RMHRN International Student Stipend for APA

Elizabeth Carll
Section Editor; Founder & Chair, Refugee Mental Health Resource Network

The 2023 Refugee Mental Health Resource Network (RMHRN) webinars will continue with increased focus on international issues with international speakers. The upcoming March webinar on Cybersecurity is unique for the RMHRN as it addresses the increasing concerns that have arisen from colleagues being hacked and data lost or stolen, resulting in access to confidential information and passwords, and other negative outcomes. It will discuss the important requirement for working electronically in the mental health field, from personal, organizational, and international viewpoints. The webinar will provide participants with information about different kinds of security software (anti-malware, VPNs, secure messaging options, etc.) and techniques for securing your devices. The webinar will be available on the Division 56 website after the event.

Inquiries have continued to arise as to availability of university training and degrees relating to immigration and refugees. In 2017, very few, if any, university programs existed. However, gradually more were established. As a result, due to ongoing inquiries and apparent need, a Directory of Advanced University Degrees in Refugee and Migration Studies in United States and International Universities was developed and available on the RMHRN website resource page. It includes both U.S. and international universities offering master’s degrees and a few universities offering certificates. It has been updated with additional university programs and will continue to be updated periodically.

The RMHRN submitted a symposium concerning international interventions and research about trauma faced by refugees and migrants for the 2023 APA Convention in Washington DC that was recently accepted. More information will be made available as it develops.

International Student Stipend for the 2023 APA Convention

To encourage international participation, the APA Trauma Psychology Division (56) has been providing an annual travel stipend to attend the APA Convention for international students who are citizens of developing countries and enrolled in a graduate psychology program in their home country or enrolled in a graduate psychology program in the U.S., and will be presenting a trauma-related poster, paper, or a participant in a symposium/panel accepted for the APA convention. Applicants are not required to be current student members of APA or Divisions.

This year, the 2023 APA Convention is taking place in Washington, DC. The award is intended for international students from developing countries (see above) who will be presenting a trauma-related poster, paper, or are a participant in a panel/symposium at the 2023 APA Convention. It was recognized by the Division 56 International Committee that support for international students from developing countries who are engaged in trauma related research and activities is important, especially given the continuing challenges occurring due to the pandemic.

This year, the Division has added an additional stipend and will be awarding two stipends consisting of $1,000 each to help support the work of international students from developing countries in their graduate programs and participation in the APA Convention program.

Deadline for submission: May 15, 2023.

Please send a copy of your CV, the proposal abstract that was accepted for the APA convention, the notification of APA Division which accepted the proposal, your country of citizenship, and the university/college graduate psychology program in which you are enrolled and anticipated date of graduation to Elizabeth Carll, PhD, Chair, Division 56 International Committee at ecarll@optonline.net. The selected trauma proposals will be determined by a subcommittee of the Division 56 International Committee.