From the Practice Directorate
Louisiana Governor Signs Prescriptive Authority Law
Psychology advocates cheered the news as Louisiana became the second state to enact a prescriptive authority (RxP) law for qualified psychologists. On May 6, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) signed Louisiana House Bill (HB) 1426 that passed both chambers in April.
The bill was originally introduced by the governor’s chosen legislative leaders: Speaker of the House Joe Salter and President of the Senate Donald Hines, MD, a family physician. Theirs was the first bill this legislative session to reach the new governor for action.
“We’re very pleased with the outcome that psychology achieved in Louisiana,” said APA Executive Director for Professional Practice Russ Newman, PhD, JD, who noted that HB 1426 also had strong backing from the large consumer group, Louisiana Families for Access to Comprehensive Treatment.
James Quillin, PhD, MP, president of the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists, described gaining the new law as “a victory for the people of Louisiana.” Cathy Castille, PhD, president of the Louisiana Psychological Association said, “This law will improve access to care and coordination of care for people needing mental health services.”
The Louisiana law requires that only psychologists who have completed a post-doctoral masters degree in clinical psychopharmacology from a regionally accredited institution and have passed a national examination approved by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists can prescribe. Further, the prescribing psychologist, termed by the law as a “medical psychologist,” is required to work collaboratively with the patient’s physician. HB 1426 limits prescriptive authority to medications for nervous and mental health disorders only.
In signing the bill, Gov. Blanco issued a statement noting several reasons for her decision to approve it. She flagged the shortage of mental health care providers in the state and said she hoped HB 1426 encourages psychologists to extend care to underserved populations. The governor remarked that many physicians currently work in consultation with ‘medical psychologists’ and “(these physicians) tell me they are comfortable prescribing in consultation with medical psychologists.”
Governor Blanco also noted the bill’s “very tight controls” and indicated that she had promises from the bill’s sponsors that they would move quickly on legislation needed to address any unintended problems resulting from the law.
Psychiatry led efforts to mount intense opposition in the days preceding the governor's ultimate decision.
Steady Progress on RxP
The Louisiana law builds on the March 2002 victory in New Mexico when then-Governor Gary Johnson signed a bill granting prescriptive authority to psychologists who meet certain educational and training requirements.
Recent years have witnessed increasing state-level support and activity related to prescriptive authority legislation for psychologists. In 1996, such legislation was introduced in three states. By 2003, the number tripled to nine states. Six state legislatures held committee hearings last year on prescriptive authority bills for psychologists, the largest number thus far in one year.
Meanwhile, thirty two (32) state psychological associations have established task forces to pursue prescriptive authority - 20 more states than in 1996. To date, a total of 19 states and territories have introduced RxP legislation.
Some proponents observe such progress in the context of professional psychology’s development. “Prescriptive authority for psychologists is an important evolution in the growth of our profession,” said Newman.
APA To Co-Sponsor Conference on Children and the Law—June 3–5, 2004
The APA is finalizing the program and arrangements for an interdisciplinary continuing education conference on June 3-5, 2004 in Washington, D.C. addressing important child welfare, family law, and juvenile justice issues. APA is joining with the American Bar Association to co-sponsor the APA/ABA National Conference on Children and the Law: Lawyers and Psychologists Working Together.
The conference is designed to promote: (1) a better understanding of psychology for lawyers and of law for psychologists, (2) an increase in psychologists’ skills related to the practice of law and legal settings and their understanding of legal standards, and (3) provision of current information about psychological practice and science for lawyers, judges, child advocates and other professionals.
This collaboration represents the third APA/ABA co-sponsored National Conference since APA’s establishment of a task force, in 1995, to facilitate a relationship with ABA and collaborate on issues and concerns affecting psychology and law. The ABA Center on Children and the Law has presented a biennial event addressing child welfare issues for 25 years. However, due to our successful APA/ABA collaborations in recent years, this conference marks the first time that the ABA has joined with an outside organization to present a national, interdisciplinary program on this subject. We are particularly pleased that APA has this opportunity to demonstrate the important roles that psychologists play in contributing psychological knowledge to the advocacy, service delivery, public policy, and legal and judicial issues affecting children, youth, and families.
Three pre-conference full-day training sessions will be offered on Thursday, June 3. One session will address how legal and mental health professionals can better ensure the well-being of children and adolescents in foster care. The second session will examine the role of psychology in child custody cases in family court. The third pre-conference will focus on improving the legal system's response to maltreated infants and toddlers - a session held in collaboration with Zero to Three, a national nonprofit organization that promotes healthy infant and toddler development. Nearly 60 conference workshop sessions will follow on Friday and Saturday, June 4-5 addressing a range issues associated with children and families involvement in legal processes; child abuse/neglect cases; family law/domestic relations; adolescent health and welfare; juvenile justice; and a variety of additional "cross-cutting" issues that would be of interest and relevance to those with interests in protecting the interests of children, youth, families and others with whom they work.
