Article I. Name:
The name of this association shall be the Nashville Psychotherapy Institute.

Article II. Purpose of the Institute:

A. The promotion and sponsorship of post-graduate continuing education programs for practicing psychotherapists who are licensed or certified in one of the following professions:

Marriage and Family Therapy
Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy
Professional Counseling
Psychiatric Counseling
Psychiatry
Psychology
Social Work
Substance Abuse Counseling

B. The promotion of interdisciplinary dialogue and support among the various psychotherapeutic professions.

C. Cooperation in sponsoring and promoting continuing education activities in psychotherapy.

Article III. Membership:

A. Categories:
1. Member: All persons who are certified and/or licensed to provided psychotherapy and who are members in good standing of their respective professional associations are eligible for Member status.

2. Patron Member: Any Member desiring to express his/her support for NPI through participation in a special dues structure as determined by the Board, will achieve this designation. This designation includes free attendance at NPI luncheons for one fiscal year.

3. Sustaining Member: Any Member desiring to express his/her support for NPI through participation in a special dues structure as determined by the Board, will achieve this designation.

4. Student Member: Graduate students pursuing training in psychotherapy may become student affiliates by paying the designated special dues amount.

5. Agency Membership: Those professionals who qualify for professional membership but who work full time in mental health centers or other service agencies.

6. Professional/Trainee: Any master’s level or above clinician working towards licensure, who is under active supervision. The clinician has completed a graduate degree and is actively pursing licensure through supervised practice. These members will be eligible to participate in all NPI activities, including discounts to meetings, workshops, or in –service programs requiring a fee, as long as annual dues are paid. They may not vote or hold office. The fee to join will be $40.00. (Amended 8/6/04)

Privileges and Responsibilities of Members:

1. Members, Patrons and Sustaining Members shall accrue all privileges including the right to vote and hold office so long as annual dues are paid.

2. Student Members shall be eligible to participate in all NPI activities, including discounts to meetings, workshops or in-service education programs requiring a fee, so long as annual dues are paid. They may not vote or hold office.

Article IV. Officers:

A. The elected officers of the institute shall be a Chairperson, a Chairperson-Elect and Treasurer.

B. Officers shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors. The term of office shall begin at the conclusion of the meeting in which officers are elected.

C. Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect shall serve for one-year terms. Treasurer shall serve for a two-year term. They may serve an additional consecutive term if so requested by the Board of Directors.

Article V. Duties of Officers:

A. The Chairperson shall be the chief elected officer of the Institute and Chairperson of the Board of Directors and shall perform such duties as are customary for presiding officers.

B. The Chairperson-Elect shall assist the Chairperson in ways requested. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Chairperson-Elect shall assume the duties of the Chairperson. The Chairperson-Elect shall oversee the duties of the Executive Coordinator.

C. The Treasurer shall, with assistance from the Executive Coordinator, manage the financial and budgetary matters of the organization.

D. A job description for each officer shall be appended to these by-laws.

Article VI. Board of Directors:

A. The Board of Directors shall consist of at least ten but no more than fifteen members, and shall include a student member. Vacancies shall be filled by action of the Chairperson-Elect with input from the Board, and subsequent vote of the Board.

B. Board members shall be elected and serve for a period of three years. Student Members serve a period of one year. The rotation process shall be managed by the Board with the Chairperson-Elect overseeing the process. Nominations shall be presented once a year in the fall for election by the Board at the November meeting. Newly elected Board members will be announced in the January newsletter prior to the annual business meeting.

C. Every attempt shall be made to distribute Board membership among representatives of the various cognate professional groups of the Institute membership.

D. The Board shall be empowered to employ an Executive Coordinator to assist in its administration at its discretion. (see 10/16/91 Addendum)

E. At least ten (10) Board meetings shall be held annually. Board meetings are open to the membership at large,

with the exception of the November meeting when board members are elected for the following year.

F. All Board members shall be members in good standing having paid their annual membership dues to the Institute.

G. Board members may succeed themselves only after one year has passed since their rotation off the Board with the exception of those board members who were appointed to complete the term of another board member.

H. A Board member may be removed, with or without cause, by a majority vote of
the Board.

I. Board Member nominations can be made by standing board members or from the membership at large.

Article VII. Committees:

A. The Chairperson shall appoint both standing and ad hoc committees as the needs of NPI emerge. Standing committees for nominations, membership recruitment, program and/or curriculum development, speakers, finance, and outreach shall be established. Members will serve terms of two years.

Article VIII. Ethical Standards:

Members of NPI shall abide by the Code of Ethics of their respective professional disciplines. Upon revocation, suspension, or voluntary surrender of licensure, members shall resign her or his membership or it shall be revoked. Dues for periods of revoked licensure are non-refundable. Full membership and privileges shall be restored without penalty upon reapplication to NPI after the restoration of full licensure.

Article IX. Geographic Satellites:

A. NPI hopes that professionals from beyond the immediate Nashville area will wish to participate in its activities. As needs arise, and at the discretion of the Board, geographic satellite branches may be established under its auspices. Activities of such branches shall be open to all members in good standing.
B. Geographic satellite branches may organize their own substructure to meet
their needs. Satellites shall have representation on the Board as follows:
A Coordinator will be elected by the Satellite group on an annual basis. He or she will serve for one year as the conduit between the satellite group and the Board and will also plan all activities to be sponsored by the satellite group, including luncheons. After a term of one year, during which time the Coordinator is not expected to serve an additional Board committees, he or she will become a member of the Board for an additional two years.

Article X. Amendments:

These by-laws shall be amended from time to time by a vote of two-thirds majority of the Board. Proposed amendments to these By-laws shall be presented and discussed at regularly scheduled Board meetings.

Article XI. Annual Meetings:

The official annual meeting of the Institute will be held in January of each year for the purpose of transacting the business of the Institute including the election of members of the Board of Directors and the review of budgetary and programmatic issues. In the interim, the Board of Directors shall act on behalf of the membership with regard to all administrative issues that may arise.

Addendum to By-laws – October 16, 1991
Policy and Procedure for Hiring and Dismissing an Employee

I. NPI shall select and employ an Executive Coordinator to provide administrative and coordinating services for the organization. The qualifications, duties, number of hours employed, amount of compensation, and evaluation procedures shall be determined by the board as a whole or its designated representative committee. Changes in these procedures and standards may be made at anytime by vote of a majority of the board.

A. The Executive Coordinator is a person with demonstrated skill and experience in basic accounting procedures, secretarial skill, interpersonal relations, and coordinating human resources. He or she shall be comfortable with self-direction, be able to show flexibility and responsibility in dealing with others, and be reliable and consistent in carrying out assigned duties.

B. Evaluation of performance shall be based on evidence that the above areas are addressed adequately.

C. The person chosen for this position shall be in a probationary period for the first six months of employment. Following that probationary period, evaluation of performance shall be conducted annually.

II. Termination of an employee may follow negative evaluation of performance. Written and oral communication from the chairperson, which identifies the reason for negative evaluation, shall be provided to the employee prior to termination. Termination causes shall be clearly related to standards of performance and areas identified at the time of employment, or for legal, ethical, or moral misconduct.

III. No contract concerning employment beyond those standards shall exist for any employee of NPI.

The Chairperson

The duties of the Chairperson shall be:

1. To manage Board planning

2. To communicate with the Board and Executive Coordinator

3. To staff the Board

4. To keep the Board organized and moving

5. To manage Board decision-making

6. To control Board activities and directing of Board meetings.

The Chairperson-Elect

The duties of the Chairperson-Elect shall be:

1. To perform the duties of the Chair in his or her absence

2. To chair at least one major committee

3. To serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee

4. To assist in the duties of the Chairperson

5. To serve closely as consultant and advisor to the Chairperson

6. To carry out special project assignments from the Chairperson

7. To assume the position of Chairperson at the conclusion of the Chair-Elect term.

The Secretary/Treasurer

The duties of the Secretary/Treasurer shall be:

1. To develop an annual budget for NPI and to work in conjunction with the Executive Coordinator to formulate a monthly financial statement which shows the current financial status of NPI.

2. To supervise the continuing financial operation of NPI, coordinating when necessary with standing committees.

3. To make recommendations on an annual basis for dues and fee structures for NPI and in light of budgetary considerations.

4. To review and recommend other sources of revenue from ongoing activities of NPI and to determine long-range funding for NPI including fundraising, grants, cooperative educational ventures, upgraded categories of membership, etc. and to present an annual plan for the same to the Board.

5. To review NPI’s compliance with various laws governing the activities of such organizations as NPI, including filing a Form 990 with the IRS by July 15 if received by the organization or if gross receipts exceed $25,000 on an annual basis; filing an annual report with the Secretary of State on the status of the corporation during the month of October and filing a 501C6 renewal for tax-exempt status.

6. To perform other duties customarily performed by a Secretary/Treasurer.

The Board Member

The duties of the Board Member shall be to:

1. Attend all Board meetings and meeting of committee on which you serve, all workshops and special meetings as appropriate.

2. Work with other Board members in setting policies and goals for the Chairperson to implement and achieve.

3. Participate actively in meetings, keep yourself informed about developments in organization, share insights and suggestions with other Board members and the Chair.

4. Ensure that the organization has adequate finances, and that its finances are responsibility spent. As a Board member, you should be willing to contribute beyond normal dues, according to your abilities, to ensure the stability of NPI.

5. Select and evaluate, with other Board members, a Chairperson who can best serve as the Board’s manager.

6. Support the Chairperson, when asked, with ideas and energy.

7. Formulate goals and objectives, with other Board members, which outline a long-term plan for the organization.

8. Serve on committees and accept special assignments as requested and as possible.

9. Recruit new members

10. Understand the organization, its purpose, goals, objectives, programs and functioning, and believe in it.

11. Interpret NPI’s goal and purposes, as well as it functions, to the community, be a spokesperson and represent NPI in the community.