Q5: How would your presidency work to move APA toward realizing and sustaining APA Vision Statement 6: “A principal leader and global partner promoting psychological knowledge and methods to facilitate the resolution of personal, societal and global challenges in diverse, multicultural and international contexts”?
No one can do it alone, and partnerships add value to our efforts. For example, we can grow our partnership with the World Health Organization by improving and adapting its ICD clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines for use in the United States. No diagnosis is perfect. However, strengthening our relationship with the WHO could offer psychology more influence on the way psychological difficulties are conceptualized in the future. Expanding our partnership by adapting and publishing an online, free, psychologically supported diagnostic system would benefit the public. It would also give the public a viable alternative to psychiatry's DSM-5. Visit Finnerty's website.
Q6: In light of the impending changes in the governance structure of APA, how do you envision your role as president?
We've grown distracted from the public's interest in our psychological services by coveting prescription privileges. APA has grown distracted by issuing policies that don't reflect good science. For example, APA's council suggested an APA-accredited internship should be required for licensure. My role will be seeking additional changes with a more focused approach. For example, I'll press APA to allow the APA Practice Organization to have a separate board that's elected by APAPO members only. I'll press APA to allow practitioners to join only APAPO without joining APA. This would allow each separate organization to focus on its separate mission.