Candidates for APA President
Of his life, Ragusea states:"My father, Tony, was Italian, as was my mother, Marie, and my 16 aunts and uncles. From all their happy unions came my 22 cousins, and everybody lived on Randall Avenue in the Bronx. This was the world into which I was born, March 26, 1947. I have lived in New York, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida while working as a professional waiter, chef, actor, director, teacher, and, for a quarter century, as a psychologist. Being a father and husband are the most important elements of my existence. I am incredibly proud of my two talented sons and I've loved my wonderful wife for 34 years. But, being a psychologist is the focus of my life."
Education: Stephen A. Ragusea, PsyD, ABPP, received his doctorate from the APA-approved program in clinical psychology at Baylor University.
Practice: Since 1980, Ragusea has worked in a large group practice as a clinical psychologist at the Child, Adult and Family Psychological Center in State College, Pa., and recently in Key West, Fla. He has worked in community mental health centers and state and community hospitals. He was founding CEO and clinical director of a 92-bed private psychiatric hospital.
Research: Since 1995, Ragusea has served as founding chair of Pennsylvania's Practice-Research Network, an effective model uniting practitioners and research psychologists to conduct clinically relevant and scientifically rigorous psychological research. See: Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice (Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 155-167).
Public service: Ragusea was appointed to the Pennsylvania Board of Psychology by Gov. Tom Ridge in 2001.
Teaching: Ragusea has lectured at Penn State University and Harvard Medical School and presented workshops across North America on topics including family therapy, forensic psychology, medical psychology, the need for prison reform and the importance of developing practice-research networks.
Publications: He has published more than 40 articles and book chapters related to professional psychology and serves on the editorial board of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.
Broadcasting: Ragusea has appeared as a psychologist on television and radio shows broadcast throughout the Northeast.
Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA): Ragusea is a fellow of PPA and has served as PPA's president, Clinical Division president, Hospital Practice chair, PennPsyPAC board member, and founding chair of PPA's Practice-Research Network. He has served on numerous PPA task forces and working groups.
American Psychological Association: Ragusea is an APA fellow and served on the Council of Representatives for 6 years where he also functioned as chair of the State and Provincial Caucus. He has also served on numerous APA task forces and working groups, including the Presidential Task Force on Envisioning and Accessing New Professional Roles. See: Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 79-87).
Florida Psychological Association (FPA): Ragusea is a new member of FPA.
Certifications: ABPP Diplomate in Family Psychology, ABPN Diplomate in Neuropsychology, ACFP Certificate in Forensic Psychology, American Red Cross Certificate in Disaster Mental Health Services.
Honors: PPA Award for Distinguished Service to Psychology.
APA Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award for Advocacy.
Ragusea's candidate statement
This is the third time I have been nominated for the APA presidency. What an honor! Whenever asked to serve psychology, I feel compelled to do so. As they say, psychology has been very good to me, and I think I owe some paybacks.
Besides, I enjoy reminding people that psychology is changing human existence. For most of human history, folks didn't think about personal and interpersonal issues in psychological terms, as we do today. Psychological dysfunction went essentially unaltered throughout the millennia, and that's different now. Things are changing because psychology is making it happen. Psychologists--clinicians and the researchers who guide clinical judgment--are changing the course of human history. This grandiose yet accurate perception is important because psychologists must learn to utilize psychology's power more effectively and more wisely.
We must build upon the strengths of our existing science while expanding into a rapidly arriving future full of social and technological change. Increasing specialization, online therapy and psychopharmacology are just the start of big changes in the air. The psychological impact of genetic engineering and the decision-making process involved in genome manipulation are nearly upon us. National health insurance is coming as certainly as is overpopulation. Psychologists must be ready to meet these challenges.
Psychotherapy is confining. We must broaden our vision and expand the scope of our practice past the narrow view of the consulting room. The front page of any newspaper provides a quick glimpse of the ways in which society needs doctors of behavior. It is our profession's destiny to respond to these pressing human needs.
I want to help psychology move into the future. During this campaign, I will share my ideas about how, if elected president of the American Psychological Association, I hope to lead psychology into a dawning tomorrow.
