New England, USA
New England ACT Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
Affiliated 2010
Contact Information
Nate Gruner, LICSW
Behavior Therapist
OCD Institute
McLean Hospital
115 Mill Street
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel: 617-855-3437
Website: http://newenglandact.com
Current Board of Directors
President: Jeffrey Szymanski, Ph.D.
Vice-President: Amy Meade, Ph.D.
Secretary: Christopher Miller, MS, MPA
Mission/Objectives
The purpose of the organization shall be to foster the development of functional contextual cognitive and behavioral science and practice within the northeastern region of the United States so as to alleviate human suffering and advance human well being.
Specifically, the organization shall:
- Serve as a scientific and professional reference group for those in the northeastern region of of the United States who identify themselves as scientists, students, or practitioners in disciplines that embrace the principles and practices of contextual beahvioral science, or for the interested public.
- Promote research and scholarship in the northeastern region of the United States focused on the development of a coherent and progressive science of human action that is more adequate to the challenges of the human condition.
- Identify and promote the development of useful basic principles, workable applied theories linked to these principles, effective applied technologies based on these theories, and successful means of training and disseminating these developments, guided by the best available scientific evidence; of effective prevention and intervention strategies.
- Promote the development of a view of science that values a dynamic, ongoing interaction between its basic and applied elements, and between practical application and empirical knowledge.
- Promote the development -- in the northeastern region of the United States -- of a community of scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners who will work in a collegial, open, self-critical, non-discriminatory, and mutually supportive way that is effective in producing valued outcomes and in exploring the additional implications of this work, and that emphasizes open and low cost methods of connecting with this work so as to keep the focus on benefit to others.
- Advise political, legislative, and policy-making bodies with respect to matters pertaining to contextual behavioral science in the northeast region of the United States.
- Organize and sponsor forums, conferences, newsletters, journals, websites, list servs and other such activities for the accomplishment of the purposes of the organization.
Description of Chapter Activities
- Administrative Group (The Board) which would consist of ten (10) members and meet quarterly.
- Social Networking Group, which would meet quarterly on the same day as regularly scheduled board meetings.
- Education Group which would work to educate both beginners and seasoned practitioners in ACT theory and technique and meet for 90 minutes once or twice monthly.
- Peer Consultation Group which would provide a forum for members to present cases and receive peer feedback and would meet for 90 minutes once or twice monthly.
Description of Membership
Members of the organization shall be members of ACBS who are interested in the advancement of functional contextual science and practice, and specifically Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).