Ronald E. Fox, PhD
Former
APA President
Chair, Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP)
Graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in clinical, counseling, school
and other applied areas of psychology that require licensure for practice,
should be aware of the priorities and activities of APA’s Committee for the
Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP). CAPP works closely with the APA
Practice Directorate to recommend and implement procedures for the protection,
defense, and enhancement of the professional practice of psychology. CAPP has
partnered with APAGS throughout the years to ensure that graduate students are
aware of the critical and evolving issues practicing psychologists encounter. An
APAGS representative attends our committee meetings and has participated in
relevant discussions about CAPP initiatives and priorities.
At its recent fall retreat meeting, CAPP reviewed and revised its priorities
for the new millennium. This is a very important activity for CAPP because the
legitimate demands on resources far exceed the supply for the foreseeable
future. Difficult choices are required. Although CAPP members have not yet
signed off on the final wording and "tweaking" of the priorities, I
believe they are sufficiently complete to warrant sharing with those of you who
will eventually engage in professional practice activities.
The priority list does not explicitly mention such overarching issues as
managed care and protecting the profession because such issues are deeply
imbedded in virtually everything that CAPP does. Although their relative
importance will change periodically, the first four priorities clearly are the
most important and will drive our efforts for the next few years.
Priority 1: Maintaining and Pursuing a Strong Advocacy Agenda
A comprehensive, integrated advocacy program includes legislative, regulatory
and judicial elements at both state and federal levels. Specific goals for the
immediate future are:
A. Passing prescriptive authority enabling legislation in at least one
state as soon as possible.
B. Mounting strategically selected lawsuits to challenge harmful managed care
practices.
C. Preserving the doctoral standard for independent psychological practice.
Accomplishing these goals will require closer working ties with elected
officials. In addition, through our new companion 501c(6) organization, the APA
Practice Organization, we’ll be educating practitioner members about the
importance of monetary support for political allies as well as the survival
value of collective advocacy and action.
Priority 2: Generating Additional Resources for Practitioners and the
Profession
Significant additional resources will be needed in the near-term future.
Members must provide more support to the professional organizations which
champion their cause. At the same time, the organizations must find ways to help
members prosper. The fates of our members and our professional organizations are
inextricably linked.
Practitioner incomes need to be protected from further erosion, precisely one
of the tasks of our new c(6) organization. New business opportunities must be
opened. CAPP intends to offer additional useful products and services that
attract and retain practitioner members. The committee will seek ways of using
the state grants program to help generate additional resources for state
psychological associations and their members. Such methods as discounted dues to
increase membership will be explored. At the same time, CAPP is continuing to
develop a major membership fund-raising effort.
A final but critical additional resource identified is better funding for the
APA staff members who implement our policies. APA’s competitiveness as an
employer is in serious jeopardy – a situation which can no longer be ignored.
Priority 3: Re-Branding Psychology as a Major Helping Profession
The psychological profession needs to be positioned in the public psyche as a
major helping profession that deals with important social issues of our time.
Public education is required to enhance understanding of the profession and what
it has to offer.
At the same time, APA must reclaim disaffected and demoralized practitioners
by offering more relevant services for them and by showing them that we are
building a better public image of psychology as a major helping profession.
Priority 4: Expanding the Application of Psychology
Two promising ways to expand the applications of psychology in the health
care arena include increased opportunities for collaboration with primary care
providers and broader participation in health care interventions in general. We
must continue cooperative efforts with the World Health Organization to create a
function-based classification system for social and behavioral interventions
that is not illness-driven. A series of newly approved "health and behavior
assessment and intervention" CPT codes will be implemented in 2002.
Together, these developments are ripe for exploitation in opening new
opportunities for practitioners.
The effect of new technology on emerging opportunities for practice will be
closely monitored and developed as appropriate. As such new opportunities
emerge, CAPP will assume responsibility for ensuring that accessible training
for practitioners is available so that they can take advantage of them at
minimal cost and disruption.
Priority 5: Building a Professional Network of Key Alliances and Connections
Psychology cannot realize its full potential in isolation. Cooperative
efforts, joint ventures and collaboration with other helping professions,
community groups, service organizations, consumers, the media, and elected
officials will be necessary.
The profession needs to redouble efforts to build critical collaborative
relationships.
Priority 6: Integrating the Practice Community
In order to reach our potential, we must achieve greater unity in the
practice community. Practitioners must come together around common issues and
concerns. Increased linkages between CAPP and the practice divisions must be
forged. Collaborative relationships with state associations must be enhanced.
And we must use the new companion APA Practice Organization along with existing
mechanisms available through APA to better connect practitioners with each other
and with APA through the Internet and other appropriate means.
In summary, our goals are straightforward. They can be accomplished. They are
doable. They will drive our actions in the coming months. We invite you to join
us.
This article first appeared in the Winter 2001 Edition of the APAGS
Newsletter, Vol. 13(1)
