Date: March 6, 2005
Contact: Peter Wilson
202-336-5910

Speaker of the House Joe R. Salter Honored by Psychologists for his Leadership on Mental Health Issues

Washington, DC – The American Psychological Association (APA) today presented Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Joe R. Salter (D) its 2005 State Legislator of the Year for his leadership in granting psychologists in his state the right to prescribe certain medications for the treatment of mental health disorders. With the passage of H.B. 1426, Louisiana became the second state to pass a law allowing appropriately trained psychologists to prescribe.

“Giving prescriptive authority to psychologists puts Louisiana at the forefront of ensuring that good mental health care is available to those who need it,” Speaker Salter said at the awards luncheon held during APA’s annual State Leadership Conference.

Speaker Salter has supported prescriptive authority for psychologists since legislation was first introduced in 1997. In 2004 he and State Senate President Senate Donald E. Hines, M.D. (D) introduced the bill that was subsequently passed. During the legislative process Speaker Salter personally appeared before the House Welfare Committee to press the need for prescriptive authority, and led House passage of of H.B. 1426 by 62-31. Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) signed the legislation into law on May 6, 2004.

Speaker Salter is an 18 year veteran of the Louisiana legislature. A professional educator and teacher, he has been committed to improving education, health care, and economic development for rural parishes in Louisiana.

"The American Psychological Association thanks Speaker Salter for his leadership in enacting a law allowing prescription privileges for appropriately trained psychologists," says Russ Newman, Ph.D., J.D., executive director for professional practice, American Psychological Association. “This law will help improve access to badly needed care, with current waiting times to see a psychiatrist in Louisiana reported to be as much as six months.”

APA’s State Legislator of the Year Award is given annually to a state legislator who has prominently championed the goals of professional psychology.

The American Psychological Association (APA), located in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world’s largest association of psychologists. APA’s membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 55 subfields of psychology and its affiliations with 58 state, territorial, and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting health, education and welfare.