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MY GOALS
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These are challenging times for psychology, and for our
association. The discipline is in danger of fracturing. Young researchers are
drawn increasingly to specialty organizations. Young clinicians are so busy
competing in the mental health environment that they have little time to worry
about long-term issues. Everybody seems to be questioning what APA is doing for
them, whether the benefits they receive justify the costs.
I have spent enough time talking with both practitioners and scientists, and
watching how things operate within APA, to have developed some strong beliefs
about what needs to change for the good of the discipline and the association.
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During my presidency, I would like to see us:
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| Recognize our interdependence:
Science is going to play an increasingly important role in clinical
decision-making. This is not just about empirically based methods of
intervention for specific problems. Recent developments in cognitive psychology
and decision-making, genetics, and neuroscience should start to change the ways
psychologists think about clinical issues. On the other side, it is important
for basic scientists to realize that our mental health community provides an
important public service, one that contributes to the social prestige of all
psychologists and that all psychologists should support. |
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Become better political advocates for ourselves:
All of psychology benefits if we come to play a larger role in the political
system, whether you are primarily an academic, a researcher, a clinician, or are
simply concerned about finding rational solutions for our irrational society. One of the reasons I support prescriptive authority for psychologists is
so we can become more involved in making decisions about the mental health
system. We should be more involved in setting social policy as well, and
psychology has a great deal to offer in terms of innovative approaches to
addressing social problems. Finally, I would like to see the association play a
greater role in training psychologists to become more politically active.
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Evolve as a healthcare profession: As a
doctoral-level discipline with a history of training in diagnosis and multimodal
treatment, assessment and evaluation, and critical thinking, psychology is
potentially poised to reinvent itself as a primary mental health profession and
as a full partner in integrated primary care services. Greater involvement in
primary care and prescriptive authority will lead to a greater role for
psychologists in the implementation of rational healthcare policies. As one
component of this process, we should pursue the development of better
translational materials for helping healthcare providers implement
evidence-based practices in mental and behavioral health.
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Make APA a home for all
psychologists: Many members have no idea of what APA does that justifies
the costs of membership. We need to work harder so members can feel a part of
what is going on in the discipline. This should include devoting more time to
programs that change people's lives, especially members of the association
and our students.
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