Hispanic Neuropsychological Society

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Membership Bylaws

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society, hereinafter referred to as “HNS” or the “Society” (HNS)

Article II: Objectives

The HNS shall be a professional organization devoted to furthering the discipline of neuropsychology with Spanish-speaking populations. For purposes of these bylaws, neuropsychology is considered to be a specialty of psychology committed to better understanding the relationship between brain functioning and behavior. The Society seeks to address issues of clinical care, education, and research matters relevant to the field of neuropsychology with Spanish-speaking populations.

The specific objectives of the HNS are the following:

  1. To promote the competent practice of neuropsychology with Spanish-speaking populations.
  2. To encourage, facilitate, and actively promote the dissemination of clinical and research information for the practice of neuropsychology with Hispanic populations at a national and international level
  3. To actively promote networking and collaboration among its members regarding the use of appropriate instruments and normative data for the assessment of Hispanics.
  4. To remain an independent and autonomous society in order to work collaboratively with existing neuropsychological organizations, both in the U.S. and abroad.
  5. To positively impact the training of current and emerging neuropsychologists working with Hispanic populations via networking and mentoring, as well as providing support for research opportunities to improve the extant knowledge base.

Article III: Membership

The membership of the HNS shall be composed of interested professionals who demonstrate a clinical or research interest in neuropsychology with Hispanics. Generally, these professionals will have a Ph.D. degree in psychology, in one of the neurosciences, in the field of Communication Disorders, or a degree as a physician (M.D. or D.O.) with specialty training in neuropsychiatry or neurobehavior. All members of the HNS shall be subject to the Bylaws of the Society and to any subsequent revisions or amendments.

Section 1. Classes of Membership

There shall be six types of membership in the Society, including Fellow, Professional Member, Associate Member, Student Member, Affiliate Member and Corporate Members. Qualification for election to each level of membership status requires meeting the following criteria:

  • Fellow Members: A Professional member in good standing for at least five years who has made a significant contribution to the science and/or practice of neuropsychology as it relates to the Hispanic/Spanish-speaking individual or community is eligible for nomination to Fellow status. Fellows are recommended to the membership committee, which then acts on the recommendation.
  • Professional Members: Evidence of completion of academic coursework in assessment and/or remediation of neuropsychological conditions and hold a doctoral degree in psychology or an M.D. in neurology with specialization in neurobehavior from an accredited university or medical school. They shall have worked in a setting where such knowledge is applied for a minimum of 3 years, 2 of which must be postdoctoral. Professional members must hold a license or certificate to practice at the independent level in one’s state or province. An international member is required to hold the terminal degree that allows the individual to practice as an independent practitioner in his or her country.
  • Associate Members: Individuals who are interested in neuropsychological issues pertaining to Hispanic or Spanish-speaking population and hold a terminal master’s degree in psychology or a related discipline and may or may not hold a license for independent practice are eligible for Associate status. This category also includes those individuals who hold a doctoral degree in psychology or a related discipline but do not meet criteria to be a member at the Professional level.
  • Student Members: Individuals enrolled full or part-time in a course of study leading to a graduate degree in psychology from an accredited university are eligible for Student status. Persons working on their post-doctoral hours are considered student members.
  • Affiliate Members: Individuals whose training and experience preclude them from other levels of membership, yet are interested in neuropsychological issues pertaining to Hispanic/Spanish-speaking individuals and wish to be formally associated with the Society may be Affiliate members.
  • Corporate Members: A corporate member shall be a business interested in the field of Hispanic neuropsychology. Corporate members may note this status in their publications only so long as they do not represent this membership as indicating any form of quality assurance or endorsement, approval in any form of their activities, or as any indicating of special status of their activities or programs.

Section 2. Rights of Membership

Fellow, Professional and Associate members shall have full vote and privileges, and be members of committees. Fellow and Professional members may hold elected office.

There will be one Student representative on the Executive Committee. Except for the Student Representative on the Executive Committee, Student members may not hold office. However, students may be members of committees and may have voting privileges.

Affiliate members may not have voting privileges or hold elected office. They may be members of committees.

Corporate members shall have no voting privileges and will not have the right to hold office or be members of a committee. They can, however, be called to assist a committee as long as there are no conflict of interests.

Section 3. Election to Membership

Applicants shall complete a membership application, together with sponsorship forms and other supporting data as requested by the membership committee. The membership committee, along with the executive committee will review each completed application and determine eligibility of the applicant for Admission to the Association. An affirmative vote by the majority of those on these committees will be required for election into the Association. In the event a candidate’s application is rejected, the candidate will be apprised in writing of the specific reason for the rejection. The applicant may appeal in writing directly to the Membership Committee for reconsideration with additional information. The Membership Committee will issue a summary of the issues and forward such application to the Executive Committee who will issue a final decision on the matter during their regular meeting.

Membership status will be effective upon receipt of appropriate dues, if any dues are required.

Section 4. Renewal of Membership

Yearly renewal of membership by the executive secretary will be automatic except when otherwise directed by the Executive Committee for one of the conditions stipulated under Section 5 of Article III (Membership).

Section 5. Expulsion from Membership

Any category of member of the Society may lose their membership status for one of the conditions outlined below. Charges of possible violations will only be entertained by the Executive Committee and/or Board if such charges are submitted in writing to one of the members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will then refer the charges to the entire Board, which will confidentially investigate the validity of the charges. The charged member will be given the opportunity to meet with the Board prior to any final decision which could result in expulsion of that individual.

  1. Exhibit conduct which in any way tends to injure the Association, or to affect adversely its reputation, or which is contrary or destructive to the objectives of HNS
  2. Violations of the American Psychological Association’s ethical standards of psychologists
  3. Conviction of a felony
  4. Two consecutive years of non-payment of dues

Section 6. Resignation from Membership

Members may resign from membership status at any level by submitting in writing their wish to terminate participation in the Association.

Section 7. Reinstatement

Members are not in good standing because of resignation or nonpayment of dues will be eligible for reinstatement upon written request to the Membership Committee.

Article IV: Voting Privileges

Section 1. Voting Rights

Each voting member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members. A member may vote by proxy executed by write-in vote executed by the member or his/her duly authorized attorney in fact or in person. No proxy shall be valid after 3 months from the date of this execution unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

Article V: Dues & Finances

Section 1. Annual Dues

The dues will be required from each member of the HNS, in an amount to be set by the membership during the annual business meeting. The revenues from such dues will be used to support all legitimate business expenses of the organization necessary for its efficient operation. The fiscal year of the Association will be from January 1st through December 31st.

Section 2. Dues Statements

Annual accounting of the finances of the HNS will be made public by the Treasurer to the membership during the official annual meeting. Dues are to be established by the Board of directors and will be noticeably printed in the official publications of the Society. Any increase in dues must be passed by 2/3 votes of the Executive Committee. Before the end of the fiscal year the Treasurer shall bill each member by mail or e-mail for forthcoming annual dues.

Section 3. Dissolution

In the event that the Association is dissolved, any remaining funds are to be dispersed to a cause/organization that promotes the specific objectives of the Society, or as voted by the majority of the membership and ratified by the Executive Committee at the time of dissolution.

Article VI: Executive Committee

Section 1. Officers

The Officers shall be the President, President Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, two Members-At-Large, Student Representative, and Student Representative-Elect.

  • The duration of a term, including the President, will be a two-year period except for the President Elect and Immediate Past-President, which will be one-year terms. Except for the Treasurer, Secretary, and Members-At-Large, who may serve two consecutive terms holding their particular office, no officer may serve two consecutive terms. Except for the Secretary who may fulfill the duties of Treasurer, no person may hold more than one office at the same time.
  • The President Elect will, unless otherwise decided by the Executive Committee and/or members, automatically subsume the position of President. Likewise, the President will take office as the Past-President once the two year term has completed.
  • The Secretary may fulfill the duties of the Treasurer. When this is the case, the Executive Committee may invite another elected member serving in a supportive committee (e.g., Communications) to form part of the Executive Committee and thus serve as the deciding vote, during the time such vote is necessary. The Executive Committee will also invite the elected Student Representative at its discretion to their meetings, and such person will have voting power.

Section 2. Governance

The HNS shall be governed by the Executive Committee composed of the above mentioned elected officers (Section 1 of Article VI). The Committee will be responsible for representing the HNS to external persons and institutions and for conducting the business of the organization during the period of time between annual meetings. The Executive Committee will be jointly responsible to the membership for the conduct of the organization’s affairs, and will make an annual report to the membership during the annual business meeting.

Section 3. Election of Officers

Members of the Society may nominate prospective officers for the Executive Committee during the annual business meeting or in writing so it can be discussed by members at the annual business meeting. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote from voting members of the Society who are present at the annual meeting or who have submitted their vote in writing by proxy. Officers will serve a term of two consecutive years. In the event that a particular Officer cannot complete his/her term, a Member of the Society will be appointed by the Executive Committee to fulfill the duties of the office for the remaining duration of that term. Except for the Secretary, Members-At-Large, and Treasurer, no individual may serve more than one consecutive term holding the same office on the Executive Committee. Individuals may hold the same office at a later time but the terms cannot be consecutive.

Section 4. Qualification for Officers

All Officers must be members of the Society in good standing.

Section 5. Duties of Officers

Officers of the Association will conduct their assigned duties as outlined below.

  • President: The President shall be the principal executive officer and, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall in general supervise and control all the business and affairs of the society. The President shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the membership and of the Board of Directors. The President may sign, with the President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer or any other appropriate officer of the society thereunto authorized by the Executive Committee, any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments that the board of directors has authorized to be executed, except in cases where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressed and delegated by the Board Of Directors or by these bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Society, or shall be required by law to be otherwise signed or executed; and in other duties as may be prescribed by the Executive Committee from time to time. The President shall be a Member Ex-Officio of all committees and a voting member of the Board of Directors.
  • President-Elect: The President-Elect shall assume all of the duties of the President in his/her temporary absence or disability. The President-Elect may also take the office of President In case the President cannot fulfill the duties of their office for the remaining term of office. In such case, a suitable replacement for the position of President-Elect will be elected by the Executive Committee by majority vote. The President-Elect shall be a voting member of the Board of Directors.
  • Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the funds of the Society. He/she shall maintain accurate account of these funds and accurate records of any financial transactions and status of the Society. Financial status and record of any and all financial transactions shall be made available to the Executive Committee at any time and shall be reported to the Members of the Society at large during the official annual business meeting of the Society. Financial status and recorded transactions shall also be made available within a reasonable amount of time to any Member of the Society who makes such request in writing to the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall be a voting member of the Board of Directors.
  • Secretary: The Secretary shall keep record of all proceedings of meetings of the Society and of the Executive Committee. He/she shall provide summaries of all meetings official meetings of the Society. Summaries shall be presented to the Executive Committee and to any Member of the Society who requests such summary. The Secretary is also responsible for safe keeping or cause to be kept all documents and papers which come to his/her possession as may be necessary. The Secretary may also perform the duties of the Treasurer. The Secretary shall be a voting member of the Board of Directors.
  • Past-President: The Past-President will be present at the meetings of the Executive Committee and will provide support to the newly elected members of the Executive Committee. The Past-President shall be the person who served as President during the most recent election term and will be a voting member of the Board of Directors.
  • Members-at-Large: The Members-at-Large will be present at the meetings of the Executive Committee.  They will assist in the general operation of the Society and its business and affairs with duties including, but not limited to, the coordination and execution of the activities of Committees. The Members-at-Large shall be voting members of the Board of Directors.
  • Student Representative: The Student Representative (SR) will be present at the meetings of the Executive Committee. The SR is responsible for the operation of the HNS Student Association, which supports the mission and goals of HNS for trainees. The SR is a voting member of the Board of Directors.
  • Student Representative-Elect: The Student Representative-Elect (SRE) will be present at the meetings of the Executive Committee. The SRE will support the mission of the HNS Student Association and assist the SR. The SRE is a voting member of the Board of Directors, and contributes student perspective and opinion.

Section 6. Compensation

Officers of the Executive Committee shall receive NO compensation from HNS for their services, including honorariums. This provision shall not, however, prevent an officer to be reimbursed for reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with performance of his/her duties as Officer, as approved in advanced by the Executive Committee. The Secretary/Treasurer will be allowed to hire clerical assistance as deemed necessary by him or her for the effective execution of the business of the Society. Any hiring of clerical assistance will require approval by majority vote from the Executive Committee.

Section 7. Conflict of Interests

No Officer of the association shall deal with him/herself or any other Officer in a manner which represents a conflict or potential conflict with the interests of the association. Officers may recuse themselves from voting or any discussions that may cause a potential conflict of interest.

Section 8. Termination

Members of the Executive Committee may resign their duties at any time during the duration of their term. Executive Committee members may be asked for their resignation by another Committee Officer at any time if there is just cause to suspect the violation of any of the conditions stipulated under Section 5 of Article III (Membership) or when their actions have been clearly harmful to the interests of the Society. The official removal of any individual from the Executive Committee will require two-thirds majority vote from members of the Society that are present at the annual meeting or two thirds majority mail system vote (via email or postal service).

Article VII: Meetings of the Association

Section 1. Annual Business Meeting

The Executive Committee of the HNS shall be jointly responsible for scheduling and conducting an annual business meeting. The annual business meeting will likely take place during the week of the annual meeting of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, which is usually held in October or November. A second meeting may also be held during the week of the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society (INS), which usually takes place in February.

Section 2. Additional Meetings

Other meetings and conferences may be scheduled throughout the year at the discretion of the Executive Committee depending upon the needs and customs of the organization. The Executive Committee is responsible for holding a minimum of four Executive Committee meetings per year. Such meetings may be conducted in person or by phone conference. The presence in person or by phone conference of the majority of the members of the Board of Directors will constitute a Quorum. Any number of Directors present at any meeting may adjourn the meeting.

Section 3. Rules of Order

The annual business meeting and additional meetings called by the Executive Committee shall be conducted in accordance with standard parliamentary procedure.

Article VIII: Committees

Section 1. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee composed of elected officers shall be the governing body of the Society. The elected Officers of this committee, terms, conditions and responsibilities of such these Officers are stipulated in Sections 1-7 of Article VI (Executive Committee).

Section 2. Standing Committees

The Officers of the Executive Committee will appoint chairs for each committee for 3-year terms. The respective committee chairs, in consultation with the Executive Committee will determine additional membership for each committee. With the exception of Corporate members, any member of the Association in good standing can be member of a standing or special committee. Corporate members may assist a committee as long as there is no conflict of interests. Committees will conduct such business as is appropriate to their respective areas of responsibility, as determined by the Executive Committee, members of each individual Committee and/or the members of the Society. All action recommendations by committees are to be approved by the Executive Committee. The creation of permanent standing committees shall require an amendment of the Bylaws. The following shall be the standing committees of the Society:

  1. Membership and Elections Committee.1.1. This Committee shall examine applications and determine the eligibility of prospective HNS members. The Committee may conduct investigation for each applicant as it deems necessary or proper, including investigating any allegations of ethical misconduct.1.2. The Committee shall also review applications of HNS members who wish to apply for Fellow Member status and make recommendations to the Executive Committee for approval of such members.
  2. Communications Committee. This committee is in charge of the creation and distribution, with the approval of the board, of the official communications of the Society. This Committee shall organize and maintain the electronic publications of the Society, including maintaining the HNS website.
  3. Mentorship and Education Committee. The mission of this committee is a) To encourage Spanish speakers to become neuropsychologists; b) To encourage neuropsychologists to develop competency in the assessment of Spanish speakers; c) To mentor HNS members in attaining board certification; and d) To provide mentoring opportunities to HNS members.

Section 3. Special Committees

Ad hoc committees and task forces may be established by recommendation of the Executive Committee and ratification by a majority of members present in the annual business meeting. Ad hoc committees and task forces may also be established or assigned by the Executive Committee throughout the year, between annual business meetings. Ratification by majority vote of all voting members of HNS will occurred via postal mail or electronic mail. Such committees and task forces will be appointed on a time-limited basis to carry out specific tasks without requiring an amendment of the Society’s Bylaws.

Article VIII: Adoption of Bylaws and Amendments

Section 1. Adoption of Bylaws

Upon initial adoption of the Bylaws by the Society Membership, the Secretary shall date and certify a copy of the Bylaws. These will be maintained in the official records of the Society. A copy of the Bylaws will be provided with any amendments to all Members of the Society present at the annual business meeting. The Bylaws may be sent in advance of the annual business meeting via electronic mail or postal service. These will also be provided to subsequent new Members of the Society.

Section 2. Amendments

Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by any member of the organization during the Society’s annual business meeting. Before they can take effect, such proposed amendments will require ratification by 2/3 of all members in good standing who respond to a mailed referendum sent via e-mail or standard mail. Proposed amendments may also be ratified by members who are present during the annual business meeting of the association, provided that 2/3 of all members of the Society are present at this meeting.

Article IX: HNS Student Association

Section 1. Purpose

The purpose of the HNS Student Association is to support the goals and mission of HNS as it relates to trainees and to increase visibility and awareness of HNS activities within its student members. The Student Representative (SR) and the Student Representative-Elect (SRE) will function as liaison members between students and the HNS Executive Board and Mentoring and Education Committee. The HNS Student Association will also provide training, mentorship, and leadership opportunities for students to further their professional development.

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