24-07-2015, 04:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 27-07-2015, 05:39 PM by Michael Barwell.)
BBC News: Psychologists outraged over colleagues' role in military interrogations
[size=12]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33561052
[/SIZE]By Tara McKelvey White House reporter 23 July 2015
Psychologists took part in military interrogations at Guantanamo and in other places, according to a new report. Health professionals are grappling with the disclosures.
Sitting at a bar in Alexandria, Virginia, several years ago, a US army officer told me about some psychologists who'd helped during interrogations at Guantanamo.
I'd said I thought they were supposed to take care of people - not get information from them. He reassured me, saying they'd helped to ensure the interrogations were done in a proper manner.
A new[size=12]report[/SIZE] by a Chicago lawyer, David Hoffman, provides details about health professionals who'd agreed to participate in the interrogations during the administration of President George W Bush. The 542-page report also looks at the relationship between their professional organisation, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the military.
The report was commissioned by the APA after some members objected to the idea of psychologists participating in interrogations.
You want to be able to trust your doctorSteven Reisner, Co-founder, Coalition for an Ethical Psychology
In one instance a psychologist helped keep a detainee focused during his interrogation at Guantanamo. According to the report, the psychologist suggested he sit in a swivel chair "to keep him awake". It seemed like odd advice from a health professional - not to mention an unusual role for him.
Many people who work in the profession agree. "You want to be able to trust your doctor," says a New York psychologist, Steven Reisner, a co-founder of Coalition for an Ethical Psychology. "The only thing that should be on his mind is: 'what's the best for you.'"
That wasn't always the case for detainees, say the authors of the report.
A hut used for interrogations (seen in 2006)
The Defense Department is one of the nation's biggest employers of psychologists, and at the time the APA was trying to expand its role in the military's interrogation programme. Yet many of the detainees were treated harshly in the programme, which was a controversial aspect of President Bush's "war on terror".
For these reasons psychologists at the APA found themselves in an ethical dilemma.
"They wanted to take a position that allowed psychologists to be as involved as possible in interrogations," say the authors of the report. "But on the other hand they knew that to articulate this publicly in any sort of detail would look horrible."
The report, Mr Reisner says, set off a "huge uproar of shock and despair" among psychologists. Several APA leaders resigned, [size=12]according to a 14 July statement[/SIZE] , including its chief executive.
"APA apologises for the actions, policies and the lack of independence from government influence detailed in the Hoffman report," Jim Sliwa, the organisation's spokesman, told the BBC.
A military officer walks past a now unused part of Guantanamo
Officials in the military didn't sound happy about the report, either.
"The department is aware of the APA report," said a Defense Department spokesman, Major Ben Sakrisson, "and always takes any allegations of inappropriate activity seriously."
The report is filled with details about the relationship between psychologists and their professional organisation and the US military.
Yet one individual, the APA's ethics director, Stephen Behnke, stood out for his efforts to cultivate ties with military personnel.
He was an APA staff member who participated in a task force looking at interrogations and the role of psychologists. The task-force members examined whether an APA Ethics Code for psychologists (it states: "do no harm") adequately addressed the ethical dimensions of the topic.
With input from members of the task force, he wrote a report about their findings in June 2005. In an introduction, according to Mr Hoffman, Mr Behnke quoted the Ethics Code. He edited it slightly, however, leaving out the phrase: "do no harm".
In their report, the task-force members concluded it was OK for psychologists to participate in interrogations.
He also ran workshops for health professionals who assist in the interrogations of detainees.
Defense Department officials "called him a hero and their 'knight in shining armour'", according to the report.
Some 116 prisoners still remain at camps on the US military base
Members of the APA were surprised by the revelations in the report. Mr Behnke was, according to Mr Sliwa, "terminated" on 8 July because of its findings.
Speaking on Mr Behnke's behalf, his lawyer, former FBI director Louis Freeh, said he'd been misrepresented, adding Mr Behnke "strongly rejects the APA's Hoffman report as a gross mischaracterisation of his intentions, goals and actions".
[see below] The army officer who'd told me about health professionals at Guantanamo spoke highly of their work. He believed they made things better - for the detainees and the military officers. As more information about the role of psychologists at Guantanamo and other facilities comes to light, though, their work become harder to defend.
Many psychologists say they feel betrayed by their colleagues and by their own organisation.
"The basic idea is that we trust these professionals," Mr Reisner says. "But the APA sold out."
July 14, 2015
APA Announces Retirements and Resignation of Senior Leaders
WASHINGTON The American Psychological Association Board of Directors today announced the retirement of Dr. Norman Anderson, who has served as chief executive officer of the organization since 2003.
Prior to the release of the independent review, Dr. Anderson had informed the Board he intended to retire at the end of 2016. Dr. Anderson felt that moving up his retirement date to the end of 2015 would allow the association to take another step in the important process of organizational healing, and to facilitate APA's continuing focus on its broader mission.
The Board expressed its gratitude to Dr. Anderson for his distinguished tenure as the second longest serving CEO in the 123-year history of APA. Among the many accomplishments of APA under his leadership was the development, in 2009, of the first strategic plan in the history of APA. This plan continues to guide a significant portion of the work of the association in areas such as expanding psychology's role in health care and advancing the science of psychology.
Dr. Anderson's leadership to significantly increase APA's investment in its publishing operation produced a substantial growth in revenue that allowed APA to develop new and innovative activities. Among these activities were the founding of the Center for Psychology and Health, the creation of the Psychology: Science in Action public education campaign, the expansion of our work to eliminate health disparities, the development of treatment guidelines to promote the translation of psychological science into health interventions and the expansion of APA's presence on the Web and in social media with more than 35 million website visitors expected this year.
"We are grateful for Dr. Anderson's distinguished tenure and numerous contributions," the Board said. "The association has been very fortunate have Dr. Anderson as CEO for so many years, and we wish him well."
The Board also announced the Aug. 15, 2015, retirement of Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dr. Michael Honaker.
Dr. Honaker helped shepherd the association through its many changes through the years and did much to make APA a great place to work. Many of the initiatives he put in place led to APA receiving the 2014 Washington Post Top Places to Work award. He is one of the staff's most beloved officials.
APA also announced that Rhea K. Farberman, APA's executive director for public and member communications has resigned, ending her 22-year tenure with the association on July 31, 2015.
Ms. Farberman's contributions to APA during her tenure were numerous, and include leadership of APA's award-winning magazines, the APA Office of Public Affairs and journals publicity program, editorial and user experience management of APA's world-class website and the creation of many public education initiatives.
Ms. Farberman and the Board are in agreement that going forward APA plans to hire a chief communications officer who can provide a fresh start to the association's communications needs as it grapples with the problems identified by the Hoffman report. While the Board has the utmost regard for Ms. Farberman's skills, professionalism and integrity, it accepted her resignation.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 122,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.
[size=12]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33561052
[/SIZE]By Tara McKelvey White House reporter 23 July 2015
Psychologists took part in military interrogations at Guantanamo and in other places, according to a new report. Health professionals are grappling with the disclosures.
Sitting at a bar in Alexandria, Virginia, several years ago, a US army officer told me about some psychologists who'd helped during interrogations at Guantanamo.
I'd said I thought they were supposed to take care of people - not get information from them. He reassured me, saying they'd helped to ensure the interrogations were done in a proper manner.
A new[size=12]report[/SIZE] by a Chicago lawyer, David Hoffman, provides details about health professionals who'd agreed to participate in the interrogations during the administration of President George W Bush. The 542-page report also looks at the relationship between their professional organisation, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the military.
The report was commissioned by the APA after some members objected to the idea of psychologists participating in interrogations.
You want to be able to trust your doctorSteven Reisner, Co-founder, Coalition for an Ethical Psychology
In one instance a psychologist helped keep a detainee focused during his interrogation at Guantanamo. According to the report, the psychologist suggested he sit in a swivel chair "to keep him awake". It seemed like odd advice from a health professional - not to mention an unusual role for him.
Many people who work in the profession agree. "You want to be able to trust your doctor," says a New York psychologist, Steven Reisner, a co-founder of Coalition for an Ethical Psychology. "The only thing that should be on his mind is: 'what's the best for you.'"
That wasn't always the case for detainees, say the authors of the report.
A hut used for interrogations (seen in 2006)
The Defense Department is one of the nation's biggest employers of psychologists, and at the time the APA was trying to expand its role in the military's interrogation programme. Yet many of the detainees were treated harshly in the programme, which was a controversial aspect of President Bush's "war on terror".
For these reasons psychologists at the APA found themselves in an ethical dilemma.
"They wanted to take a position that allowed psychologists to be as involved as possible in interrogations," say the authors of the report. "But on the other hand they knew that to articulate this publicly in any sort of detail would look horrible."
The report, Mr Reisner says, set off a "huge uproar of shock and despair" among psychologists. Several APA leaders resigned, [size=12]according to a 14 July statement[/SIZE] , including its chief executive.
"APA apologises for the actions, policies and the lack of independence from government influence detailed in the Hoffman report," Jim Sliwa, the organisation's spokesman, told the BBC.
A military officer walks past a now unused part of Guantanamo
Officials in the military didn't sound happy about the report, either.
"The department is aware of the APA report," said a Defense Department spokesman, Major Ben Sakrisson, "and always takes any allegations of inappropriate activity seriously."
The report is filled with details about the relationship between psychologists and their professional organisation and the US military.
Yet one individual, the APA's ethics director, Stephen Behnke, stood out for his efforts to cultivate ties with military personnel.
He was an APA staff member who participated in a task force looking at interrogations and the role of psychologists. The task-force members examined whether an APA Ethics Code for psychologists (it states: "do no harm") adequately addressed the ethical dimensions of the topic.
With input from members of the task force, he wrote a report about their findings in June 2005. In an introduction, according to Mr Hoffman, Mr Behnke quoted the Ethics Code. He edited it slightly, however, leaving out the phrase: "do no harm".
In their report, the task-force members concluded it was OK for psychologists to participate in interrogations.
He also ran workshops for health professionals who assist in the interrogations of detainees.
Defense Department officials "called him a hero and their 'knight in shining armour'", according to the report.
Some 116 prisoners still remain at camps on the US military base
Members of the APA were surprised by the revelations in the report. Mr Behnke was, according to Mr Sliwa, "terminated" on 8 July because of its findings.
Speaking on Mr Behnke's behalf, his lawyer, former FBI director Louis Freeh, said he'd been misrepresented, adding Mr Behnke "strongly rejects the APA's Hoffman report as a gross mischaracterisation of his intentions, goals and actions".
[see below] The army officer who'd told me about health professionals at Guantanamo spoke highly of their work. He believed they made things better - for the detainees and the military officers. As more information about the role of psychologists at Guantanamo and other facilities comes to light, though, their work become harder to defend.
Many psychologists say they feel betrayed by their colleagues and by their own organisation.
"The basic idea is that we trust these professionals," Mr Reisner says. "But the APA sold out."
July 14, 2015
APA Announces Retirements and Resignation of Senior Leaders
WASHINGTON The American Psychological Association Board of Directors today announced the retirement of Dr. Norman Anderson, who has served as chief executive officer of the organization since 2003.
Prior to the release of the independent review, Dr. Anderson had informed the Board he intended to retire at the end of 2016. Dr. Anderson felt that moving up his retirement date to the end of 2015 would allow the association to take another step in the important process of organizational healing, and to facilitate APA's continuing focus on its broader mission.
The Board expressed its gratitude to Dr. Anderson for his distinguished tenure as the second longest serving CEO in the 123-year history of APA. Among the many accomplishments of APA under his leadership was the development, in 2009, of the first strategic plan in the history of APA. This plan continues to guide a significant portion of the work of the association in areas such as expanding psychology's role in health care and advancing the science of psychology.
Dr. Anderson's leadership to significantly increase APA's investment in its publishing operation produced a substantial growth in revenue that allowed APA to develop new and innovative activities. Among these activities were the founding of the Center for Psychology and Health, the creation of the Psychology: Science in Action public education campaign, the expansion of our work to eliminate health disparities, the development of treatment guidelines to promote the translation of psychological science into health interventions and the expansion of APA's presence on the Web and in social media with more than 35 million website visitors expected this year.
"We are grateful for Dr. Anderson's distinguished tenure and numerous contributions," the Board said. "The association has been very fortunate have Dr. Anderson as CEO for so many years, and we wish him well."
The Board also announced the Aug. 15, 2015, retirement of Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dr. Michael Honaker.
Dr. Honaker helped shepherd the association through its many changes through the years and did much to make APA a great place to work. Many of the initiatives he put in place led to APA receiving the 2014 Washington Post Top Places to Work award. He is one of the staff's most beloved officials.
APA also announced that Rhea K. Farberman, APA's executive director for public and member communications has resigned, ending her 22-year tenure with the association on July 31, 2015.
Ms. Farberman's contributions to APA during her tenure were numerous, and include leadership of APA's award-winning magazines, the APA Office of Public Affairs and journals publicity program, editorial and user experience management of APA's world-class website and the creation of many public education initiatives.
Ms. Farberman and the Board are in agreement that going forward APA plans to hire a chief communications officer who can provide a fresh start to the association's communications needs as it grapples with the problems identified by the Hoffman report. While the Board has the utmost regard for Ms. Farberman's skills, professionalism and integrity, it accepted her resignation.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 122,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.
Martin Luther King - "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Albert Camus - "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion".
Douglas MacArthur — "Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons."
Albert Camus - "Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear."
Albert Camus - "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion".
Douglas MacArthur — "Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons."
Albert Camus - "Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear."