This page contains, in no particular order, items of ongoing interest that have been featured on the AVAPL website.
Guide for VA Psychology Historians and Users of the VA
Psychology, AVAPL, and NOVA-Psi Archives at CCHP
This Guide has been prepared to familiarize users with
the contents and location of materials in three archives
containing VA psychology material housed at the Cummings
Center for the History of Psychology (CCHP) at the
University of Akron. In addition to describing the
contents and organization of archival material in each
collection, the document provides a digital location for
scanned material in the archives for viewing or
downloading to a home or office computer.
Medical Care of Veterans, April 17, 1967 (NOTE:
This is a large [28 MB] file that might take some time
to download.)
“Medical Care of Veterans” is actually a 1967 VA report
provided to the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs
and was printed in both hardback and paperback versions
by the U.S. Government Printing Office (both versions
are in the VA psychology archives at CCHP). The report
begins with a description of how all modern societies
since the Greeks and Romans have taken care of its
citizens who have fought in their nation’s wars. Its 411
pages cover the history of the VA and the agencies and
benefit programs for veterans going back to the American
colonies and Revolutionary War. Its chapters include
historical context for each of the major wars our nation
has fought thru 1967. It is not useful as a history of
specific medical care programs but has a comprehensive
overview of key legislation of health care and benefits
for veterans. The report uniquely integrates issues
which led up to key organizational and legislative
changes, including the arguments and people or
organizations arguing for and against changes, with
anecdotes and quotations or letters and comments from
the Congressional Record. Photos and brief biographies
of all VA Administrators are presented along with photos
of other key Congressional leaders influencing the role
of the VA. One Appendix provides a history of
construction and acquisition of VA hospitals and
domiciliaries and another provides an extensive range of
bibliography sources ranging from agency and program
reports in the National Archives to legislative hearings
to the administrative files of VA Administrators and
other key officials. The limited distribution of this
book and a demand for its historical content use led to
a scanning of the book by the VA with a resulting pdf
file with search capability which can be viewed or
downloaded to an office or home computer by clicking on
the above underlined hyperlink.
Introduction, Content Summaries, and Archive Location of
Information Bulletins of the Neuropsychiatry Division in
the Department of Medicine and Surgery, Veterans
Administration 1947-1953
With the beginning of the VA Department of Medicine and
Surgery in 1946, 31 information bulletins were published
by the new VA Central Office Neuropsychiatry Division
from 1947-1953 to inform mental health leadership and
other professionals in the field about the rapid
development and staffing of mental health programs and
services for returning WWII veterans. The bulletins
featured reports from the field on new or improved
programs of care for patients
with mental health problems and included periodic
updates on staffing, trainee positions, and publications
as well as activities in Mental Hygiene Clinics and
other programs. This document introduces those
information bulletins and provides brief summaries and
content information for each bulletin as well as
provides a digital location of each bulletin at CCHP for
viewing or downloading to a home or office computer.
The 60-year history of VA psychology and its role in
helping shape modern psychology and the treatment of
veterans was published by APA Books in 2007. The book
entitled Psychology and the Department of Veterans
Affairs: A historical analysis of training, research,
practice, and advocacy was co-authored by Rodney R.
Baker and Wade Pickren and was part of a series planned
by APA Books detailing the reciprocal influence of
psychology and the federal government. It is reviewed on
the
APA Book website and can be purchased from that
website for a cost generally less for APA members than
the price on Amazon.com and with no shipping cost.
In still another VA psychology history publication,
Baker edited a companion book series with the first book
entitled Stories From VA Psychology published
in 2007. In that volume, he and 14 other VA psychology
leaders describe their career experiences and the events
shaping their careers and the treatment of veterans. The
first volume was followed by More Stories From VA
Psychology in 2013 adding the career stories of
another 12 psychology leaders. The third book, Even More
Stories From VA Psychology, was published in 2017 with
12 more VA psychology leaders adding their career
stories, this time with Robert Goldberg joining Baker as
co-editor in the series. All three of the books in the
stories series can be found at Amazon.com (click
here for a flyer describing the books).
History of Psychology in the VA — Documents
Retired Psychology Leader Rod Baker (San Antonio) has compiled a collection of scanned photos of VACO and VA Psychology Chief/Leaders from 1946 to 2005 that he had acquired over the years. He has graciously agreed to share this project with AVAPL. Click on the picture below to open Dr. Baker's compilation in a "book" format.
The book can be optionally ordered online as a memorial paperback from Amazon.com for $10 plus shipping. The paperback book is 8x10 inches in size, is professionally bound, and has a laminated color cover in addition to the color photo content on some of the 48 pages of content.
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, November 2017
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, October 2017
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, September 2017
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, August 2017
AVAPL Mid-Winter Meeting Minutes, March 2017
August Mid-Winter Meeting Attachment on CHOICE
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, September 2016
AVAPL Annual Meeting Minutes 2016
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, June 2016
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, April 2016
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, March 2016
AVAPL Mid-Winter Meeting Minutes, 2016
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, December 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, November 2015
AVAPL Annual Meeting Minutes, August 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, August 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, July 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, June 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, April 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, March 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Mid-Winter Meeting Minutes,
February 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, January 2015
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes,
December 2014
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, November 2014
AVAPL Annual Meeting Minutes, August 2014
AVAPL Executive
Committee Meeting Minutes, July 2014
AVAPL Executive
Committee Meeting Minutes, May 2014
AVAPL
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, April 2014
AVAPL
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, March 2014
AVAPL Executive Committee Mid-Winter Meeting Minutes,
February 2014
AVAPL
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, February 2014
AVAPL Executive
Committee Meeting Minutes, January 2014
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, Decmber 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, September
2013
AVAPL Annual Meeting Minutes, August 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, August 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, July 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, June 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, May 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, April 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, March 2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Mid-Winter Meeting Minutes,
2013
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, October 2012
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, September
2012
AVAPL Annual Meeting Minutes, August 2012
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, July 2012
AVAPL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, June 2012
Mid-Winter Meeting Minutes, March 2012
Mid-Winter Meeting Minutes, March 2011
Board of Educational Affairs Meeting Summary, October
2010
News from the AVAPL Business Meeting at the 2010 APA
Convention
January 27, 2011, Minutes
October 28, 2010, Minutes
September 23, 2010, Minutes
May 28, 2009, Minutes
Dr. Randy Phelps' testimony on pay and leadership positions for VA Psychologists.
Recommendations on Psychologist Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion
Recommendations on Meeting the Needs for Neuropsychological Expertise
Who is Using Behavioral Health Services in Integrated
Primary Care? (PowerPoint)
Integrated Primary Care in VISN 2: A Critical Model of
Healthcare Delivery (Microsoft Word)
Integrated Primary Care Behavioral Health Services:
Operations Manual (Microsoft Word)
Integrating Mental Health Services into Primary Care
(PowerPoint)
Integrated Models of Care: Examples from HBPC and
Cardiology (PowerPoint)
Primary Care Psychology
A message from a former
VA Chief Psychologist and former AVAPL Executive Board
member.
The Psychology and the VA history book by Rod Baker and
Wade Pickren will be released November 15 and can be
ordered online at the APA Books website at
http://books.apa.org/books.cfm?id=4316084.
Oakley Ray, one of the founders of the Association of VA Chiefs of Psychology and the organization's first President, died on February 7, 2007. More information here.