Our Policies and Principles

Refund and Attendance Policy

The Rhode Island Association for Psychoanalytic Psychologies (RIAPP) is a volunteer-run organization that relies on community support and every dollar to fund our mission. All purchases, membership dues, registration fees, and donations made through RIAPP are strictly non-refundable, as full event attendance is required to earn continuing education (CE) credits, maintain respect for our presenters, and protect our learning environment. 

In compliance with the licensing standards of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), this policy outlines RIAPP’s rule governing financial contributions and event participation.

REFUNDS

• Membership Cancellations: All membership dues are non-refundable. You are welcome to cancel your membership at any point during the season, but we do not issue partial or full refunds.

• Event Registration: Registration fees for all RIAPP events are non-refundable. If RIAPP cancels an event or a processing error occurs, all paid fees will be fully refunded.

• Donations: All financial donations are non-refundable.

ATTENDANCE

• Tracking Attendance: RIAPP verifies attendance to ensure compliance with licensing standards. For virtual events, attendance is automatically tracked via Zoom. For in-person events, attendance is tracked by our sign-in sheet and in-person monitoring of early departures.

• CE Credits: You must be present for the duration of the event to earn CE credit. RIAPP is not permitted to issue partial or prorated credit for missed time. If you miss more than the allowed time frame outlined below, you will automatically forfeit your CE credits for the event.

• Late Arrivals: The opening minutes of our events are critical for building peer rapport, establishing flow, and creating a cohesive community environment. RIAPP adheres to a strict 15-minute grace period. Those arriving more than 15 minutes late will not be admitted to the event, forfeiting their CE credit eligibility and registration fee. 

• Early Departures: Leaving a session early disrupts concentration and compromises concluding group discussions. While we cannot prevent you from leaving early, we encourage you to keep this in mind. Those departing more than 15 minutes early will forfeit their CE credit eligibility and registration fee.

EXCEPTIONS & BOARD DISCRETION

We recognize that extenuating circumstances may arise from time to time. Accordingly, RIAPP reserves the right to review unique situations individually and grant exceptions under extenuating circumstances, provided compliance boundaries are maintained. Late arrivals admitted past the cut-off mark on rare occasions are strictly for auditing purposes with CE credits forfeited, and rare refunds may be issued following a formally filed grievance in accordance with RIAPP's Grievance Policy. 

Grievance Policy

The Rhode Island Association of Psychoanalytic Psychologies (RIAPP) is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists. RIAPP will comply with all legal and ethical responsibilities to be non-discriminatory in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of program participants. The monitoring and assessment of compliance with these standards will be the responsibility of the RIAPP Board of Directors in consultation with the CE Chair and members of the Continuing Education Committee, as indicated.

While RIAPP goes to great lengths to assure fair treatment for all participants and attempts to anticipate problems, there will be occasional issues which require intervention. This procedural description serves as a guideline for how RIAPP will handle such grievances. 

When a participant, either orally or in written format, files a grievance and expects action on the complaint, the following actions will be taken:

If the grievance concerns a speaker, the content presented by the speaker, or the style of presentation:
1. The individual filing the grievance will be asked to put their comments in written format.
2. The CE Chair will then pass on the comments to the speaker, assuring the confidentiality of the grieved individual.
3. The Board and CE Committee will determine next steps to address or repair the grievance with the grieved party, as indicated.

If the grievance concerns a workshop offering, its content, level of presentation, or the facilities in which the workshop was offered, the Board of Directors will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the Board will:
1. attempt to move the participant to an alternative workshop,
2. provide a credit for a subsequent year's workshop, or
3. provide a partial or full refund of the workshop fee.

Note: Actions 2b and 2c will require a written note documenting the grievance, for record-keeping purposes. The note need not be signed by the grieved individual.  

To file a grievance, please contact:

El Sher, LICSW, President, Rhode Island Association for Psychoanalytic Psychologies
Email: riapporg@gmail.com
Phone: 401-263-2272
Address: 11 S. Angell Street, Box 393, Providence RI 02906