Spring 2015 - South Carolina Psychological Association

Spring 2015
FEEDBACK
South Carolina Psychological Association
Inside This Issue:
President’s Column
Page 2
Spring Convention
Overview
Page 4
Council Focuses on
Advancing the Field
Page 5
Alice’s 50th Anniversary
Tour
Page 7
Sickle Cell Disease: How it
Hurts and How Psychology
Can Help
Page 9
Photo courtesy of www.springisland.com
What Has SCPA Done For
Me Lately?
Page 11
Celebrating New Growth…
South Carolina Psychological Association ŸPO Box 1448 ŸCedar Park, TX 78630
Phone: 512.788.0207 Ÿ Fax: 800.784.9034 Ÿ www.scpsychology.com
Feedback Editor: Maxine Barker, PhD Ÿemail: [email protected]
Spring 2015
FEEDBACK
South Carolina Psychological Association
Summer 2012
President’s Column
Shirley Vickery, PhD
Hello all! Spring is coming. Great!! Your SCPA Executive Board has had a busy opening to 2015 and we are gearing up for a very good year. The Board welcomes several new faces to SCPA leadership, and these members have been getting u p to speed quickly. Let me take a few minutes to introduce our new members to you. Dr. Robert Nelson, President-­‐Elect, is from Greenville and joins the Board for the first time. His role is a very important one, and he is working quickly to be ready to plan next year’s conference. Dr. Nelson is a Clinical Psychologist who works in several different roles, including Clinical Director of LifeSource, Inc., and staff psychologist for the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division -­‐ Behavioral Sciences Unit. LifeSource is a SCPA sponsor and supporter, and we are very appreciative of their plans to sponsor the luncheon at Spring Conference. Dr. Ashley Bryant Noojin, Treasurer, also joins the Board for the first time and fortunately is heir to a very positive b udget situation. Dr. Bryant Noojin is a Clinical Psychologist and Certified Brain Injury Specialist from Columbia who recently joined Lake Psychological Services. Thank you, Ashley, for being willing to learn all about SCPA finances! Dr. Deborah Leporowski, a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Greenville, joined the Board at the beginning of 2015 as Member-­‐at-­‐Large but has had to resign her post because of another honor she received, that being an appointment to the Board of Examiners in Psychology. The Board accepted Dr. Leporowski’s resignation, as filling both roles would create a conflict of interest for her. At the same time we accepted Dr. Leporowski’’s resignation, we appointed Dr. Leslie Bessellieu, of Columbia, to the Board for the remainder of the term. Congratulations Deborah as you begin another type of service to our state. The Board is thrilled to welcome Dr. Bessellieu, who is n o stranger to SCPA leadership. Dr. Bessellieu is a Clinical Psychologist and Business and Career Coach with Transformations Consulting & Leadership Development. She is also Chair of the Psychologically Healthy Workshop Committee and has been working recently to obtain n ominees for that award. Thank you, Leslie, for being willing to volunteer your time on the Board! 2
Spring 2015
In addition to these new members, several returning members continue to serve: Drs. Jeannine Monnier, Past President and Clinical Psychologist in private p ractice in Charleston; Cindy Carter, Secretary and Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Charleston; Jonathan Bassett, Academic Division Representative and Professor of Psychology at Lander University in Greenwood; Brooke Dean, Member-­‐at-­‐Large and Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Beaufort and Bluffton; and Cabe Loring, SCPA Representative to the APA Council of Representatives and Clinical Psychologist in p rivate practice in Spartanburg. A big “thank you” to each of these members, who have willingly attended multiple evening meetings and contributed their time and energy to keep our association afloat. The Board has committed to meeting monthly this year, in an effort to move forward with a number of initiatives and to better serve our needs. I trust all our members will get a chance to meet each of the Board members and to talk with them about their service on the Board. In Autumn when we look for new nominees to our Executive Board, I am h opeful that many others of us will be willing to nominate ourselves for the Board. In a small state such as ours, it truly takes us all to keep our association working efficiently and soundly. Learn more about Board service, meet your Board members, and get all of your Continuing Education requirements…. … See you at the SCPA 2015 Spring Conference in Myrtle Beach! Join SCPA for our 2015 Spring Convention
April 10-11, 2015
Please make plans to join us for this year’s
annual convention at the Hilton Myrtle
Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina!
The convention theme this year will be,
“South Carolina Psychologists: Removing
Barriers- Building Potential”. We hope to
see you there!
For More Information and to Register,
Visit:
http://www.scpsychology.com
3
Spring 2015
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2015%SCPA%Convention%Overview%
!
Friday,%April%10,%2015%
Registration%Open=%All%Day%%
Exhibitors%–%Foyer=%All%Day%%
!
9:00!a.m.!!–!12:00!p.m.!!!!!!!!Advances%in%Nature,%Diagnosis,%and%Management%of%ADHD%%
!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Presenter:!Russell!A.!Barkley,!PhD!–!Ballroom!Center/West!!
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%%%%%%%%!
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!
1:30!p.m.!!–!5:00!p.m.!!!!!!!!!!State%of%the%Art%Management%of%Combined%Treatment%of%ADHD!
!%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Presenter:!!Bradley!H.!Smith,!PhD!–!Ballroom!Center/!West!!
!
!
1:30!p.m.!!–!3:00!p.m.!%%%%%%%%%The%Need%for%a%Professional%Will%%
!%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Presenter:!!Rhea!Merck,!PhD–!Ballroom!West!A!!!!
%
1:30!p.m.!!–!3:00!p.m.!!!!!!!!!!Research%Papers%
!%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Presenter(s):!!Jonathan!Bassett,!PhD,!Robert!Castleberry,!PhD,!and!Kate!Holland,!PhD!!!M!Ballroom!West!B/C!
!
3:00!p.m.!–!4:00!p.m.!!!!!!!!!!!Graduate!Student%Presentation:%%Life%with%a%Degree%in%Psychology%
!%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Presenter(s):!!Kathleen!Jocoy,!MA!!&%Kendall!Moore!–!Ballroom!West!B/C!
%
!
3:00!p.m.!!–!4:00!p.m.!!!!!!!!!!Removing%Barriers%for%Underserved%and%Growing%Populations%While%Expanding%Practice%Options%“Diversifying%
Your%Client%Base%and%Having%More%Than%One%Basket%of%Eggs”%
!%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Presenter:!!Robert!C.!Nelson,!PsyD!–!Ballroom!West!A%
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6:00!p.m.!!–!8:00!p.m.!!!!!!!!!!Student%Poster%Competition/%Cocktail%Party%%–%Ballroom%West%A/%B/C%!
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Saturday,%April%11,%2015%
Registration%Open=%All%Day%%
Exhibitors%–%Foyer=%All%Day%%
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7:00!a.m.!!
!
Yoga%
Presenter:!!Alisa!Liggett!
!
9:00!a.m.!–!10:30!a.m.!!
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Keynote:!!Creating%a%Competent%Community%of%Psychologists%!
Presenter:!!Nadine!J.!Kaslow,!PhD,!2014!APA!President!!M!Ballroom!Center/!West!!
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10:30!a.m.!–!11:30!a.m.!!
!
Identifying%Appropriate%Drug%Use%Among%Psychopharmacologic%Agents%%
Presenter:!!Scott!Bragg,!PharmD,!BCPS!–!Ballroom!Center/West!!
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10:30!a.m.!–!12:00!p.m.!
!
Youthful%Sexual%Offending:%%Developmentally%Immature%or%Sexually%Deviant?!
!Presenter:!!Deborah!Leporowski,!PsyD!–!Ballroom!West!A!!
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11:30!a.m.!–!12:00!p.m.!!
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!
12:00!p.m.!–!1:!30!p.m.!
!
%
SCPA%Business%Meeting%
Shirley!A.!Vickery,!PhD,!SCPA!President!!
Awards%Luncheon%Honoring%Kendra%Ogletree%Cusaac,%PhD!!
Ballroom!Center/West!
%
1:30!p.m.!–!3:00!p.m.!!
A%Conversation%with%Nadine%Kaslow:%%Psychologists%Respond%to%Barriers%and%Identity%Potential%
!
Presenter(s):!!Nadine!J.!Kaslow,!PhD!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Discussants:!!!Dean!Kilpatrick,!PhD!and!Sterling!Watson,!PsyD!M!Ballroom!Center/West!
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3:00!p.m.!–!4:00!p.m.%%
Collaboration%of%Psychology%and%Law%Enforcement%in%Response%to%Planned%School%Massacre:%%A%Case%Study%
Abstract%%%
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Presenter(s):!!Robert!Nelson,!PsyD!and!Captain!Michael!Prodan!–!Ballroom!Center!West%!
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4:00!p.m.!–!5:00!p.m.%%
State%Board%Update/%Legislative%Update%%
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Presenter:!!Michael!Kollar,!EdD!and!Rhea!Merck,!PhDM%Ballroom!Center/West!!%%
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4:00!p.m.!–!5:00!p.m.%%
The%Status%of%School=based%Yoga%in%the%US%%
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Bradley!H.!Smith,!PhD!
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5:!30!p.m.!–!6:30!p.m.%%
Reception%Honoring%Past%Presidents%%
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Ballroom!Center/West!
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4
Spring 2015
Council Focuses on Advancing the Field APA’s Council of Representatives adopts standards for competencies for health-­‐service providers and accreditation of health-­‐service psychology programs. By Rhea K. Farberman, Monitor Executive Editor At its February meeting, the APA Council of Representatives focused much of its action on the training and skills required for psychologists to work in health-­‐delivery settings. In addition, council members discussed translating psychological science into public policy and received a report on the association’s finances. In one of its most far-­‐reaching actions, the council adopted an inter-­‐organizational document that outlines competencies for psychology practice in primary care. The document is the product of a nine-­‐organization work group including APA and three APA divisions, the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers, Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs, and Society for Behavioral Medicine, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the VA Psychology Training Council. The competencies document articulates the knowledge and skills health-­‐service psychologists need to practice in primary-­‐care settings. It will serve as a resource for graduate-­‐level psychology education and training programs, students and current practitioners. (See www.apa.org/ed/resources/competencies-­‐
practices.pdf) In a related action, by a nearly unanimous vote, the council voted to approve the Commission on Accreditation’s new Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology. The new standards will replace the current Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation and will go into effect for all accredited programs on Jan. 1, 2017. The original Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation were adopted in 1995. The new standards reflect changes in the profession since that time. Look for a full report on the new guidelines in the May Monitor. A third action concerning professional practice was the adoption of a new policy document, Professional Practice Guidelines: Guidance for Developers and Users. It replaces two earlier documents on practice guidelines from 2002 and 2005. The new policy document provides updated guidance for creating professional practice guidelines and gives current examples of such guidelines. Translating science into public policy Council devoted a full day of its two-­‐and-­‐a-­‐half-­‐day meeting to a strategic issue discussion focused on the goal of translating psychological science into public policy. The topic was opened by panel presentations by four council members and APA General Counsel Nathalie Gilfoyle. After the presentations, council members participated in one of three break-­‐out discussions, each focused on a central goal: advocacy, educating the public, and translational research. Council also received a report from APA Treasurer Bonnie Markham, PhD, PsyD, and Chief Financial Officer Archie Turner. They reported to the council that the association’s finances are strong despite a small deficit budget this year. Overall, APA is in compliance with all of its debt covenants and continues to benefit from sizable long-­‐term investments. Furthermore, the association’s real estate extra holdings, its headquarters building and a second near by office building, are fully leased and continue to grow in value. 5
Spring 2015
Other Action: In other action, the council: •
Approved a change in the association rules to require boards and committees to have at least one member who is an early career psychologist. Early career psychologists are defined as psychologists within 10 years of earning their doctoral degree. A few boards and committees will be exempted from this rule due to their special requirements for service, such as the Fellows Committee, since members of this group must have attained fellow status, which requires candidates to have 10 years of post-­‐doctorate experience. APA’s boards and committees will have until 2017 to fully comply w ith the new rule. •
Approved plans to implement changes in the association bylaws and rules as per votes taken at the council’s August 2014 meeting. The changes are related to the composition and election of the board of directors and an outgrowth of the Good Governance Project, w hich w as designed to open the board up to direct representation by the general membership. All bylaws changes require a vote of the membership. that vote is expected to take place this fall by mail ballot. •
Approved APA’s endorsement of the 2012 San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, which calls for improvements in the ways that the impact of scientific research is measured. In particular, it recommends against reliance on journal-­‐impact factors as measures of the quality of individuals research articles or of an individual scientists’ contributions. •
Approved a change in the bylaws and association rules to allow one seat on APA’s Board of Educational Affairs (BEA) to be held by an APA High School or Community College Teacher Affiliate member. An amendment to the APA bylaws to implement the change to the BEA composition will be sent to the membership for a vote this fall. Advice for translating science into policy: During the February APA Council of Representatives meeting, council members Kim Gorgens, PhD, Frank Worrell, PhD, Lori Thompson, PhD, and Beth Rom-­‐Rymer, PhD, opened the discussion of how best to support the translation of psychological science into public policy by sharing their experience in working with legislators and other policymakers. APA General Counsel Nathalie Gilfoyle also described the association’s highly successful amicus briefs program. The collective advice shared with the council included: •
•
•
•
•
Speak from the science, don’t roam from the data. Personalize and humanize the issue. Tell the “story” of how a certain policy initiative can help people or solve a problem. Engage all stakeholders. Find allies including reaching beyond psychology. Disseminate your findings in accessible language and formats. Article submitted with permission by Cabe Loring, PhD, SCPA’s member on the APA Council of Representatives. The Council met in February 2015. 6
Spring 2015
Alice’s 50th Anniversary Tour By Pat DeLeon, PhD Pat DeLeon is a former APA President, and a member of Division 31 Having A Timely and Visual Presence: One of the most exciting aspects of being personally involved in the public policy/political process, which definitely would include participating in the APA governance, is having the opportunity to listen to, and spend unforgettable time with visionaries who are truly dedicated to their cause. Psychologists often do not appreciate that they are among our nation’s educated elite and as such, have a special responsibility to provide proactive leadership in addressing society’s most pressing needs. I was particularly fortunate to serve as APA President just prior to Norine Johnson’s term. Norine truly appreciated how the nation would benefit from psychology’s calming presence right after the horrific 9/11 events and with Rhea Farberman’s steady guidance, passionately addressed the concerns of our nation’s children and their families by engaging the media. In the days and weeks following, APA, with Norine as its national spokesperson, was active with the news media to help the American public understand the traumatic effect the attacks would have on some individuals. In the first three days, APA received 166 interview requests. In one lead interview Norine was part of an hour-­‐long CNN special segment. By mid-­‐October, she had done a number of national interviews and over 2,000 APA members had been interviewed on both the 9/11 and the anthrax attacks. At her behest, the Public Communications Office created a public information brochure containing advice on how to deal with trauma, what is normal traumatic response, and how to recover. APA teamed with the Advertising Council and the National Mental Health Association on a public service announcement encouraging parents to talk with their children about the events of 9/11. Norine also understood the fundamental changes gradually occurring within our nation’s health care environment and worked tirelessly to have the APA Council of Representatives, and ultimately the full membership, include “promoting health” in our Association’s bylaws. As President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is now being steadily implemented, Norine’s vision of more than a decade ago is clearly coming to fruition. The Administration’s Budgetary Priorities: The Administration’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget request for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is $3.7 billion, which includes an additional $103 million funding for its top behavioral health priorities – strengthening crisis systems, addressing prescription drug and opioid abuse, expanding the behavioral health workforce, and fostering tribal behavioral health. The Administrator: “The impact of untreated behavioral health conditions on people, communities, and healthcare costs in the United States is staggering. For example, costs for Medicaid enrollees with common chronic conditions and co-­‐
occurring mental and substance use disorders are two to four times higher than average Medicaid enrollees…. (A)ddressing behavioral and physical health issues together can reduce costs and improve overall health.” SAMHSA’s budget emphasizes that addressing mental health and substance abuse is critical to the health of individuals and families. Prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for behavioral health are essential components of health service systems. Behavioral health remains one of America’s most pressing needs, yet it is also one of the most undervalued and least-­‐addressed. The ACA, in conjunction with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, has the potential to create or enhance access to coverage for behavioral health services for 62 million Americans, nearly one-­‐fifth of the nation’s population. The current behavioral healthcare infrastructure and workforce, however, will need additional capacity to absorb the influx of patients who now will have the coverage to seek treatment. Behavioral health can, and should, be addressed as a public health issue by ensuring that the programs and policies focus on these tenets: Behavioral health is essential to health; Prevention works; Treatment works; and People R ecover. 7
Spring 2015
“It has been 50 years since President Kennedy first challenged government to do more for individuals with behavioral health conditions. In recent decades, seeking behavioral health services has become more acceptable and the science that addresses these conditions has advanced…. Many people receive this treatment within the general healthcare system allowing the specialty behavioral health system to focus on the needs of people with the most severe illnesses and/or addictions. However, even with expanded access to treatment, more than half of people with mental illnesses and 90 percent of people with substance use disorders do not get the services they need. The nation can do better.” Norine’s vision of her profession embracing its role within the nation’s evolving health care system was most prophetic. On a recent HRSA national advisory committee conference call it was emphasized that: “Mental health disorders rank in the top five chronic illnesses in the U.S. An estimated 25 percent of U.S. adults currently suffer from mental illness and nearly half of all U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness in their lifetime. In 2007, over 80 percent of individuals seen in the emergency room (ER) had mental disorders diagnosed as mood, anxiety and alcohol related disorders.” We would suggest that integrated care will become the vehicle for psychology’s expansion into the more generic health care environment of the next decade. Being At The Table: Heather O’Beirne Kelly heads up APA’s Military & Veterans Policy (MVP) team, devoted to supporting military personnel and veterans, their families, and their communities, as well as psychologists who conduct research with and provide direct services to these populations. Her priorities for the coming year range from funding for research within the VA and DoD, the provision of high quality mental health care in the Service Member and Veterans communities, and establishment of prescription authority for appropriately trained and certified psychologists in the VA, matching that which DoD has granted for 17 years. Voices For The Future: It is similarly informative to reflect upon the views proffered by those colleagues who have expressed a willingness to run for the APA Presidency, which is actually a very small and select group. Jack Kitaeff, a lawyer and former U.S. Army psychologist, expressed his deep and abiding respect for those who have put themselves “in harm’s way” and feels that the issue of veteran’s mental health should be of monumental importance. He would press for psychologists to be trained in treatment regimens targeting post-­‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including prolonged-­‐exposure therapy, cognitive-­‐processing therapy, and cognitive restructuring. Amazed by how many psychologists are not members of APA, or have never considered becoming involved in the governance, he would seek to actively attract colleagues back to the Association and demonstrate to members that “they are indeed valued.” He would also focus on addressing the chronic shortage of professional psychologists dedicated to serving diverse and marginalized communities (e.g., the poor, those with HIV, diverse family structures, and the workplace), as well as underserved regions of the country. And finally, Jack called for psychology to remain scientific and affirmatively seek to avoid allowing its advocacy efforts to be driven by ideology rather than science. Throughout these enumerated aspirations are a number of national policy agendas which could serve the profession admirably. “And friends they may think it’s a movement. And that’s what it is….” (Ron Levant, Opening Session, 2005). Aloha, Pat DeLeon, Former APA President – Division 42 – February, 2015 8
Spring 2015
Sickle Cell Disease: How it Hurts and How Psychology Can Help Melita Stancil, MA & Kip Thompson, MA, Former SCPA Graduate Representatives A Reprint from FEEDBACK Winter 2012 A challenging mission for scientists and practitioners is to incorporate their knowledge of the specific cognitive effects of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), with the promotion of positive intervention outcomes. SCD is a recessive genetic blood disorder, commonly found in individuals with African, M editerranean, Indian, and Middle Eastern heritage. Approximately one in twelve African Americans carries the sickle cell trait, and it is estimated that one in four hundred African-­‐Americans in the United States have SCD (Charache, Lubin, & Reid, 1992; Wang et al., 2001). The hallmark of the disease is pain crisis episodes. However, the individual may also experience anemia, susceptibility to infection, silent or overt stroke, gallstones, sleep problems, and bone or joint difficulties. In addition, SCD frequently impacts the biological integrity of organs, especially the brain. For children with SCD insults to the brain can subsequently manifest in the neuropsychological functioning. The majority of research studies investigating cognitive ability and SCD h ave investigated the presence or absence of lesions, the location of lesions, and the volume of lesions to evaluate brain/cognitive changes with sickle cell-­‐related neurologic complications (for review, see Schatz & Puffer, 2006). More recently, diffuse brain effects from SCD h ave begun to be studied for the prediction of neurocognitive deficits, such as decreased white matter volume and altered developmental patterns of white matter and gray matter proportions that may indicate delays in brain development (Baldeweg et al, 2006; Steen, Fineberg-­‐Buchner, Hankins, Weiss, Prifitera, & Mulhern, 2005). Currently, we know very little about h ow these more diffused and subtle effects are related to cognition in people with SCD. Decrements in brain functioning associated with SCD have been found in a wide range of psychological domains, including general intellectual ability, attention, language, visual-­‐spatial abilities, short & long term memory, executive functioning, and academic outcomes (Schatz, Finke, Kellett, & Kramer, 2002; Schatz, Finke, & Roberts, 2004; Steen et al., 2005). Probably both visible brain lesions and diffuse brain effects should be considered in combination, to better understand possible causes of specific areas of decreased neurocognitive functioning in pediatric SCD patients. Knowledge in this area is limited. There is a need for more extensive research to include rigorous brain imaging and cognitive studies particularly on children with SCD. It is also imperative that clinicians treating children with SCD, be aware of the deficits that may be apparent in their cognitive p rofile. M any therapeutic interventions seem to lack increased resources and rigor which are necessary to promote positive outcomes. For instance, in this pediatric population, the child may present as developmentally on target, but have subtle delays, only revealed through neuropsychological testing or brain imaging. While there is a great variability in SCD symptomatology, best practice should include an approach which assumes the presence of even mild neuro-­‐cognitive d ecrements. Psychology students in South Carolina have a unique opportunity to learn more about this disorder as the University of South Carolina has a leading expert in SCD in the person of Dr. Jeffrey Schatz. Dr. Schatz is part of a national project research team that seeks to better understand SCD and to inform clinicians on how to best treat individuals diagnosed with this painful d isorder. Anyone interested in learning about Dr. Schatz’s work may visit www.psych.sc.edu/facdocs/schatz.html. 9
Spring 2015
Listed below are a few suggested guidelines for mental health p ractitioners to incorporate in their treatment planning of children with SCD. • Difficulties focusing and sustaining attention o Schedule brief sessions (30-­‐40 min) § If not possible, plan a session break within time allotted o Reiterate “out of session” expectations repeatedly • Organizational Deficiencies o Create a Therapy Binder o Provide handouts of intervention guidelines o Promote note taking while in session for adolescents • Delays in Vocabulary Development o Use simple, straightforward language o Explain concepts in an uncomplicated manner Additional resources: Sickle Cell Disease: Information for Parents, Teachers, and Schools http://www.cas.sc.edu/psyc/PDFdocs/PEPSforteachers.pdf Sickle Cell Disease: Effects on Adjustment http://www.proparents.org/ References Baldeweg, T., Hogan, A.M., Saunders, D.E., Telfer, P., Gadian, D.G., Vargha-­‐Khadem, F., & Kirkham, F.J. (2006). Detecting white matter injury in Sickle Cell Disease using voxel-­‐based morphometry. Annals of Neurology, 59(4), 662-­‐672. Charache, S ., Lubin, B., & Reid, C.D. (1992). Management and Therapy of Sickle Cell Disease. Washington, DC: Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH publication 92-­‐2117. Schatz, J., Finke, R.L., Kellett, J.M., & Kramer, J.H. (2002). Cognitive functioning in children with Sickle Cell Disease: A meta-­‐analysis. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 27(8), 739-­‐748. Schatz, J., Finke, R.L., & Roberts, C. (2004). Interactions of biomedical and environmental risk factors for cognitive development: A preliminary study of Sickle Cell Disease. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 25(5), 303-­‐310. Schatz, J., & Puffer, E. (2006). Neuropsychological aspects of sickle cell disease. In R.T. Brown (Ed.), Comprehensive Handbook of Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Disease (p. 449-­‐470). New York: Oxford University Press. Steen, R.G., Fineberg-­‐Buchner, C., Hankins, G., Weiss, L., Prifitera, A., & M ulhern, R.K. (2005). Cognitive deficits in children with Sickle Cell Disease. Journal of Child Neurology, 20(2), 102-­‐107. Wang, W., Enos, L., Gallagher, D., Thompson, R., Guarini, L., Vichinsky, E., Wright, E., Zimmerman, R., & Armstrong, F.D. (2001). Neuropsychologic performance in school-­‐aged children with Sickle Cell Disease: A report from the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease. The Journal of Pediatrics, 139(3), 391-­‐397. Note: Both Melita and Kip have completed their doctoral program and are now Drs. Stancil and Thompson respectively. 10
Spring 2015
APA State Leadership Conference What Has SCPA Done For Me Lately? Robert C. Nelson, PsyD, SCPA President-­‐Elect I had the privilege of attending the APA sponsored State Leadership Conference in Washington, DC with
our Executive Director David White, our SCPA Federal Advocacy Coordinator, Dr. Brian Sullivan, and one
of our APAGS student members, Andrew Schramm.
The conference was enlightening, invigorating and very educational. In addition to collaborating with state
association Presidents and Presidents-Elect we were treated to several very educational workshops and
plenary sessions. I learned a great deal and look forward to sharing some details at the Annual Convention
in Myrtle Beach April 10-11.
What impressed me most however, was the APA’s efforts to prepare us for two days of lobbying efforts
with various members of our legislative delegations on Capitol Hill Monday and Tuesday. Those of us
attending the conference on behalf of our state associations were thoroughly briefed on four key issues we
want our legislators to take up on behalf of psychologists across the country.
Our team from SCPA was successful in having meetings with legislative staff from the offices of; Senators
Lindsey Graham, and Tim Scott, and Congressmen Joe Wilson, Tom Rice, Jim Clyburn, Mark Sanford, Jeff
Duncan, Trey Gowdy, and Mick Mulvaney.
We were very well received by all and were able to strongly emphasize our interest in the legislators taking
up our four key issues, all related to Medicare and psychologists:
•
•
•
•
Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula o Repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate Formula driving reimbursements lower, Medicare Mental Health Access Act o Cosponsor legislation (similar to last session of congress) to allow psychologists to practice without unnecessary physician supervision, Electronic Health Records Incentive o Add psychologists to the HITECH Act to make them eligible for Medicare electronic health records (HER) incentives, Medicare Payment o Fix the payment formula to halt declining reimbursement rates. In addition to legislative staff hearing us present the case for each of these issues, they were provided with
briefing packets with details of each and promised follow-up from each of us in the coming weeks to keep
these issues and discussions going.
Coincidentally, Monday morning ahead of our first meetings the news broke that John Boehner and Nancy
Pelosi had come to a bipartisan agreement they were introducing in the House to repeal the SGR. Each of
these issues is critical to psychologists being able to effectively participate in Medicare Reimbursement,
which in turn, greatly improves our consumer’s access to mental health care.
Among the many benefits of membership in SCPA, these lobbying efforts stand to most directly improve
the financial standing of our individual practices. As an organization we are encouraged and invigorated
by each new member who joins. So let’s all motivate our colleagues to join forces with us. As we grow
we will improve our chances of having an impact on the national stage.
Spring 2015
Have You Renewed?
Don’t forget to renew your SCPA Membership Dues for 2015!
Renewals can be completed at www.scpsychology.com
Photo courtesy of: http://www.ifmatriangle.org/membership/membership-news/
SCPA 2015 Spring Feedback
South Carolina Psychological
Association
PO Box 1448
Cedar Park, TX 78630
12