The five candidates for APA’s 2017 president answer two questions of concern to psychology in the June, July/August and September issues of the Monitor. This month’s questions are:
Q5: What actions would you take to enhance the future of psychology in an era of increasing interdisciplinary education, research and practice?
I'll confront a myth: We don't have an oversupply of psychologists. Sometimes people say this to derisively snipe at professional schools or because they're out of touch with the trenches. Our country has immense unmet behavioral health needs. There are long waitlists for treatment. This year, the VA put psychologists on their list of top five occupations with the largest staffing shortages. Despite VA psychologists having good benefits and being paid more than astronauts, the VA is now reporting a psychologist shortage. We have an internship crisis, but demand for predoctoral interns isn't the same thing as demand for psychologists.
Q6: How would your presidency work to expand international perspectives within APA and facilitate the internationalization of psychology in education, research, practice and policy?
I'll respect all psychologists. APA's flawed internship policies essentially call psychologists outside the United States and Canada incompetent. Did our international colleagues have an APA or CPA accredited internship? No, APA and CPA only accredit internships in the United States and Canada. These flawed APA policies aren't respectful and don't facilitate international perspectives in psychology. Psychology and psychologists don't just exist in the United States and Canada. It's absurd to suggest that all the psychologists around the world could only be competent if they trained in the United States or Canada. We should be more respectful of our international colleagues.