REFLECTIONS -- THERE IS ONLY ONE THING WE CAN BE SURE OF
Having been involved within the APA governance for over four decades, I deeply appreciate how rewarding it can be. One meets fascinating colleagues, develops lifelong friendships, and, in retrospect, has the ability to make a real difference in the lives of our nation’s citizens. Susan McDaniel served as our 2016 President. “Being APA President was a great honor and opportunity to showcase all that psychology has to offer – its many contributions to science, clinical and applied service, education and training, and significant policy work. Serving during the time of the Independent Review was an important and challenging experience, beyond any other I had in crisis leadership. I am proud of our response to this challenge, including the 19 focused areas initiated by the association during this time.
“Keeping a focus on the mission of APA, I was fortunate to interact with so many interesting people working to apply psychological science in innovative ways that improve the human condition. I represented APA and spoke at international meetings in places such as India, Australia, Japan, Egypt, Spain, and England. (I was attending the Caribbean Psychological Association meetings in Haiti during the U.S. Presidential election.) With each visit, I was moved by the respect that psychologists in other countries have for APA and American psychology. The personal connections were both informative and enlightening. The trips to various parts of our country were as stimulating, being witness to wonderful work on virtually each visit. Students and early career psychologists stand out as I reflect on so much about the year that was impressive. I give special credit to the diverse group of Early Career Psychologists, led by Lindsey Buckman and Le Ondra Clark Harvey, who mentored me on monthly phone calls throughout my Presidency.
“As President, I especially wanted to help with APA’s integrated care agenda. Highlights in that regard include: being the first President of APA to speak at the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry meeting, the Integrated Primary Care Alliance meeting of 83 people held at APA for the leadership of 28 primary care associations, working with the Board of Scientific Affairs to initiate the APA Interdisciplinary Team Science Award, and co-editing with team researcher and APA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Eduardo Salas the upcoming Special Issue of the American Psychologist on the Science of Teams. With regards to policy, healthcare reform was a very hot topic in 2016, and I was able to work with our talented Government Relations group to advocate for the many needed changes as well as our role in integrated care. The mental health reform bill that passed, after 10 years of no helpful legislation, was an important step forward. Overall, it was a rich experience, and I appreciate the opportunity I had to represent psychology and our membership.”
2017 President Antonio Puente: “During my almost 20 visits to Congress last year, I became aware of not only the importance for APA advocating on a number of fronts but also of the numerous limitations that we were experiencing. Whether it was the inclusion of psychologists in Medicare’s definition of ‘physician,’ avoiding the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or immigration reform (including DACA), it became increasingly evident that the approach we had historically pursued in advocating for psychology and psychologists was no longer sustainable. The APA Practice Organization was running out of funds; the science, public interest and education directorates had significant limitations on what or how much could be done. Together with the changing and complicated political climate in Washington came the realization that a new model had to evolve for APA to serve psychology through its non-profit status (c3) and psychologists through an alternative paradigm with a new and amplified vision. In doing so, the Board of Directors and Council of Representatives in partnership with APA’s Executive Management Group began moving forward on what is being called APA’s Institute of Psychology. A new presidential workshop has been established by Jessica Henderson Daniel and is being guided by myself and Jennifer Kelly. Our goal is to develop a plan for Council to consider at its August meeting as to how to make the Institute of Psychology meet today’s challenge in serving APA’s advocacy demands.”
Board of Directors member Jennifer Kelly: “In describing my service on the APA Board of Directors, what stands out the most is the importance of the decisions made; the impact of the policy decisions on the profession of psychology as well as the world, whether it relates to health care reform or mental disability and the death penalty. What I have also grown to appreciate is that all aspects of APA (Science, Public Interest, Education, and Practice), which may appear to insiders as silos, really do work together to shape the organization and profession. We are an interdependent organization and profession. Yes, there have been challenges along the way, with far reaching implication for the profession. In dealing with the challenges, I made an attempt to evaluate relevant aspects of the situation and considered the unintended consequences. Not all have been pleased with the decisions made by the Board, but I can truthfully say that I made the best decision given the information provided. For that, I can feel good about and proud. Perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of serving on the Board is that I had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of dedicated psychologists; dedicated not just to psychology, but to making a difference in the world. I will forever value the relationships formed as a result of my service on the Board. So, in completing my tenure of service on the APA Board of Directors, I can leave with a feeling of accomplishment, knowing that I made a difference in APA and the psychology community. I will continue to use the experiences and lessons learned in further development of my goals and career.”
Katherine Nordal: Over the years, the APAPO Practice Leadership conference has been one of the highlights of my professional year. This year’s 35th annual conference, Advancing Practice Together, was Katherine Nordal’s final hurrah. She has truly made a difference for psychology and for our nation – pointing out that we do save real lives. The 350 attendees were highly demonstrative in their appreciation for her efforts over the decades, beginning as an APA Congressional Fellow. And, once again, Dan Abrahamson was most generous in reaching out to the leadership of our next generation by inviting graduate students from the Uniformed Services University (USU) to participate; those being trained to serve their colleagues who often place themselves in “Harm’s Way.”
“The APAPO Practice Leadership Conference is a great opportunity to observe and participate in the inner workings of organized advocacy in Psychology. This year the theme was Advancing Practice Together and sessions were focused on building alliances between psychologists, other health care professionals, and elected officials. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Senator John Stinner, Sr. (R-NE) were both honored for their work that has benefitted mental health care policy.
“I attended a session on APA’s initiatives to address the national opioid epidemic, which, keenly pointed out by one of the speakers, is a uniquely American phenomenon. I learned about APA’s strategies to increase access to mental health care, one of which included developing legislation to enable specially trained psychologists to prescribe medications. The audience raised opportunities to respond to the opioid epidemic such as improving access to psychological treatment in workers’ compensation, which has been shown to improve patient and financial outcomes. A Colorado bill passed in 1992 that required the use of a biopsychosocial approach to treatment in workers’ compensation claims reduced patient disability rates and program costs over a 15-year study.
“Effective pain management was identified as another opportunity for psychologists to contribute to improving the nation’s health. A psychologist who specializes in substance use disorders noted that some of our nation’s many opioid related overdose deaths could be ruled as suicides, a fact often overlooked in presentations of public health statistics. This concern highlighted the key role psychologists can play in alleviating suffering using treatment beyond a prescription. Another specific role for psychologists outlined in the discussion involved adding continuing education on substance use disorder treatment to state licensing board requirements for medical professionals. Psychologists’ skillsets in policy, research, practice, and education make us especially qualified to respond to the opioid epidemic that continues to ravage communities all over the country” (Joanna Sells, USU graduate student). “And that is the love that we have – for our children, for our families, for each other” (Sandy Hook - President Obama, 2012). Aloha,
Pat DeLeon, former APA President – Division 42 – May, 2018
