This month’s questions focus on increasing APA membership and the association’s role in the public discourse of political, legal and social issues:
Q3: How do you envision increasing and enhancing the vitality of the association’s membership?
APA is sick. This sickness threatens APA's vitality. APA has been bleeding members since even before I first ran for president in 2012. Why is APA sick? A large percentage of early and mid-career psychologists are survivors of the internship crisis; a large percentage survived the crisis through internships that weren't APA-accredited. To soothe its sickness, APA must end the infection spread by its lack of support for the survivors of the internship crisis, including psychologists who didn't have APA-accredited internships. One reason APA hasn't won over the next generation of psychologists is the public discourse of some APA leaders.
Q4: What role should APA undertake in the public discourse of political, legal and social issues?
In their public discourse, APA leaders shouldn't regurgitate the talking points that APA-accredited internships are required for quality and protect the public. It clearly harms the public by reducing access to competent psychologists. Requiring APA-accredited internships isn't empirically supported and potentially discriminates against older applicants. The marketplace doesn't require APA-accredited internships; it accepts master's-level therapists and nurse prescribers. No politician will support laws requiring APA-accredited internships unless misguided psychological associations ask them to. APA's public discourse should be supportive of all psychologists, not just psychologists who had APA-accredited internships. If not, APA will continue to bleed-out members. Visit www.toddfinnerty.com.