Why Join?

Why should you join SSCP? SSCP is one of the only organizations to align itself with both clinical research and clinical practice. Your membership not only gives you access to a rich variety of programs and benefits, but also supports the broader goal of promoting science in clinical psychology.

  • Each year SSCP funds multiple dissertation grant awards to support students undertaking outstanding dissertation research projects in clinical science. SSCP also conducts a student poster session (with awards for the top posters) at the annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). In addition, we have a set of awards for Outstanding Student Researcher, Clinician, Teacher, and Diversity Research.

  • In addition to student awards, SSCP annually recognizes: a) lifetime scientific achievements of a leader in our field, with the Distinguished Scientist Award, b) outstanding mentorship of students, with the Lawrence H. Cohen Outstanding Mentor Award, and c) excellent early career scientists, with the Susan Nolen-Hoeksema Early Career Research Award.

  • SSCP supports innovative clinical training initiatives that help to integrate research and practice with the Varda Shoham Clinical Scientist Training Grant program.

  • SSCP and APS have developed a new career mentorship program designed to connect psychological scientists working in a variety of jobs and settings with our graduate students, post-doctoral, and early career members. Check out the searchable database at http://aps.psychologicalscience.org/join-renew/home.cfm.

  • SSCP members have access to the SSCP Clinical Psychology Internship Directory, which provides valuable information about clinical training and research opportunities offered by internship programs in the U.S. and Canada.

  • The SSCP website, http://www.sscpweb.org, provides extensive information about the organization, upcoming conferences and events, grant and awards, access to the Clinical Science newsletter, and other valuable resources. SSCP’s student website, http://www.sscpstudent.blogspot.com/,  provides the latest information on student events, awards, projects, and job openings, including useful links to information about student research grants, internship, and professional development.

  • SSCP is developing a searchable Membership Directory (available under the "Members Only" content on the SSCP website) that contains a brief description of members' research interests and members' contact information. The purpose of this directory is to facilitate networking and collaboration among SSCP members, including across full and student members.

  • The SSCP listserv, SSCPnet, is a forum for all SSCP members to enjoy wide-ranging conversation on issues related to research, training, and advocacy in clinical psychological science. SSCP’s student-only listserv is a lightly moderated forum for discussion, and a great source of information about career, research, clinical, and policy issues. SSCP’s new campus representative program will also help ensure students have a strong voice in the training and promotion of clinical science.

  • SSCP is a strong voice for science in APA, working to influence the policies and programs of Division 12 and APA to ensure that science remains central to clinical psychology. We do this both by working directly with the APA Board of Scientific Affairs and other organizations, and by nominating strong clinical scientists. A number of our members have been officers of Division 12 and we continue to place SSCP members on key APA committees that are important for clinical science. We are also actively involved in programming for APA’s annual meetings.

  • SSCP also provides representation for clinical science within APS. No other clinical organization actively participates in the two major national psychology organizations. SSCP serves on the convention program committee, and the SSCP Presidential address and Distinguished Scientist Award address routinely take place at the APS annual convention, along with our annual SSCP members’ meeting.

  • SSCP is active in the dissemination of clinical science! We are reaching out both at home and abroad via our newly formed: 1) Public Education and Media, 2) Science in Practice, and 3) International Dissemination and Implementation of Clinical Science committees.

  • SSCP membership is very affordable! Dues for full members are $50/year, and student member dues are especially low at only $15/year.
    Take advantage of one of the multi-year discounts and save $5 for each additional year of membership you pay dues for. There is also a Doctoral Program Group Rate for graduate students, which is only $10.00 per student for a minimum of 5 students. A retiree annual membership rate of $12 is available for members who are no longer working full time and are above the age of 60. And dues for early career members are 50% the full member rate for first 2 years after a student receives their doctorate. Additionally, please note that dues are tax-deductible, and you do not have to belong to APA or Division 12 to join SSCP.
Your participation in SSCP supports a vital group that is a unique voice for clinical science