone can contribute to the BC Psychologist and we particularly value submissions by Registered Psychologists or psychology researchers.

• psychologicallyhealthyworkplAce AwArdS committee

This committee publicly recognizes companies and agencies exemplifying psychologically healthy practices through the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards program. The Awards recognize organizations for their excellence in promoting psychologically healthy workplace practices, policies and programs.

• memberservicescommittee

The Member Services Committee is responsible for guiding the membership recruitment and retention efforts of BCPA and also monitoring and improving the membership benefits offered by the association, including the Referral Service. This committee is also responsible for the member survey and member and non-member focus groups.

• disasterresponsenetwork

BCPA is a member of APA’s Disaster Response Network. While most DRN members in the United States participate through affiliations with their local Red Cross branch, BCPA’s DRN volunteers serve primarily through Disaster Psychosocial Services (DSTRS), and are therefore under the British Columbia Ministry of Health. DRN volunteers assist Disaster Psychosocial Services in a variety of capacities throughout BC.

bcpa committees allow individuals the opportunity to become involved and to network with their peers in a variety of different areas. committee members make an effort to participate at meetings in person or through teleconferencing.

If you are interested in the committee’s activities and thinking of getting involved, please sign up at the registration desk. We will get back to you with more information.

18 BC Psychological Association

b oA Rd n o Min At io n

We want to congratulate the following candidates who have been elected to the BCPA Board by acclamation. We also thank our returning Board Members for their contirnuing commitment.

ted AltAR, ph.d. , R. psyCh.

Dr. Ted Altar works as a rural Psychologist in Terrace B.C and his work has been primarily with First Nations Peoples. He was a past member of the Native Psychologists’ ssociation of Canada. The philosophical orientation that guides his practice is Existential, which affirms people’s freedom to make choices and define their lives. His choice now is to help represent the profession of psychology and its important contributions. He believe that it is vital that psychologists advance their profile with local agencies, the Government and the citizens of B.C. It is essential that we lobby Government for recognition and involvement in the health care of our population.

MuRRAy FeRguson, d. psyCh. , R. psyCh.

Murray completed his doctorate in Clinical and Forensic Psychology at Monash University in Australia. He currently works in private practice and with the Department of National Defence at 19 Wing Comox. He has also worked in institutional and community based forensic mental health services for adults and youth, and in academic settings, teaching and engaging in research pursuits. Murray has previously sat on the executive committees of the National and Victorian Branches of the College of Forensic Psychologists in Australia. He is interested in seeing psychology reach its potential in British Columbia and for there to be affordable access to psychology for all British Columbians in need.

noAh sussWein, ph.d. , R. psyCh.

Dr. Noah Susswein treats children, youth, and adults at the Vancouver Psychology Centre. He has been involved with mental health research, assessment, and treatment for over 15 years in a variety of settings including medical schools, community mental health centres, and inpatient psychiatric facilities. Whether working with children or adults, Dr. Susswein uses a strength-based approach that emphasizes self-awareness and courage.

19Annual Report 2015 – 2016

pR o p osed bu d G e tf o R 2016 – 2017

2016 – 2017 2015 – 2016

Re v en u e s

Member Dues & ReferralAdvertising

Continuing EducationOther

t o tA l Re v en u e

e x p en se s

Administration (incl. wages)Operations

Continuing EducationAdvocacy

BC Psychologist/AdvertisingReferral Service

Psychologically Health Workplace Awards

Community EngagementMember Services

Board of Directors & AGM

t o tA l e x p en se s

Re v en u e s – e x p en se s

$283,000$35,000$52,260$9,400

$ 3 7 9,660

$247,535$63.900$27,007$6,500

$16,200$2,460

$350

$8,500$1,100$5,100

$ 3 7 8 ,65 2

$ 1,008

$273,000$37,000$57,656$10,900

$ 3 7 8 , 556

$249,050$62,150$30,215$6,500

$15,000$960$300

$8,500$1,100$4,400

$ 3 7 8 ,17 5

$ 381

b C pA o f f i C eBritish Columbia Psychological Association#402 - 1177 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V6H 1G3