AbstractThisreport will show how the American Psychological Association, AmericanCounseling Association, American School Counseling Association, Society forIndustrial and Organizational Psychology, and the American Psychology and LawSociety contribute to its members, society, and the field of psychology. Eachorganization has its own purpose, function, mission, benefits, and resourcesthat are offered to its members and the public.

These professional networks arehelpful in advancing the field of psychology through training, publications,resources, and networking. Although some of these organizations are non-profit,each organization requires dues be paid by its members, this monetary supportgoes toward the functioning of these professional associations. Each of theseorganizations have specific goals and objectives to fulfill its mission. Theseprofessional associations have one thing in common, that is that they each workto advance the field of psychology. While advancing the field of psychology,these organizations help to improve the lives of people, thus improving society.           Thereare many psychological associations dedicated to its members, the public, andthe advancement of the psychology field. Some of these networks include: TheAmerican Psychological Association (APA), American Counseling Association(ACA), American School Counselling Association (ASCA), Society forIndustrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and the American Psychology andLaw Society (AP-LS). These professional networks offer valuable benefits andresources to its members.

These networks also provide training, discounts, andprofessional networking to promote professional development and advance thecareers of psychologists.  American Psychological AssociationTheAmerican Psychological Association (APA) is a scientific and professionalorganization that represents psychology in the U.S. APA consists of a total ofmore than 117,500 members, including, researchers, educators, clinicians,consultants, and students (American Psychological Association, 2016).             The mission of the AmericanPsychological Association is to advance how psychological knowledge is created,communicated, and applied to benefit society and improve the lives of people.

This mission is fulfilled by developing and applying psychology in a very broadmanner. The American Psychological Association promotes research in psychologywhile improving the methods, conditions, and application of this research. Highethical standards, conduct, education, and achievement are established by theAmerican Psychological Association to improve the usefulness and qualificationsof psychologists. Psychological knowledge is increased and disseminated throughmeetings, contacts, reports, papers, discussions, and publications (AmericanPsychological Association, 2016).            The American PsychologicalAssociation functions through volunteer work, advocacy, and many other ways whilepromoting health, education, and human welfare.

This organization providesinformation on federal information and regulations that effect the psychologyfield. The association dedicated to this advocacy is called the APA federalaction network. The APA Federal Action Network provides advocates with federalupdates and actions to assist in effective advocacy for the field of psychology(American Psychological Association, 2016).            The American PsychologicalAssociation benefits its members and society in a variety of ways. APA membersare a part of a community of researchers, practitioners, teachers, students,and others who work to advance psychology. This is a global community whichprovides professional connections and networking.

Some of the popular benefitsoffered to the members include a free one-year subscription to the magazine Monitor on Psychology, networking within(and outside of) divisions, TOPSS lesson plans, and a variety of funding andawards. The American Psychological Association also offers financial, business,and insurance discounts (American Psychological Association, 2016).            Some of the resources offered tomembers of the American Psychological Association include: high schoolpsychology lesson plans, letters of recommendation, authorship, crisismanagement tools, and LGBT mentoring. Other tools include: early career, pre k-12thgrade educational material, psychological science webinars, and a variety ofother resources (American Psychological Association, 2016).            The American PsychologicalAssociation also provides resources to the public.

The psychology help centerprovides disaster-relief resources, work and school, family and relationships,health and emotional wellness, terrorism, health care and insurance resources.These are just a few of the interest areas offered to the public (AmericanPsychological Association, 2016).American Counseling Association            TheAmerican Counseling Association (ACA) is a non-profit professional andeducational association with a mission of enhancing the counseling profession.ACA was founded in 1952 and is the largest association which exclusivelyrepresents professional counselors, in a variety of settings (private practice,hospitals, mental institutions, etc.). The American Counseling Association ismade up of 20 divisions within its organization (American CounselingAssociation, 2016).            The American Counseling Association’smission is to improve the quality of life within society. This mission isaccomplished by promoting development of professional counselors, advancing theprofession, and using it to encourage respect for human dignity and diversity.

 The American Counseling Association functionson the contributions of ACA members and other donors. This foundation givesmonetary support to those in the counseling profession through grants andscholarships. Members are encouraged to become donors to the foundation(American Counseling Association, 2016).            Membership benefits of the AmericanCounseling Association include: ACA insurance programs, professional liability,life, disability, and dental, auto, home, and long-term care insurance. Membersenjoy discounts from: Bank of America, Choice Hotels, Elavon Merchant services,Alvis and Budget car rental services, Office Depot, prescription costs, books,and therapy sites. Members of the American Counseling Association can alsobenefit from employment resources available through ACA.

These servicesinclude: use of job boards to seek employment, post resumes, receive customizedjob alerts, use of career consultants, and resume/cover letter reviews.Leadership development can be accessed through ACA committees, task forces, andthe ACA Governing Council. Each summer ACA hosts the Institute for LeadershipTraining to encourage professional development (American CounselingAssociation, 2016).            Resources available to the membersof the American Counseling Association include an electronic copy of the Journal of Counseling and Development(24-hour access), 12 issues of CounselingToday magazine.

Other publications include e-News publications: School Counselors, Mental Health, PrivatePractice, Community Agency Counselors, Counselor Educators, CounselingStudents, and New Professionals. Members of the American CounselingAssociation can also access professional resources within the membership showcase.Books for counselors across a wide range of disciplines are published by ACAmultiple times per year. E-books can be downloaded in a variety of formats.Journals and magazines are available electronically. Clearinghouses areavailable which allows educators to share educational syllabus, find/share newideas and practices with other professionals (American Counseling Association,2016).

            TheAmerican Counseling Association offers public resources through the knowledgecenter. The disaster mental health resources are: SAMHSA (Substance Abuse andMental Health Services Administration) disaster distress helpline. This hotlineprovided crisis intervention 24 hours, 7 days a week. This hotline can beaccessed by calling the toll-free number, or texting. This agency providespsychological first aid, emotional support and referrals to behavioral healthservices.

The American Counseling Association also provide fact sheets for:post trauma disaster stress, suicide assessment, grief reactions over alifespan, helping survivors with stress management skills, and intrusive memories.Resources for sexual abuse and sheltering in place are also available to thepublic through the American Counseling Association (American CounselingAssociation, 2016).AmericanSchool Counseling Association            The AmericanSchool Counseling Association assists school counselors who promote academic,career, social, and emotional development of students.

These school counselorshelp students successfully complete school and lead lives as responsibleadults. The American School Counselor Association promotes professionaldevelopment through publications and other resources (American SchoolCounseling Association, 2016).            The mission of the American School Counselor Associationis to be an agent for school counselors and encourage professionalism andethical practices. This mission is fulfilled through goals and objectives setforth by the association.

Information that is relevant to the profession ismade available in a timely, consistent manner. This information is used toenhance the counselor’s skill level and professional development. The AmericanSchool Counselor Association initiates research within the profession, andevaluate school counseling programs. These things are made possible through anorganizational structure and administrative functions that are maintained bythe American School Counselor Association. Although ASCA is a non-profit organization, itfunctions through funding provided by members, and other donors.

This monetarysupport helps the foundation create, implement, and distribute knowledge thatis vital to its members (American School Counseling Association, 2016).            Members of the American School Counselor Associationenjoy benefits such as the ASCA Scene. ASCA Scene is a professional networkingsite which can provide help with problems or concerns, advice on products orprograms, and an online resource center. Members of the American SchoolCounseling Association can also earn professional development hours through awebinar series on a variety of topics.

These webinars can be viewed live, orafterwards in the archives (American School Counseling Association, 2016). Resourcesoffered to members include the ProfessionalSchool Counseling journal. This journal includes the most recent advancesin theory, research, practice, and techniques.

The ASCA School Counselor magazine is also available to ASCA members.This magazine includes practical information and solutions to common problemsfaced by counselors. The ASCA Aspectsprovides counseling resources concerning new projects, resources, and memberbenefits. Other resources available to school counselors include state requirementsfor school counselors and education resources for school counselors who wish tocontinue education. This area identifies school counseling certificationoptions. The American School Counselor Association outlines knowledgeconcerning the competencies that a counselor must possess, these competenciesinclude the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that play a vital role in theschool counseling profession (American School Counseling Association, 2016).            Public benefits and resources offered by ASCA include:back to school tips for parents as it relates to counselors.

These tipsinclude: school counselor responsibilities, how often and when to meet with theschool counselor, what challenges and concerns to address with the schoolcounselor, and how to identify resources and find solutions to problems withthe school counselor (American School Counseling Association, 2016).Societyfor Industrial and Organizational Psychology            The Society forIndustrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) provides financial support toadvance the field of Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology. Members andother contributors can show tangible support for Industrial-OrganizationalPsychology through this organization. These tax-deductible gifts are used toenhance the practice and science of I-O Psychology; a field which promotesproductivity in the workplace. The Society for Industrial and OrganizationalPsychology was established in 1996 and has since raised $3 million. Over$300,000 was dedicated to awards, scholarships, and grants (Society forIndustrial and Organizational Psychology, 2016).            The mission of the Society for Industrial andOrganizational Psychology association is to fund research which advances theIndustrial-Organizational psychology field.

This foundation is based on astructure which requires tangible support from donors and its members. Thistangible support is used to extend the outreach of the practice and scienceinvolved in I-O psychology. SIOP functions through the advancement, scholarship,incubator, and incubator/emerging issues funds. These funds are dedicated tothe advancement of SIOP. Term and endowed named gifts are funds of a specificamount, for a specific award, project, or program; dedicated to a specificperson or institution (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology,2016).  TheSociety for Industrial-Organizational Psychology offer its memberssubscriptions which include: Industrialand Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice. This isthe official journal of I-O Psychology. The Industrial-OrganizationalPsychologist is a digital news publication which is published quarterly.

Newsbriefs is a monthly newsletteravailable electronically. Members can also subscribe to the members only SIOPresearch access service (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology,2016). Members of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology canenjoy benefits of networking through: social media, the annual conference,Leading Edge Consortium, media resources databases, committee volunteerism, andthe SIOP consultant locator service. Other benefits include discounts on theannual conference registration fees, twenty percent off publications offered inthe SIOP store, a subscription for resume postings in the placement center, andother grants, awards, and scholarships offered by SIOP (Society for Industrialand Organizational Psychology, 2016). Professionalmembers of the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology can benefitfrom the research and practice resources available through SIOP, which include:white papers, webinars, advocacy in Washington, D.C.

, I-O teaching material,salary surveys, partnerships with other psychological associations such as:APA, APS, EAWOP, CPA, IAAP, and SIOPSA. Continuing education credits, socialmedia, YouTube videos, and the SIOP JobNet Placement Center are also availableto the members of SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology,2016). Student members of SIOP can review graduate training programs, findinternships, mentoring programs, attend the Master and Doctoral Consortia, andpost resumes to the Conference Placement Center (by subscription) (Society forIndustrial and Organizational Psychology, 2016).            Public resources offered by SIOP include recent I-Oarticles, publications explaining what the I-O psychologist job entails, helpwith finding I-O psychologists who specialize in specific topics, and pressrelease tips.

This association also provides SIOP brochures: Becoming an I-OPsychologist, how the profession maximizes organizational and employeepotential. Other brochures include brochures for organizations, managers, andbusiness people on how I-O psychology can help businesses (Society forIndustrial and Organizational Psychology, 2016).AmericanPsychology-Law Society            The AmericanPsychology-Law Society (AP-LS) uses basic and applied research to advance thecontributions of psychology to understand law and legal institutions. Theseprofessionals promote education of psychologists in legal settings, and trainlegal personnel in psychology matters. AP-LS has more than 3,200 members, andis an interdisciplinary association concerned with psychology and law. AP-LSprovides financial support to students and professionals who research withinthe psychology-law disciplines (American Psychology and Law Society, 2016). Themission of the American Psychology-Law Society is to advance well-being,justice, and human rights through the practice of psychology in a legal context.The American Psychology Law Society advances well-being, justice, and humanrights through the practice of psychology in a legal setting.

The AmericanPsychology-Law Society foundation has committees which focus on specificinterests within the field. Grants are provided to students and professionalswho partake in psychology-law research. AP-LSfunctions through advocacy and promoting federal research funding. Thisfoundation requires its members to pay dues which helps with the monetary needsto keep this organization functioning (American Psychology and Law Society,2016).            AP-LS is a division within the American PsychologicalAssociation and its members enjoy benefits from both organizations. Thesemembers also enjoy resources such as publications: Law and Human Behavior (six times a year), the American Psychology-Law newsletter (electronic, three times ayear). AP-LS sponsors annual meetings, as well as programs available at theAmerican Psychological Association convention.

AP-LS develops a course syllabiand teaching material for its members. This organization conducts a survey ofcareer opportunities concerning psychology and law for perspective students orcurrent graduates. AP-LS studies special ethical problems in expert testimonyand survey women’s issues within the psychology and law professions. This organizationsponsors a science policy forum (American Psychology and Law Society, 2016).

  AP-LS has different categories of membership.Psychologists who are associates/members of APA can join through that capacity.Non-psychologists (such as lawyers and sociologists) who are not members of APAmay join if there is satisfactory evidence which supports individualcontributions to the field of psychology and law. Undergraduate, graduate, andlaw students may join if they are enrolled in a social or behavioral scienceprogram.

This membership also contains a subscription to the Law and Human Behavior newsletter(American Psychology and Law Society, 2016).            AP-LS offers public resources such as researchactivities, topic specific articles, and research conducted by psychologists,legal personnel, and others are available through the website. Education andtraining available to psychologists and legal personnel are offered to thepublic through the AP-LS website. These topics include graduate trainingprograms, a syllabus collection, and teaching resources (American Psychologyand Law Society, 2016). These professional psychology networks, APA,ACA, ASCA, SIOP, and AP-LS provide valuable resources for its members.

Theseresources can be used by students, counselors, and psychologists at differentlevels of an individual’s career. The networking opportunities provided bythese organizations can help professionals connect with other professionals.These professionals can assist with problems, share new ideas, and resources tohelp professionals who help the public. These professional networks providemany benefits for its members, the public, and for the advancement of thepsychology field.