2007 Annual Reports for Boards and Committees

Committee on Rural Health

CRH worked on developing its Rural Health Coordinator Network. The network currently consists of about forty state, provincial, and territorial representatives who work on mental health care access issues for rural populations and promote the practice of rural psychology through working with primary care and state mental health organizations, legislative advocacy, and media relations.

The committee is in the process of organizing this group so that it can spread the word about the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program for licensed psychologists. The committee is focusing its attention on getting Rural Health Coordinators involved with the NHSC Ambassador Program, which provides training and support for practitioners and educators who are interested in filling vacancies in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) that participate in the NHSC Loan Repayment Program. By involving the Rural Health Coordinator Network in the Ambassador Program, CRH seeks to insure that vacancies for mental health professionals are filled by licensed psychologists.  

In addition to these projects, the committee has continued to monitor several APA and APAPO initiatives, particularly prescriptive authority, telehealth, and the Education Directorate’s work with Primary Care Associations.

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