The 122nd APA convention provided an excellent opportunity to reflect upon how far psychology has come in developing into a bona fide healthcare profession, advancing beyond viewing ourselves exclusively as metal health specialists. It was wonderful to see Beth Rom-Rymer receive well deserved recognition for enacting prescriptive authority (RxP) legislation in Illinois, a decade after Louisiana's success. For those who naively believe that her success in the backyard of the American Medical Association (AMA) was chance or a "lucky break," that is not at all true. "The Illinois Medical Society and the Illinois Psychiatric Society vigorously and vociferously lobbied against our RxP bill until they realized that we wouldn't stop fighting and until they had already spent $1 million to keep us out of the prescribing community!" The key to long term legislative success is community involvement. Accordingly, we are very pleased that IPA and its state NAMI had each signed on as co-sponsors of their respective annual conferences in 2013 and are already making commitments to do the same for 2014/2015. Perhaps our colleagues in Hawaii and Oregon, where earlier legislative efforts were vetoed, should reengage in this important legislative quest.
This was also the 40th anniversary of the APA Congressional Fellowship program which began with Pam Ebert and continues on today, joined by the APA Executive Branch program. As Norman Anderson noted the program has supported 121 Fellows. "As ambassadors for the field, APA Congressional Fellows consistently represent psychology in the best possible manner – to policymakers, their staff, and the scientists from other fields participating in the AAAS program." This is another proactive initiative that State Associations could emulate at the local level, in conjunction with their academic colleagues. We are confident that APA's Judith Glassgold, Micah Haskell-Hoehl, and Heather Kelly would be pleased to provide guidance for those interested. It would be a worthwhile investment in the profession's future.
Since my retirement from the ever-hectic U.S. Senate staff, I have become increasingly interested in how other colleagues have been adjusting to this new, essentially uncharted role. Not surprisingly, I have found considerable interest across the country. During the convention, Rod Baker, Ruth Paige, and Mike Sullivan discussed their personal journeys before an engaged audience reflecting all ages. Rod has embarked upon a writing career; Ruth is learning not to accept every request for her time – thus spending more with those she really wants to, like family; and Mike continues his volunteer efforts from Peace Corps to Meals on Wheels. "If you are not happy doing what you are doing, there is only one person you have to talk to!" Informal discussions afterwards strongly suggest that physical concerns are becoming increasingly common; economic concerns much less so. As a relatively young healthcare profession, we are increasingly maturing with a number of our individual colleagues actually aging. We would suggest that this would be an excellent topic for our State Associations to address at annual conferences; especially when held in conjunction with other professions and/or interest groups such as NAMI. Aging is an agenda which will ultimately impact every one of us. Aloha,
Pat DeLeon, former APA President – Division 31 – September, 2014
