Candidates for APA President
What have you done and what would you do as president to demonstrate your support for scientific psychology?
Scientific contributions:
- Served on grant evaluation panels.
- Lobbied actively for increased science funding.
- Consulted with government agency on improving grant-evaluation system.
- Taught psychological science to thousands of students.
Proposals:
- Seek to strengthen the Science Directorate and role of science in APA.
- Strengthen links with other science organizations.
- Lobby for increased government and foundation funding for both basic and applied research in scientific psychology.
- Promote scientific psychology within college and university settings.
- Increase use of psychological science in public policy decision-making.
- Increase responsible media coverage of psychological science.
I direct a center at Yale University responsible for science, education and practice.
What professional issues, e.g. managed care, prescription privileges, master's training, internship requirements, will you emphasize during your term?
- Managed care. Psychologists rendering treatment are in the best position to decide what kind and duration of care are needed.
- Parity. Parity is needed of insurance payments for treatment of mental and physical disorders.
- Stigma. Taking responsibility for seeking treatment should be rewarded, not stigmatized.
- Jobs. We must expand the job market for all psychologists.
- Master's level practitioners. Psychotherapy is best performed by individuals with doctoral-level credentials.
- Prescription privileges for psychologists. With proper and extensive postdoctoral training, psychologists should have prescription privileges.
