2016 Annual Report

The Foundation for Rehabilitation Psychology (FRP) was established in 2005 by a group of past presidents of the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology (Division 22) of the American Psychological Association (APA). They envisioned the Foundation as the means through which all who care about the future of Rehabilitation Psychology could invest in its vitality and growth through tax-deductible donations and planned gifts.

ACTIVITIES

The Foundation for Rehabilitation Psychology is a charitable 501(c)(3) corporation. In 2013, the FRP Board completed strategic planning resulting in an enhanced mission and vision statement, with specific strategies, goals and timelines delineated for the subsequent five years. The mission is “Advancing the Psychology of Disability and Chronic Health Conditions” with a vision of improving society by making the foundational insights of the psychology of disability and chronic health conditions common knowledge. Specific strategies were formulated and are being pursued including updating the FRP Board composition, better communication of the foundational principles of rehabilitation psychology, increasing the donor base, and enhancing the foundation’s research support capacity. During 2016, Dr. Scott Richards has worked with Division 22 to enhance the FRP presence on the Division’s new website. Dr. Barry P. Nierenberg is coordinating ongoing submissions of classic papers reflective of “foundations from the Foundation”: the FRP’s strategy of highlighting the field’s academic legacy. Drs. Dana Dunn, Steve T. Wegener, and Dawn Ehde produced a special section in the February issue of Rehabilitation Psychology reflective of our field’s foundational principles. Dr. Ehde continues to coordinate the process of soliciting and selecting dissertation and student research award winners. There were seven applications this year and four were funded (see next page for details). The Science Committee of Division 22 again provided the judging for these awards. Student member, Gillian Mayersohn, led the effort to develop a new logo for FRP (see above).

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS

The Board planned on distributing grants when the Foundation’s funds reached $100,000. We reached that level in 2012 after seven years of the Foundation’s existence. Expenditures in 2016 in support of the field were as follows:

ANNUAL CONFERENCE SUPPORT

The Foundation provided a $500 grant to support the 2016 Rehabilitation Psychology annual Mid-Winter Meeting and committed a similar amount to the 2017 meeting. This grant makes the educational meeting more affordable for rehabilitation psychologists and graduate students. Grants in support of the conference were made in the seven previous years.

STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS

The Foundation provided $1000 for student research awards at the 2016 Annual Conference and committed $1000 for the 2017 meeting.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP NETWORK (SLN) SUPPORT

The Board provided $1500 to support developmental activities of the nascent SLN chapters.

DISSERTATION AWARDS

$6720 was dispersed for dissertation awards from 2015, and $316.50 for travel for a prior awardee to present at the 2016 conference. Four new awards totaling $8433 plus $500 travel costs for each awardee were announced this year adding to a total of 14 dissertation awards granted since 2012. The awardees this year include:

STUDENT AWARDS FOR THE REHABPSYCH16 MEETING

Oral presentation award:

Amanda Childs: MMPI profiles of outpatients with mild traumatic brain injury: What’s the norm?

Poster Awards:

Sarah H. Kornfield: Relationship between subjective mental health and neurocognitive impairment on employment status in combatveterans with and without mild traumatic brain injury

Hannah M. Lindsey: Changes in white matter integrity following neurorehabilitation: A diffusion tensor imaging study of adults with chronic traumatic brain injury

Hillary A. Parker: Self-efficacy, health behaviors, and functional independence in persons with acquired brain injury

*Awardees for 2017 had not been selected at the time this report was written

FUNDRAISING GOAL

The long-term goal is to establish an endowment of $1 million. This endowment will permit investment earnings to substantially underwrite the annual conference and provide graduate student dissertation research grants in perpetuity.  Discussions are underway and will be a major focus for 2017 concerning bequests and estate planning which will be necessary for the Board to successfully meet our endowment goal.

FUNDS

In addition to a General Fund, the Foundation for Rehabilitation Psychology has established two special funds that align with our mission and honor two individuals with notable contributions to our field.

The Bernard Brucker Continuing Professional Educational Fund supports the Rehabilitation Psychology annual meeting. Bernie was a President of Division 22, a founding member of FRP, and a founding member and President of the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology. He was also an innovative researcher and internationally renowned speaker until his death in 2008. Donations to this fund are dedicated in their entirety to support the midwinter meeting.

The Mitchell Rosenthal Fund provides funds to support doctoral dissertation and student research in Rehabilitation Psychology, as well as the full mission of the Foundation. Mitch was a President of Division 22 and a founding member and President of FRP until his death in 2007. He was also a founding member and President of the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology. He was a world-renowned leader in the field of brain injury rehabilitation as a researcher, writer, and mentor to hundreds of students and colleagues.

ENDOWMENT FUND MANAGEMENT

The Foundation for Rehabilitation Psychology works with the Columbus Foundation, a large community foundation, to manage the operational aspects of our endowment. Their low fees minimize expenses and allow the Foundation to function without paid staff. The Columbus Foundation offers over 70 years of experience and manages over $1.5 billion in assets. They have expertise in planned giving and can consult with donors for gifting via their wills, life insurance policies, retirement funds and other estate planning vehicles. The addition of the capacity to set up automatic monthly contributions to FRP has enhanced donation options.

YEAR-END FINANCIAL SUMMARY FOR 2016

The Columbus Foundation maintains the “Foundation for Rehabilitation Psychology Organization Endowment Fund (2306)” with assets of $119,000 at the end of 2016. The Foundation maintains a checking account for small expenses; the balance at the end of 2016 was $3600.

The Board of Directors extends a sincere Thank You to our generous donors:

DONORS TO THE FOUNDATION FOR REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY

(as of December 31, 2016)