SESSION FORMAT

A Member Services Forum is intended to provide practical service and/or skill-based teaching to AACAP members and/or meeting attendees. Some examples of past successful topics include updates on CPT codes, advocacy training, junior faculty development, student debt management, starting a private practice, and NIH funding opportunities.

GUIDELINES

A Member Services Forum should follow these guidelines in order to be considered by the Program Committee for the 2026 Annual Meeting program:

• Be designed to inform or facilitate discussion about a larger topic or skills pertinent to CAPs.
• Can be a mix of didactic lectures, discussion, and hands-on learning exercises.
• Based on high anticipated interest, relevance to the field, and timeliness.
• The Review Abstract must provide details about how the session will be structured and facilitated, INCLUDING the justification for all presenters included in the session.

STANDARD ROOM SETUP & AUDIO/VISUAL EQUIPMENT PROVIDED

The room set for a Member Services Forum can be flexible and will be in a room with theatre-style seating or round tables. A tentative room set request must be included in your submission, though it is not guaranteed this room setup can be accommodated. A podium and head table will be provided for presenters. If accepted, AACAP will provide a screen and a projector for this session type. Microphones are provided based on room size. Additional AV requests will be considered but cannot be guaranteed.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Each submission for a Member Services Forum should include the following items:

• Submission Title (no more than 20 words)
• Chair(s) affiliation and email address(s)
• At least two (2) educational learning objectives
• Expected length (1-3 hours)
• Requested Room Set (round tables or theatre style)
• Request to be open to all attendees or closed to AACAP Members only
• Review Abstract (see details below)*
• Names, organizations, contact information, email addresses, and disclosures for all co-presenters

* Submitters should organize the Review Abstract for the entire Member Services Forum under the following headings:

• Objective (what is the clinical syndrome, condition or context being discussed OR what is the specific therapeutic technique that is illustrated)
• Background (some information about the topic presented in the Objective)
• Methods (give at least a one paragraph description of each case that will be presented and the manner of presentation)
• Results (describe the teaching techniques that you plan to use as well as what aspect each of the presenters and discussants will address)
• Conclusions (what aspect will each of the presenters or discussants address)
• Bibliography (provide at least 1 and no more than 5 references supporting this work)

NOTE: A Member Services Forum does not require a Proceedings Abstract.

CONTENT ADDRESSING ETHICAL AND INCLUSIVE CLINICAL EDUCATION

AACAP is deeply committed to advancing mental health access and quality care across populations. We support training and practice approaches that help clinicians provide effective, person-centered, and contextually informed care for individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences.

We strongly encourage presenters to consider including content that examines variations in prevalence, diagnosis, or treatment across varied cultures, groups, and communities — or to explore other meaningful ways to integrate principles that promote inclusion and ethical care into their presentations. This may include inviting presenters with a range of perspectives, incorporating insights from individuals with personal or community experience, or drawing from the setting of Atlanta to enrich the session content in ways that reflect AACAP’s mission.

If such information is limited or not included in a presenter’s work, we ask that speakers acknowledge these gaps and highlight the need for continued efforts to better meet the needs of diverse communities in research and practice.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Member Services Fora can be open to all meeting attendees or can be limited to AACAP members only at the recommendation of the submitter.

Your submission should indicate the length of time proposed for your session (i.e., 1-3 hours). It should also clearly describe the program agenda with a precise outline of how the time is organized, as well as the intended audience. Clear educational goals that the Member Services Forum will achieve are required. While there is no limit to the number of presenters for this type of session, it is highly recommended that no more than 6 presenters be included. The review abstract must clearly specify the roles and contributions of each presenter.

START YOUR SUBMISSION

AACAP will accept approximately fifteen (15) Member Services Fora this year. All Member Services Fora proposals must be submitted each year to be considered for the scientific program at the Annual Meeting. To submit a Member Services Forum for consideration, select “Begin a Submission” at the top or bottom right hand-side of this page.

Questions regarding Member Services Fora can be directed to meetings@aacap.org.