President's Column

Dear Esteemed Members of APA Division 50,

Welcome to our Spring 2024 SOAP Box newsletter! These past several months (more than usual), I have found myself reflecting on the profound implications of our work, not only as an addiction researcher, educator, and clinician, but most recently as a parent navigating our mental health and treatment systems on behalf of my teenager. This experience has offered me a stark reminder and a new perspective on the challenges within our own systems of care and a renewed determination of addressing the gaps that leave so many behind.

More broadly, the devastating conflict unfolding in the Middle East underscores the critical importance of our involvement and empathy as psychologists. It compels us to recognize the profound repercussions of such global crises on mental health and reinforces the urgency of our collective response to address the immense psychological toll inflicted by war, terrorism, and political unrest.

Addiction, in its various forms, is not merely a personal struggle; it is deeply entrenched within the fabric of our society, shaped and influenced by systemic injustices and inequities.

It is imperative that we broaden our perspective and view addiction through the lens of social and racial justice. This ethos guided my choice of this year's APA Theme for our annual convention in August: "Reimagining Addiction: Centering Equity and Racial Justice in Addiction Research, Treatment, and Prevention." Far too often, marginalized communities bear the brunt of addiction's impact, facing barriers to treatment and recovery that seem insurmountable. We must strive to ensure that excellent treatment options are accessible to everyone, regardless of race, gender and/or socio-economic background.

As psychologists and professionals dedicated to understanding and addressing addiction, we must confront these disparities head-on. This requires not only acknowledging the structural inequalities that perpetuate addiction but actively working to dismantle them through advocacy, education, and policy change.

I'm incredibly proud to work alongside our dedicated team of volunteers who are tirelessly serving in various capacities across our division to advance this work, while also ensuring the effective organization of our Society and positioning us as leading experts in the field. I'm particularly excited to highlight the success of our 12^th annual Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction meeting that took place in Denver from April 11th to 13th. The theme for this year's conference was "Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Addiction across the Lifespan and Bridging Disparities.”

A huge shout out to our CPA program committee, led by Jordan Davis and Erin Deneke, who worked diligently with other Division 50 members to curate a cutting-edge program for our members. And thank you to all our presenters and attendees for sharing your work and making another memorable event. Building on the success of last year, we're delighted to announce a record number of attendees once again. We look forward to maintaining this positive trend in the future.

If you weren’t able to join us this year—or are wondering about that session or poster you weren’t able to see—you can catch up with all the excitement that was #CPA2024 on the Division 50 Twitter account (@apadivision50). The Division 50 Social Media Team was hard at work every day showcasing the conference from start to finish. While you’re there, make sure you follow our account, so you can stay up to date on the activity of Division 50.  

In summary, let us recommit ourselves to this crucial work, recognizing that our collective efforts have the potential to bring about tangible and lasting change in the lives of individuals and communities across the nation and around the globe.

If you have any feedback or thoughts you'd like to share, please feel free to reach out to me personally at seemac@uw.edu. 

With gratitude and unwavering determination,

Seema Clifasefi, PhD, MSW
President, APA Division 50 - Society of Addiction Psychology