Feature
APA's Practice Directorate has planned a variety of convention sessions to help inform practitioners of important issues, developments and activities affecting professional psychology. This year's sessions include:
The Practice Directorate Town Hall meeting and breakfast, where the directorate will debut an Internet-based resource that will over time provide practitioners with information and tools they need to manage their practices. This new Web-based gateway, or "portal," will help practitioners keep up-to-date on issues, comply with current and emerging regulations, and connect with others in the profession.
"The new CPT health and behavior codes: implementation and reimbursement," which will cover reimbursement for and the appropriate use of six new CPT behavioral and health assessment and intervention services codes that took effect in January. These codes apply to behavioral, social and psychophysiological procedures for the prevention, treatment or management of physical health problems.
"Psychology and America's changing demographics," which will explore changing demographics in the United States and implications for health-services delivery, education and research. The session will include an analysis of population dynamics and implications for psychology.
"Anticipating prescriptive authority: learning from other professions' mistakes," which will review available data from other health professions on the risks associated with prescriptive authority and will propose preventive measures that can minimize the risk as psychologists engage in prescribing.
"Terrorism and its aftermath: implications for practitioners and their clients," which will describe data from the October 2001 PracticeNet survey focusing on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and any follow-up data that are available. Participants will also discuss implications of these data for psychological practice. A reception will follow immediately afterward for PracticeNet participants.
"Responding to disaster: insights from APA's Disaster Response Network advisory committee," which will offer talks on what it's like to work as a disaster mental health volunteer, mobilizing psychologists following disaster; disaster preparation; comparing disaster response in New York and Washington following Sept. 11; lessons from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics; and mental health response away from ground zero.
"The Ninth Annual Institute for Psychology in the Schools" (pre-convention, Wednesday, Aug. 21), which will address increasing opportunities in and around schools for doctoral school psychologists and for doctoral psychologists who aren't from school psychology training programs. This year's institute will have particular interest to members from all of APA's practice divisions.
"Creative thinking about practice opportunities: preparing for your career," a joint program of the Practice Directorate and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students, which will focus on getting graduate students, new practitioners and seasoned practitioners to think creatively about their practice options using an interactive role-play that engages the entire audience.
