IDEA Committee Membership Open!
Co-Chairs D. Michael Coy and Jennifer M. Gómez are happy to announce that membership applications are now being accepted for the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility (IDEA) Committee!
Membership is open to all ISSTD members, who can go to the Volunteer Center to apply, https://members.isst-d.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=1084249
Our Purpose
Beginning more formally with the 2021-2023 Strategic Plan, ISSTD has worked to incorporate IDEA into all facets of the Society’s functioning. IDEA as an explicit goal was formally included in the 2024-2026 Strategic Plan. (The IDEA-focused portion of that plan, including status tracking, may be found HERE.) 2023 saw the advent of the IDEA Board Working Group that produced ISSTD’s IDEA Statement, which serves as a guide to decision-making and initiatives. With the 2026 transition of the Board Working Group into a Committee, the ISSTD membership-at-large can contribute directly to strengthening IDEA within ISSTD.
According to our Mission and Charge from the Board of Directors, the IDEA Committee is responsible to:
- Promote ISSTD as the foremost place to learn about the phenomenology, diagnosis, and treatment, and study of Complex Trauma and Dissociation through an IDEA-informed lens
- Be guided by ISSTD IDEA Statement in all committee decision-making and initiatives
- Create schedule for and implement routine evaluation of IDEA-aligned policies and practices across all areas of ISSTD
- Identify and strive to cultivate/maintain strategic, collaborative relationships with IDEA-aligned organizations serving marginalized and underserved communities
- Develop, recommend, and support implementation of IDEA practices among ISSTD headquarters staff, contract employees, the Board of Directors, and volunteer leadership-at-large
- Identify, advocate for, and support implementation of IDEA-informed ways to remove barriers to ISSTD membership and training participation
- Identify, advocate for, and support implementation of IDEA-informed opportunities for fundraising to support strategic plan objectives
The IDEA Committee meets six times per year (bi-monthly), with goals related to ongoing evaluation of IDEA-aligned policies and practices across all areas of ISSTD, identifying and striving to cultivate and maintain strategic collaborative relationships with IDEA-aligned organizations serving marginalized and underserved communities, and more.
Our next two meetings have been scheduled for Fridays at 1pm US Eastern time, May 22 and July 17 2026. To ensure our meeting times are accessible to members around the world, we will finalize the remaining meeting dates and times with the full Committee.
Joining the IDEA Committee is an opportunity for members to get in on the ground floor in shaping the future of IDEA within ISSTD.
If you’re interested, please apply at the Volunteer Center HERE.
We look forward to hearing from you!