Mission Statement
The core mission of WPS is to support the practice interests and professional development of individual practitioners in the Southeast Michigan psychology community. Our broader mission is to foster the business interests and professional development of all qualified mental health professionals, including those employed by or affiliated with clinics, group practices, and institutions. Entities that register for premium membership will gain greater visibility for their businesses on our platforms and discounted tuition for all our educational events.
Going Forward
In March 2023, WPS incorporated as a 501(c)6 nonprofit entity. Going forward, it will be supported by revenues from dues, donations, and advertising. With the help of an association manager and custom-designed software, WPS will be able to provide a more sophisticated range of services to the local professional community while preserving the aspects of WPS that have been most valuable to our members. Premium members will be able to respond in real-time to referral queries if they have immediate availability. None of the popular databases can do this.
Premium members will have opportunities to promote their entire practices, including non-psychologist mental health professionals. They will be able to specify the services provided, ages served, and other pertinent information.
As part of our mission to provide services beyond the core psychologist membership, WPS webinars, seminars, and workshops will be open to all qualified mental health professionals. All employees and associates of premium member organizations, including non-psychologist mental health professionals, will be eligible for tuition discounts.
With time, we expect that WPS will become a resource that provides consultation regarding mental health practices to professional societies, physician groups, and mental health organizations. We hope to partner with other mental health programs in the community. There may also be opportunities to invite local politicians to hear our concerns, share their views, and inform us of new funding sources. We may resume occasional in-person meetings that were the focus of our original networking events and educational talks. With the help of an association manager and custom-designed software, WPS will be able to provide a more sophisticated range of services to the local professional community while preserving the aspects of WPS that have been most valuable to our members.
WPS expects to become a resource for consultation on evidence-based mental health practices to educators, professional societies, physician groups, and mental health organizations. We will maintain a list of members who volunteer to provide such training.
History
Washtenaw Psychology Society was founded in October 2015 to demonstrate the relevance of a regional group for psychologists in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, MI. It started as a project of the Michigan Psychology Association (MPA), which contributed to the overhead costs. All the services were provided for free by virtue of the efforts of a few dedicated volunteers.
Our intention was to be a big tent organization that serves psychologists in private practices, academia, and institutions. Our members hail from a variety of theoretical orientations and specializations. From the outset, we organized monthly Sunday afternoon meetings consisting of networking, refreshments, and educational presentations led by our members. Participants appreciated the opportunity to meet one another, share their expertise, and promote their practices.
The presentations spanned a diverse range of content and did not always conform to an academic model. As time went on, regulations and licensure requirements changed, and we began to offer Continuing Education credits for MPA members. The atmosphere has always been friendly and collegial.
In our first 7 years, 550 local psychologists signed up as members of WPS. This constituted approximately 50% of psychologists in our recruiting area. We are proud to report that half of our members attended at least one meeting and that we had a strong group of regular attendees. The COVID pandemic forced WPS to shift to Zoom meetings in April 2020. We supported our members with vaccination information and town halls while continuing our monthly meetings. We understood the importance of providing continuity in a time of fear and chaos. There was a loss of intimacy and the networking benefits that defined WPS meetings because of the format change. We generously opened our attendance to all MPA members and allowed MPA to promote our free events.
We are proud of how far WPS has come, the services that we offer, and the path that we are forging. We have now incorporated as a nonprofit entity and look forward to growing further with our members’ support.