Did You Know? Fast facts about the Society of Behavioral Medicine

Angela Pfammatter, PhD, FSBM - Membership Council Chair 

Insights under the hood of an organization can uncover useful information. After years of hearing many myths and assumptions about how SBM really works, we decided to get strategic. This year, the Membership Council is focused on enhancing membership understanding of organization process and structure and conveying a clear membership value proposition. Why? We want to be transparent to all members! By doing so, we hope to uncover underused resources and empower members to take full advantage of what their SBM membership offers. You’ll see some new messaging, an updated organizational chart, and more information dissemination through articles like this, membership onboarding webinars, and SIG leader trainings.  To kick off this effort, here are three fast facts to get you up to speed on the inner workings of SBM!

1. SBM uses a governance model that relies on board-driven policies executed by a mix of volunteers and full-time staff from association management company Executive Director Inc. (EDI). SBM also engages in some shared governance through its council structure whereby each council chair is also on the board of directors. In practice, this means, the board of directors makes high-impact decisions on policy and strategy, then our councils, committees, and staff execute those policies and strategies, and handle day-to day operations. The executive committee (elected board members) is also empowered to make some minor or time-sensitive decisions when needed. While SBM thrives because of its member volunteers that make up the board, councils, committees, SIGs, etc., we are guided by an amazing team of staff at EDI with expertise in association management, nonprofit law, accounting, marketing, etc. This structure allows our volunteer members, each with their own obligations, to focus on the big picture or the details where behavioral medicine expertise is needed, knowing all the other details are in good hands. So, if workload or specific skills are part of your hesitation to get involved, please know, we have opportunities available at every level of involvement, which you can browse in our Volunteer Impact Hub.

2. SBM is a 501(c)(3) organization, and the board has a duty to ensure its sustainability. That means, SBM must adhere to its mission, and follow all laws and best practices to maintain such a status. According to the SBM bylaws the board has “supervision, control and direction of the affairs of the Society, its Councils, Committees, and publications; shall determine its policies or changes therein; shall actively prosecute its objectives and supervise the disbursement of its funds.” You can check out what the board has been up to by visiting the SBM Strategic Plan or the minutes repository. Essentially, they set the direction and the policies, but it’s heavily informed by what happens in committees and councils - no one person can dominate, and everything is done in the best interest of sustaining the organization so it’s here for generations of behavioral medicine scientists and practitioners just like you.

3. SBM is more than a meeting… a lot more! We’ve launched a new interactive organization chart to help explain all the cogs in the wheel of SBM so you are more informed and it’s easier for you to find your home and place to make an impact. Our Membership Council, for example, is one of six councils and our charge is to build and maintain the membership. We do that in collaboration with the committees we oversee: the SIG and Industry Connections committees. Taking a look at our councils and committees can clue you in to all that SBM has to offer: education, connections, partnerships, mentorship, training, and more. At the Membership Council, we see SIGs and Industry Connections as our two welcome doors where we encourage each member to find a smaller home within our big organization. We aim to keep these offerings nimble and responsive to the ever-changing needs of the SBM membership. And to support each member in finding and participating in these efforts, we’ve put a lot into enhancing our First-time Attendee Meet & Greet at the Annual Meeting, establishing a new member onboarding webinar series, and starting up a new SIG leader training.

We hope you’ve learned something new about your professional home and we encourage you to use this information to find avenues to contribute and make your impact. After all, YOU are SBM.