Candidates for APA President
What role should APA play in enhancing teaching and learning of students at all levels, as well as mechanisms by which APA can improve the overall quality of education in psychology at all levels?
APA has position power; people power; purse power.
Position: Society listens when APA speaks. When APA developed the National Standards for High School Psychology, teachers were provided with defensible support for what students should know. Developing competencies at all levels, including the doctorate, is the right thing.
People: The standards above were developed by members from the science and education communities. We need to include the practice community because practice informs science and education.
Purse: Strategic use of resources to define competencies and a knowledge-base insures a psychologist pipeline, competent professionals and an educated populace.
What steps should APA take to increase the portability of licenses from state to state?
Promote efforts that allow earlier and simpler entry to practice for students/early-career professionals and continued mobility throughout the professional life span.
1.) Assist state advocacy efforts needed to implement licensure eligibility immediately after the doctorate across the country. 2.) Continue work on education and training competencies. 3.) Support necessary changes in the current reciprocity/mobility efforts by ASPPB, the National Register and ABPP as licensing laws change. 4.) Provide scientific data to support the practicality and rationality of license portability.
Provide leadership around licensure, jurisdiction, confidentiality and other practice issues as telehealth evolves and as mobility increases both nationally and internationally.
