Call for Nominations for 2010-2011 Board of Directors

Hi all!

It's that time again for elections to the ACBS Board of Directors!! Being on the ACBS Board is a fun and rewarding experience, and an opportunity for you to help shape the next steps in our valued direction of building a vibrant, creative, and collaborative contextual behavioral community. This year, we will need to elect FOUR new positions to the board. I will list those positions below:

• President: this individual will serve on the board for 3 years; 1 year as President-Elect, 1 year as President, and 1 year as Past-President

• 2 Members at Large: these 2 individuals will each serve a 2 year term. It is important to note that in our bylaws (below), we have requested that 1 of these individuals should have a strong background in basic science relevant to the purposes of the association. For this reason, please make sure that you assist the group by nominating individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds.

• Student representative: this individual will serve a 1 year term and must be a student who has not yet completed his/her terminal degree and will remain a student for at least the majority of the 1 year term that begins this summer.

Having been on the board for 4 years now, I can tell you that it truly is a rewarding experience and a chance to interact with some really fun and smart people from around the world as you help shape the ACBS you know and love. Responsibilities include responding to emails on issues that come up throughout the year, perhaps some small committee work on focused issues, attending at least 2 board meetings during the annual conference, and a phone call or two as needed throughout the year.

You may either self-nominate or nominate others - both are welcome, although I will have to check with anyone that you nominate to ensure that they are willing to be listed on the ballot. You may also submit as many suggestions for each category as you like. As you are thinking of individuals to nominate, please attend to issues of diversity in all ways, including the usual demographics, as well as country, language, and basic/applied specialties. We need to ensure that we truly have a broad an diverse voice represented on the board.

So, if you would like to nominate someone, please send me an email with the subject line of "ACBS Nominations" to svbatten@earthlink.net by March 21, 2010, with the following information for each nominee:

• Position (President, Member at Large, Student Rep)

• Name

• email address of the nominee

I will then compile the nominee list, and we will mail out voting instructions to all current ACBS members shortly thereafter (Another reason to make sure that you are up to date with your values-based dues!!!). I hope that you will nominate early and often! This is a very important activity of the association, and your input is valued.

Hope that you are all having a mindful weekend full of valued activities!

Your dutiful Secretary/Treasurer
Sonja

ACBS Bylaws (excerpt):

The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary-Treasurer, a student representative, and four Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Each shall perform the usual duties of the respective office and specific duties provided elsewhere in these Bylaws or as assigned by the Board of Directors. Elections for officers shall be held every year. The President, President-Elect, Past-President, and student representative shall each serve a one-year term and may not hold any other offices within the Association. The Members-at-Large shall be elected every two years. In each two-year cycle one of the Members-at-Large shall have a strong background and interest in basic science relevant to the purposes of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a three year term.

2009 Election Bio and Platform Statements

Elected Board Members:

President-elect: Robyn Walser

Secretary/ Treasurer: Sonja Batten

Member-at-large (slate 1): Carmen Luciano

Member-at-large (slate 2): Joseph Ciarrochi

and Student representative: Priscilla Almada

The Bios and Platform statements for the candidates are below:

President elect:
Robyn Walser, Ph.D.
Robyn D. Walser, Ph.D. is Associate Director of Dissemination and Training Division of the National Center for PTSD and Director of TL Consultation Services. As a licensed psychologist, she maintains an international training, consulting and therapy practice. Dr. Walser is an expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and has co-authored 3 books on ACT including a book on learning ACT. She has been doing ACT workshops since 1998; training in multiple formats and for multiple client problems. Dr. Walser is also an expert in traumatic stress and has authored a number of articles on this topic and has presented her research findings and papers at international and national conferences. She is invested in developing innovative ways to translate science-into-practice and continues to do research on dissemination of ACT and other therapies.

As a member of the ACT/RFT community since 1991, I have been interested in its growth and committed to its values. Since the inception of ACBS I have been dedicated to supporting the organization, serving as Member at Large, serving on the committee to establish guidelines for the recognition of trainers, and serving as Ad Hoc Chair for the committee to develop bylaws for international chapters and SIGs. As president I would continue this service, focusing on growth and larger member involvement in the organization while also looking to address some of the challenges important to the organization such as training and dissemination needs. And, on a more personal note, I am dedicated to this important work that is about a progressive behavioral science that is working to more adequately address the challenge of human suffering…it would be a privilege to serve this community in that endeavor.

Secretary/ Treasurer:

Sonja Batten, Ph.D.
Bio
Sonja Batten, Ph.D., serves on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the Deputy Director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. She studied ACT with Steve Hayes at the University of Nevada Reno, applying ACT to posttraumatic problems in living, substance abuse, and depression. She was a collaborative study member on the grant evaluating the efficacy of ACT for opiate addiction. She has continued treatment development of ACT for PTSD and PTSD comorbid with substance abuse, and has been fortunate to conduct ACT trainings internationally over the past decade.

Statement
I have been delighted to serve on the Board of ACBS since its inception in 2006. As Member-At-Large for the past three years, I have had the fun task of working with my esteemed contextual behavioral colleagues to develop a scientific organization like no other. Contributing to the decisions to adopt values-based dues and challenging ourselves to come up with a trainer recognition system that we hope is valid and engaging, being part of this Board of Directors has been a unique opportunity to give back to the community that has given me so much over the years. As Secretary-Treasurer, I would welcome the opportunity to bring my skills at being organized and detail-oriented, as well as my institutional knowledge of ACBS from its roots, to the ongoing collaboration with my ACBS colleagues in bringing our organization to its next levels of development in training, education, research, and practical applications.

Board member at large candidates (slate 1)

Carmen Luciano, Ph.D.
Full Professor, 1995-present in University Almería, after 1986-95 Universidad Granada. Ph.D. Psychology by Universidad Complutense, Madrid, 1984. Fulbright Post-doc, 1985 in Boston University & CCBS. Director ACT Institute (www.institutoact.es) and Máster/Doctorate Functional Analysis Program in University Almería (www.postgradoanalisis.com).

Research funding by National and Autonomic govertments.

Publications on basic research on language, emergence of novel behavior and transformations of functions (RFT) with applications in developmental areas, psychopathology (Experiential Avoidance Disorder) and ACT clinical methods, especially values clarification and defusion.
Statement

I will work for ACBS to make clear the bridge between the behavior analysis background and research on relational frame theory. I would work for promoting research on several areas: (a) the development of novelty by identifying the conditions under which relational framing takes place and the impact of transformation of functions in several human domains; (b) the isolating the conditions under which develops the verbal regulation of behavior, mainly, the destructive regulation of private events (as in destructive experiential avoidance); and (c) the necessary conditions, or transformation of functions, needed for the ACT clinical methods to generate the creative hopeless, acceptance, values clarification and defusion effects. In addition, I should improve my work for extending the impact of BA and RFT in the international domains, and by promoting research on the conditions necessary for learning the conceptualization and the abilities defining ACT.

Board member at large (slate 2)
Joseph Ciarrochi
Bio: I have authored and edited five books, and over 40 peer reviewed articles related to the promotion of mental health and emotional well-being. I’ve written a book with Ann Bailey on integrating ACT and CBT. I’ve also co-edited a book on ACT, and cowrote a special journal issue on the link between ACT and CBT. I have conducted ACT in organizations and produced a substantial number of free materials (e.g., visual metaphors) for ACT practitioners.

Mission Statement
I have spent five years helping to build a values-based ACT community in the Oceania region. If elected, I would do every thing in my power to continue building an international community that is devoted to the reduction of human suffering, promotion of vital living, and in general, the improvement of the human condition. I would like to help ACBS to do the following things:
*** communicate the important ACT and RFT findings to non-ACBS members
***communicate the practical value of RFT and basic behavioural research to practitioners,
***promote a tighter link between practitioners and science, by providing a supportive environment for practitioners to discuss their research ideas and receive statistical and methodological support.
***provide support for international student travel (as the students will form the backbone of our future community)

Student Representative:
Priscilla Almada
Priscilla V. Almada is a graduate student at San Jose State University under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Gregg. She is currently pursuing research investigating the impact of different intervention strategies on psychological processes related to food cravings and actual eating behavior. Her research interests include cultural alternatives to applied ACT practices, 3rd wave behavior therapies, behavioral medicine and stigma.

Platform Statement:
I value continuing a conversation that Dr. Hayes began last summer concerning the Roots of Compassion. To harness the flexibility of seeing the world through the eyes of others, I would like to continue to take more mindful efforts to inspire diversity within our community. I wonder how we can further create an environment in which all aspiring behavioral scientists can be nurtured. I wonder what kinds of conversations we have missed out on by not hearing the voice of all of our global partners. I daydream about the conversations we could have.

Thank you so much to all of our wonderful candidates!

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The ACBS bylaws say:

The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary-Treasurer, a student representative, and four Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Each shall perform the usual duties of the respective office and specific duties provided elsewhere in these Bylaws or as assigned by the Board of Directors. Elections for officers shall be held every year. The President, President-Elect, Past-President, and student representative shall each serve a one-year term and may not hold any other offices within the Association. The Members-at-Large shall be elected every two years. In each two-year cycle one of the Members-at-Large shall have a strong background and interest in basic science relevant to the purposes of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a three year term.

2008-2009 Board of Directors

• President: Steve Hayes, University of Nevada, Reno (US)

• President-elect: Frank Bond, University of London (UK)

• Past President: Kelly G. Wilson, University of Mississippi (US)

• Secretary-Treasurer: Patty Bach, Illinois Institute of Technology (US)

• Member-at-large: Sonja Batten, VA Maryland Healthcare System (US)

• Member-at-large: Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Ireland)

• Member-at-large: DJ Moran, Family Counseling Center, Trinity Services (US)

• Member-at-large: JT Blackledge, Moorehead State University (US)

• Student-representative: Emily Sandoz, University of Mississippi (US)

2007-2008 Board of Directors

PRESIDENT: Kelly G. Wilson, University of Mississippi (US)

PRESIDENT-ELECT: Steven C. Hayes, University of Nevada, Reno (US)

PAST PRESIDENT: Dermot Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Ireland)

SECRETARY-TREASURER: Patty Bach, Illinois Institute of Technology (US)

MEMBER AT LARGE: Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Ireland)

MEMBER AT LARGE: Sonja V. Batten, VA Maryland Health Care System and University of Maryland School of Medicine (US)

MEMBER AT LARGE: Eric J. Fox, Western Michigan University (US)

MEMBER AT LARGE: Robyn D. Walser, National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System (US)

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE: Chad Drake, University of Mississippi (US)

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The ACBS bylaws say:

The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary-Treasurer, a student representative, and four Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Each shall perform the usual duties of the respective office and specific duties provided elsewhere in these Bylaws or as assigned by the Board of Directors. Elections for officers shall be held every year. The President, President-Elect, Past-President, and student representative shall each serve a one-year term and may not hold any other offices within the Association. The Members-at-Large shall be elected every two years. In each two-year cycle one of the Members-at-Large shall have a strong background and interest in basic science relevant to the purposes of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a three year term.

Next year, Members-at-Large, Robyn Walser and Eric Fox will rotate out of the board. A new president-elect, student rep., and 2 new members-at-large will be elected.

2006-2007 Board of Directors

The first ACBS Board was:

• PRESIDENT: Kelly G. Wilson, University of Mississippi (US)

• PRESIDENT-ELECT: Dermot Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Ireland)

• SECRETARY-TREASURER: Patty Bach, Illinois Institute of Technology (US)

• MEMBER AT LARGE: Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Ireland)

• MEMBER AT LARGE: Sonja V. Batten, VA Maryland Health Care System and University of Maryland School of Medicine (US)

• MEMBER AT LARGE: Eric J. Fox, Western Michigan University (US)

• MEMBER AT LARGE: Robyn D. Walser, National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System (US)

• STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE: Jason Lillis, University of Nevada, Reno (US)

2006 Election Bio and Platform Statements

The results of the 2006 Election are as follows:

President

Kelly Wilson, University of Mississippi

President-Elect

Dermot Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth

Secretary-Treasurer

Patty Bach, Illinois Institute of Technology

Members at Large

Sonja Batten, VA Maryland Health Care System & University of Maryland School of Medicine
Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Eric Fox, Western Michigan University
Robyn Walser, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Palo Alto

Student Representative

Jason Lillis, University of Nevada, Reno

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The ACBS Bylaws say:

The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary-Treasurer, a student representative, and four Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Each shall perform the usual duties of the respective office and specific duties provided elsewhere in the Bylaws or as assigned by the Board of Directors. Elections for officers shall be held every year. The President, President-Elect, Past-President, and student representative shall each serve a one-year term and may not hold any other offices within the Association. The Members-at-Large shall be elected every two years. In each two-year cycle one of the Members-at-Large shall have a strong background and interest in basic science relevant to the purposes of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a three year term. *(For the sake of continuity, the Members-at-Large will serve 2 and 3 year terms in these early years. The Members-at-Large with the assistance of the Board will determine which 2 of the 4 current members will step down after 2 years.)

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The bios and platform statements of the 2006 Board are below:

Kelly Wilson (President)

Kelly Wilson, Ph.D., is an assistant professor (associate in the fall) of psychology at the University at Mississippi. He received his B.A. from Gonzaga University in 1989, and his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1998. After running a National Institutes on Drug Abuse clinical trial in Reno, he joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 2000 where he founded the Mississippi Center for Contextual Psychology. Kelly has devoted himself to the development and dissemination of ACT and RFT for the past 17 years, publishing 26 articles, 18 chapters, and 4 books. He has presented workshops to more than 3000 individuals in 10 countries, and has participated as co-investigator on a wide range of projects in the U.S., Sweden, Spain, and the United Kingdom. He is currently co-investigator on grants at the University of Houston and in the Dorset Healthcare Trust in the England.

Statement:
The group that gave birth to ACBS started small. We shared a set of content interests, an analytic strategy, and importantly, a set of values. As recognition of the work has expanded, so has the size of our community. We have the opportunity to set a pattern for growth that institutionalizes the values that drew us together. If given the opportunity to serve I will work:

• to produce structures and processes within ACBS that insure its development as an inclusive, diverse, and nonhierarchical organization,

• to foster deep inclusion of students within the organization,
• to retain a strong connection among individuals doing basic and applied research and those who are applying the work in human service settings,
• to foster open-source technologies, emphasizing free and low cost access to materials that facilitate the development and dissemination of basic and applied work.

We have an opportunity to imagine and build an ideal workgroup within ACBS. I would be honored to play a role in that development.

Dermot Barnes-Holmes (President-Elect)

Dermot Barnes-Holmes, Ph.D. is foundation Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. Dermot has published over 170 scientific articles, book chapters, and books, and he was ranked as the most prolific author in the world in the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior during the period 1980 to 1999. He has served on, or is currently serving on, the editorial board of a wide range of journals. He has graduated 20 doctoral students and in the past six years has been involved in attracting approximately $800,000 in competitive funding for research on Relational Frame Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Statement:
If elected I would focus on facilitating the development of the international basis of the ACBS, seeking to build links with other relevant organizations both inside and outside of the science and profession of psychology. I would also work towards consolidating and further developing the relationship between basic and applied research across a range of domains. Finally, I would coordinate any necessary changes in the structure and administration of ACBS that will likely emerge during the first full year of its operation as a formal organization.
Here is what the by-laws say about the new Board.

Patty Bach (Secretary-Treasurer)

Patty Bach, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Nevada in 2000. Her primary activities include graduate training in clinical psychology and ACT and RFT research. Her major research interests are ACT in the treatment of psychosis; the role of AADRR in psychopathology; and implicit behavior. Other professional activities include ACT training and psychotherapy practice.

Statement
The ACT/RFT community has been a largely informal group and we are now large enough to benefit from an organization that will facilitate dissemination of relevant research and technology while being inclusive of all fellow travelers. ACBS can be a useful forum for the sharing of ideas and information among researchers, practitioners, educators, students, and other interested parties. This is an exciting stage in the development of functional contextual science and practice. Issues that I matter about include facilitating the dissemination of third-wave technologies and basic science while managing the growth of ACBS responsibly; I’d like to see ACBS balance the challenges of providing a unified voice for the advancement of contextual behavioral science in contexts where strength in numbers matters; promoting quality training, research and practice; and maintaining the core values of a focus on empirical science and practice, inclusion, collegiality, and benefit to others that have been the hallmarks of our tradition.

Sonja Batten (Member-At-Large)

Sonja Batten, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland and Coordinator of the Trauma Recovery Programs for the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, where she supervises psychology interns and staff in ACT. She studied ACT with Steve Hayes and Victoria Follette from 1994 to 1999. During that time, she primarily utilized ACT in the treatment of individuals dealing with posttraumatic problems in living, substance abuse, and depression. She was a project therapist on the grant evaluating the efficacy of ACT for polysubstance abusing opiate addicts, and collaborated with other study personnel on the development of the ACT protocol for this population. She has continued work on treatment development of ACT for PTSD and PTSD comorbid with substance abuse, collaborating with Sue Orsillo, Steve Hayes, and others. She has conducted ACT workshops since 1998 and was the Director for the 2005 ACT Summer Institute in Philadelphia.

Statement:
One of my priorities within the ACT community is to ensure the quality of training that practitioners and students receive. The demand for ACT training around the world will soon outstrip the number of qualified ACT trainers. It behooves the ACT community to ensure excellence in training experiences. At the 2004 ACT Summer Institute, existing ACT trainers developed a proposal for the process of certifying new trainers. As Member-At-Large, I would like to assist in the piloting and implementation of the process for certifying new ACT trainers. Specifying how new individuals become trainers facilitates outstanding training, provides a new goal for students and trainees to strive for, and decreases the likelihood for any trainer to have a proprietary hold in a given location or specialty area. I feel that my educational, program development, and ACT trainer experiences give me the breadth to serve the ACT community well in this position.

Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (Member-At-Large)

Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, where she has been on the faculty since 2001. Yvonne received her degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Ulster at Jordanstown in 1991. Her Ph.D. was concerned with the establishment of relational framing in young normally-developing children and she graduated in 2001.

Statement:
My primary professional activity is academic -- 50 publications, 300 public presentations -- mostly on RFT and ACT. Doing ACT since 1998, mostly trauma and depression. I increasingly appreciate the overlap between ACT and RFT as ACT-driven questions about therapeutic processes come under scrutiny in our research and RFT begins to shape the way I think about clients' problems. This integration is what I think separates the efforts of this organisation from practically all other areas in psychology. This community seems to be about drawing together the experiences of clever, creative, skilled and committed human beings/professionals who believe that something important has been learned. As an RFT and ACT person, I am lucky to be able to appreciate the overlap between the two while having a healthy respect for the individual merits of each. Everyone has something important to contribute. I would be privileged to represent the organisation in whatever way members deem fit.

Eric Fox (Member-At-Large)

Eric Fox, Ph.D, is an assistant professor of psychology at Western Michigan University. He earned his BA and MA in psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was exposed to contextual philosophy, RFT, and ACT as a member of Steve Hayes's lab. He later earned a Ph.D. in Learning & Instructional Technology from Arizona State University. His research and professional interests include instructional technology and the implications of contextualism, RFT, and ACT for educational practices.

Statement:
There are two primary ways in which I would like to contribute to the development of ACBS. The first is through the continual development of the online services and technologies that underlie the ACBS website, ContextualPsychology.org. I believe the dynamic, collaborative nature of the site and our community can be enhanced even further, such as by integrating the various ACT and RFT mailing lists into the site’s online forums. In addition, I would like to see the association establish a peer-reviewed contextual behavioral science journal that publishes and displays in one place the remarkable breadth of ACT and RFT research currently being conducted. There are exciting new open-source software solutions to both publishing and managing peer-reviewed journals available, and I would be very interested in helping employ such solutions for this purpose.

Robyn Walser (Member-At-Large)

Robyn D. Walser, Ph.D, is a psychologist for the National Center for PTSD at the VA Palo Alto and she works as a consultant, workshop presenter and therapist in private business. Dr. Walser received her degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada-Reno. During her graduate studies she developed expertise in, traumatic stress, substance abuse and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She has been doing ACT workshop trainings in multiple formats and for multiple client problems since 1998. She is currently developing innovative ways to translate science-into-practice and is responsible for the dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and treatment interventions to health care professionals and trainees across VA facilities nationally. She continues her research aspirations and is currently involved in research on several projects investigating use of mindfulness and ACT in PTSD populations. Additionally, Dr. Walser was program director for the ACT Summer Institute in 2005.

Statement:
I became involved in behavior analysis and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the fall of 1991 when I first started graduate school at the University of Nevada, Reno. In that first year, I attended an ACT workshop and participated in research and clinical projects related to ACT and RFT. I discovered that I had joined a very exciting and valuable area of study in psychology. This approach appealed to both my scientific and clinical aspirations. It made sense to me all the way from its theoretical underpinnings to its application in therapy. Since that time I have focused a larger part of my career on ACT and its clinical application; becoming involved with research, therapy and trainings. I have presented on ACT at multiple professional conferences, written chapters and articles and am currently co-authoring two books. I have been conducting ACT workshops both nationally and internationally since 1998. I also conduct ACT therapy and supervision on an on-going basis, ACT consults for multiple VA’s and I am currently researching ACT in its application to PTSD at the National Center for PTSD. Last year, I was honored to serve as the Program Director for the ACT Summer Institute. I have enjoyed my role as a psychologist, scientist, and friend in ACT. I plan to continue my program of study and application and will always be a supporter of ACT in its commitment to reduction of human suffering. As Member at Large for ACBS, I will work to promote the values and ideals of the organization, including the open posture the organization takes and I will work to promote science and its key role in advancing our understanding of ACT and RFT.

Jason Lillis (Member-At-Large)

Jason Lillis received a B.A. in Psychology from Loyola College in Maryland, M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. A student of Steven Hayes he expects his Ph.D. in May 2007. In the fall he will be starting a full time clinical internship at the Palo Alto VA Hospital. He is currently doing research work on applying ACT to problems of weight loss maintenance, andto ethnic prejudice.

Statement:
During my training, my most enjoyable experiences have been meeting, getting to know, and working with people in this community. Watching us all grow together has been a true joy. Now that we have matured into an organization, I think we have the chance to reach more people with our message, work, and values. As student representative I would endeavor to give a voice to student issues and concerns, while attempting to create avenues for students to get involved in the work, meet other students, and network with professionals. ACBS is the embodiment of the ACT/ RFT vision of community and I would be honored to be a part of the planning committee representing the student voice.

Amendment- Conflict of Interest Policy

ACBS - Association of Contextual Behavioral Science
Conflict of Interest Policy
October 23, 2006

Article I- Purpose
The purpose of the conflict of interest policy is to protect this tax-exempt organization’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the Organization or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable organizations.

Article II- Definitions
1. Interested Person
Any director, principal officer, or member of a committee with governing board delegated powers, who has a direct or indirect financial interest, as defined below, is an interested person.
2. Financial Interest
A person has a financial interest if the person has, directly or indirectly, through business, investment, or family:
a. An ownership or investment interest in any entity with which the Organization has a transaction or arrangement,
b. A compensation arrangement with the Organization or with any entity or individual with which the Organization has a transaction or arrangement, or
c. A potential ownership or investment interest in, or compensation arrangement with, any entity or individual with which the Organization is negotiating a transaction or arrangement.
Compensation includes direct and indirect remuneration as well as gifts or favors that are not insubstantial.
A financial interest is not necessarily a conflict of interest. Under Article III, Section 2, a person who has a financial interest may have a conflict of interest only if the appropriate governing board or committee decides that a conflict of interest exists.

Article III- Procedures
1. Duty to Disclose
In connection with any actual or possible conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors and members of committees with governing board delegated powers considering the proposed transaction or arrangement.
2. Determining Whether a Conflict of Interest Exists
After disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any discussion with the interested person, he/she shall leave the governing board or committee meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide if a conflict of interest exists.
3. Procedures for Addressing the Conflict of Interest
a. An interested person may make a presentation at the governing board or committee meeting, but after the presentation, he/she shall leave the meeting during the discussion of, and the vote on, the transaction or arrangement involving the possible conflict of interest.
b. The chairperson of the governing board or committee shall, if appropriate, appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement.
c. After exercising due diligence, the governing board or committee shall determine whether the Organization can obtain with reasonable efforts a more advantageous transaction or arrangement from a person or entity that would not give rise to a conflict of interest.
d. If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the governing board or committee shall determine by a majority vote of the disinterested directors whether the transaction or arrangement is in the Organization’s best interest, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and reasonable. In conformity with the above determination it shall make its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement.
4. Violations of the Conflicts of Interest Policy
a. If the governing board or committee has reasonable cause to believe a member has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it shall inform the member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose.
b. If, after hearing the member’s response and after making further investigation as warranted by the circumstances, the governing board or committee determines the member has failed to disclose an actual or possible conflict of interest, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.

Article IV- Records of Proceedings
The minutes of the governing board and all committees with board delegated powers shall contain:
a. The names of the persons who disclosed or otherwise were found to have a financial interest in connection with an actual or possible conflict of interest, the nature of the financial interest, any action taken to determine whether a conflict of interest was present, and the governing board’s or committee’s decision as to whether a conflict of interest in fact existed.
b. The names of the persons who were present for discussions and votes relating to the transaction or arrangement, the content of the discussion, including any alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement, and a record of any votes taken in connection with the proceedings.

Article V- Compensation
a. A voting member of the governing board who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the Organization for services is precluded from voting on matters pertaining to that member’s compensation.
b. A voting member of any committee whose jurisdiction includes compensation matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the Organization for services is precluded from voting on matters pertaining to that member’s compensation.
c. No voting member of the governing board or any committee whose jurisdiction includes compensation matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the Organization, either individually or collectively, is prohibited from providing information to any committee regarding compensation.

Article VI- Annual Statements
Each director, principal officer and member of a committee with governing board delegated powers shall annually approve a statement which affirms such person:
a. Has approved a copy of the conflicts of interest policy,
b. Has read and understands the policy,
c. Has agreed to comply with the policy, and
d. Understands the Organization is charitable and in order to maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities which accomplish one or more of its tax-exempt purposes.

Article VII- Periodic Reviews
To ensure the Organization operates in a manner consistent with charitable purposes and does not engage in activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status, periodic reviews shall be conducted. The periodic reviews shall, at a minimum, include the following subjects:
a. Whether compensation arrangements and benefits are reasonable, based on competent survey information, and the result of arm’s length bargaining.
b. Whether partnerships, joint ventures, and arrangements with management organizations conform to the Organization’s written policies, are properly recorded, reflect reasonable investment or payments for goods and services, further charitable purposes and do not result in inurement, impermissible private benefit or in an excess benefit transaction.

Article VIII- Use of Outside Experts
When conducting the periodic reviews as provided for in Article VII, the Organization may, but need not, use outside advisors. If outside experts are used, their use shall not relieve the governing board of its responsibility for ensuring periodic reviews are conducted.

Approved unanimously by the ACBS Board, October, 23, 2006.

Amendment- Exclusively Non-profit

ACBS - Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
Amendment to the By Laws
Adopted January 31, 2007

The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, education, and/or scientific purposes under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c) (3) or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Approved unanimously by the ACBS Board, January 31, 2007.