Members of AVAPL are invited to join our Special Interest Group (SIG) focusing on developing and supporting women psychologists in VA. The Women in Leadership (WiL) SIG emphasizes principles that will guide us towards the ultimate goal of gender equality in our shared workplace. 

We strive to be a community within the AVAPL community that creates and maintains a safe space for both women and men to grow together through a mutual understanding that gender inequality negatively impacts everyone.  There is no tolerance for creating fear or shaming that members aren’t doing enough or doing it right.

We value an openness and sharing of experiences and lessons learned as we all work to grow together. We give back as we share about our challenges and how we have grown and learned. We encourage others to move forward.

 
The VAPLC has, for the past few years, served as our annual opportunity to take a “gender equality focused” pulse of the VA psychologist community but also encourage year-round discussion, support, and education as a SIG.

 
Co-Chairs of the Women in Leadership SIG:

Vanessa Milsom, Ph.D.
PCMHI Section Chief
James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital

vanessamilsom@gmail.com

Margaret (Peggy) Schmitt, Ph.D.
Local Recovery Coordinator, Program Manager for Peer Support Services
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

peggy.schmitt@gmail.com

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