What are Sections?

Sections are established to promote collaboration between ESSPD members and provide platforms for work on specific contents and long-term themes. As such they are the driving forces of the society. The sections provide the opportunity to integrate more ESSPD members into the work of the society on the long-term and provide a platform for international cooperation.

The sections are preferably proposed by members wishing to cooperate in specific areas. The ESSPD Board can also initiate sections and delegate tasks to these sections. The ESSPD Board may decide to close a section when it has completed its functions or tasks, if the section chairs have not reported to the Board of its plans and progress within a year (see below), or when proposed to be closed by section members or chairs.

Members of the sections do not have to be members of the society – the chairs can invite people to work on the sections issues as needed. They will not become ESSPD members by involvement in Sections. Members of the ESSPD can indicate their affiliation with a thematic Section in members’ area of the ESSPD website.

The sections are chaired by two ESSPD members. Members of the sections are encouraged to come up with candidates for section chairs, but they will be appointed by the ESSPD Board. The duration of the section chair(s) function is predefined by the ESSPD Board (with recommended duration of 3–5 years), and unlimited re-election is possible. The ESSPD Board may make changes to the chairship of the section any time. One Board member is assigned the task of supporting and overseeing the work of sections and functions as the primary liaison between the sections and the Board. This is to simplify the work of sections. The section chairs need to submit a yearly report to the Board on the plans and progress of the section’s work. The board can shorten this reporting interval if needed. Every second year, the section chairs report to the General Membership Meeting.

Sections can come up with their own rules of procedure for everyday work that will have to be confirmed by their liaising Board member, who can decide to have them approved by the Board. Sections can use the ESSPD Newsletter to distribute their work, and can organize specific sessions at the ESSPD congresses. Sections are expected to be financially self-supportive, but have an opportunity to apply to the Board for funding of specific projects or initiatives in line with the section’s and ESSPD’s aims and goals. Sections are free to organize section meetings and other events, as long as they are in accordance with the overarching aims and goals of the society. Political statements of sections and events organized under the aegis of the ESSPD must be confirmed by the ESSPD board.

Section for for the study and treatment of Antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy

Further information
carlo.garofalo@unipg.it

Section for the Study of Interpersonal Functioning and Social Cognition in PD

Further information
chiara.depanfilis@unipr.it