Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan of the WCCBT is to broaden the purposes of the WCC beyond that of deciding on where and when forthcoming world congresses will be hosted and supported. The broader mandate of the WCCBT will be to achieve the following goals:
1. To support the development and profile of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (CBT) Worldwide.
WCCBT will be a global organization that represents and brings together CBT organizations and activities in all regions across the world, to facilitate the development of CBT as a scientific discipline and professional activity. It will aim to:
- Promote worldwide initiatives, foster scientific and clinical innovation and uphold the highest standards of clinical research, practice, and training in CBT.
- Coordinate activities and prevent duplication of efforts and provide researchers and clinicians the opportunity to build collaborations across the world.
- Work to overcome regional barriers to the development and dissemination of CBT.
- Foster effective working alliances among countries in order to maximize focus on research, training, clinical practice, and dissemination of CBT.
- Disseminate information and resources on mental health and CBT to consumers through member organizations.
- Become a legal incorporated organization.
Specific Plans for the WCCBT in its first 5 years include work with key individuals and groups to develop national CBT organizations in countries and continents where CBT organizations do not currently exist or are at an early stage e.g., Africa, the Middle East. A second plan will be to develop, and provide incentives towards, flexible working partnerships between national and regional organizations in order to build consensus across varying priorities. The third plan is to legally incorporate WCCBT at a time and in a place agreed by the WCCBT Board and supported by the WCCBT Member associations.
2. Develop a Worldwide Network to Share News, Information, and Issues in CBT.
WCCBT will link knowledge and resources worldwide and serve as a worldwide repository to assist in the development and dissemination of evidence-based training and practice to help inform member associations about developments and activities. WCCBT will also develop a network to share news where CBT is developing in important emerging areas.
Specific Plans that WCCBT will work on in its first 5 years include continuing to organize the Triennial congress via a dedicated subcommittee within the Confederation (previously this was known as the World Congress Committee). The WCCBT will further increase the sharing of worldwide news and resources in CBT through social networking, sharing of media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). Third, a communications sub-committee will be established and take responsibility for setting up and maintaining a website, managing Facebook and other social media services in order to connect CBT practitioners throughout the world.
3. Promote and advocate for mental health, CBT and Evidence based Treatments for Psychological Disorders in order to Improve Wellbeing across the Globe.
WCCBT will work to effectively promote and advocate for mental health, CBT and evidence-based treatments for psychological disorders in order to improve wellbeing across the globe by encouraging an increase in the dissemination of CBT and by building collaborations with member associations and with global organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It will also communicate and advocate for adoption of successful mental health policies and promotional activities across the globe. The ultimate aim is to improve the provision and dissemination of CBT for improving mental health and wellbeing on a large scale throughout the world.
Specific Plans for the WCCBT in its first 5 years include developing CBT projects to promote and disseminate CBT through the World Confederation by using examples from member associations such as EABCT with potential expansion of these dissemination efforts. The WCCBT will also disseminate CBT materials and programs to regional organizations.
4. Develop and Support Effective Implementation of CBT through Training.
WCCBT will help foster the dissemination of training in CBT worldwide.
Specific Plans that WCCBT will work on in its first 5 years include consulting about and supporting training needs and programs in CBT, as well as providing information on international, national, regional, and local training programs
5. Facilitate and Support Research in CBT
The WCCBT will support and facilitate research in CBT and evidence-based therapies across the globe.
Specific Plans for WCCBT in its first 5 years include linking researchers around the globe to help facilitate collaborations, hosting the World Congress and supporting the development of research programs that support the aims of the WCCBT.