The American Psychoanalytic Foundation (APF) is in an enviable position this year. The foundation has a full bank account—almost $30,000 in available grant money—and is seeking some worthy projects to underwrite.
So, what exactly is a worthy project? The APF Committee looks for projects that promote a better understanding of psychoanalysis and encourage effective and innovative dissemination of psychoanalytic ideas and services to the public. Recent APF grants show the diversity of psychoanalytic ideas and the creative ways they can influence the most important cultural issues of the 21st century.
Combining psychoanalytic principles with the technological reach of the virtual world is one example. The committee awarded a grant to THRIVE Infant-Family Program, established in Los Angeles and sponsored in part by the New Center for Psychoanalysis, to create a virtual community. Its purpose was to implement an online emotional neonatal intensive care (ENIC) site to provide parents and care-givers with support, community resources, and education through eBooks, podcasts, and blogging space.
“Some projects we have supported show psychoanalysis's capacity to meet the needs of underserved communities,” says Sandra Walker, chair of the APF Committee and faculty member of the Seattle Psychoanalytic Institute and Society.
One such program Walker points to is a partnership between Jubilee Jump-Start, a child care and development center for low-income families, and the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis. The two organizations have expanded a collaboration to develop the center's home visiting program. “We urge our colleagues and fellow travelers to jump in and test the waters—contact our committee members, check out our website, and submit proposals. We are open for business,” says Walker. Any APsaA member interested in exploring the possibility of submitting a proposal to the foundation should feel free to contact Dean Stein at the National Office. He will be happy to put you in touch with one of the foundation committee members.
Linda Benson, M.A., an APF Committee member, is a freelance writer on health and medicine for national publications and websites. She lives in Ann Arbor and is a lecturer on composition and writing at Wayne State University in Detroit.