Candidates for APA President
Kathleen M. McNamara (BA, Seton Hill, 1971; MS, 1974 and PhD 1977, Ohio University; ABPP Clinical) is staff psychologist, Honolulu Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Maui primary-care clinic, and is in private practice, providing services to the underserved areas of Hawaii. In these professional settings she enjoys the opportunity to practice, train and do research with the rich cultural mix of the Islands, and to do so within rural areas similar to her native Pennsylvania.
She began her career with a pediatric medical center, but soon accepted a position among the charter faculty of the School of Professional Psychology, Wright State University (WSU; 197989), where she also served as director of internship training. She specialized in teaching and practice in neuropsychology, incorporating practicum and internship trainees into the faculty's independent practice plan. Teaching and seeing patients with family practice residents, and at the state hospital and forensic facilities also occupied her time, as did co-producing a video training program to proactively address sexual harassment.
She left WSU to become director of psychology training at the Honolulu VA (1989-present). Her professional activities reflect the flexibility and range of skills typical for many psychologists: assistant chief for psychology and director of training, direct clinical care with the Day Hospital, establishing neuropsychological services at the medical center while solidifying general psychological services at neighbor island clinics, developing and obtaining funding for postdoctoral positions and a rural health internship rotation, and securing a full-time psychologist position at a CBOC. Her latest project is a telehealth application through a joint research project with the Army Medical Center, providing neuropsychological services in rural areas via this technology.
McNamara has been actively involved in professional issues at the state and national levels since graduate school, holding numerous leadership and governance positions. Among these have been election to the Council of Represen- tatives from Ohio and Div. 42 (Independent Practice), the APA Board of Directors, and president of the Ohio Psychological Association and Div. 31 (State Psychological Association Affairs). Other board or committee positions held spanning almost all directorates include: chair, Board of Educational Affairs and for the Committee on Psychology and AIDS, and member on: Steering Committee for the Conference on Postdoctoral Education and Training, Commission on Education and Training Leading to Licensure, Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice, Board of Governors of the College of Professional Psychology, and presently the Committee on Rural Health. She has been an associate editor for Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and on two editor search committees.
During her tenure, APA has considered many important issues, and she has been an active participant in these deliberations: affirmatively addressing diversity among our members, governance and the general public; increasing public awareness about who we are and our research, training and practice; education and training models, availability of internships, readiness for licensure, quality of continuing education; public sector psychologists and their constituents, stigma and patients' rights, managed care, prescription privileges, and adapting to new and emerging practice areas.
McNamara's candidate statement
These are challenging and exciting times for psychology and APA. Looking at the changes in the world around us, we continually realize the potential of our discipline and our profession to truly make a difference. The responsibility of those in the APA governance to steer a steady course, while not stifling creativity nor failing to advance our science and our practice, cannot be minimized. We must take quite seriously our responsibility to be not only a part of the world around us, but a leader among leaders--looking outside ourselves more often than within.
We have a tremendous opportunity during this Decade of Behavior to set an agenda that can so positively impact the awareness of the general public and public policy-makers about psychology that its ramifications will last for decades.
We have a tremendous opportunity to lead the way in the development and application of technology to education--K-12 basics, workforce preparation and professional education relevant to an expanding world; to practice--improving health and the quality of life, access to care and accountability; to basic and applied research--improving quality control, access to relevant, necessary databases, and integration of information within and across disciplines; and, which appropriately addresses public interest, issues such as the diversity of our cultures and the strength garnered through individual differences.
We have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference for those who receive our clinical services--empowering our providers in public and private sectors, and guaranteeing the rights of our patients to access and control over a scope of care fully within our purview as psychologists.
As your president, I will stand ready to set that agenda, lead the way into the future, and make a difference here and now!
