Winter 2000 - IP; President's Message

SURPRISE AND ENERGY
As the magical aura and hopeful expectations of the year 2000 are settling upon us, our division is embarking on some very exciting adventures, while continuing the successful projects already begun. We’ve been on a mission to help psychologists in private practice work successfully outside of managed care with dignity and honor, and to provide the best and most appropriate treatment for our patients. Moving this mission forward is my commitment as your president.

We begin the year 2000 with our new name, Psychologists in Independent Practice. Our recent media projects made us aware that our previous name could be confusing to the public. The present name is clear and easier to use, and sounds very professional.

The boldest and newest project is the First Annual Practice Development Conference. The program is “Psychologist-Dentist Collaboration: Mutual Practice Opportunities.” Continuing Education credit is available for Psychologists and for Dentists and their auxiliary staff. Both professionals will learn how to cross-refer to create a win, win, win situation for psychologist, dentist and patient. Psychologists are seeking opportunities to collaborate with other professions to enhance our practices outside of managed care. This program will help us create these opportunities by informing us of the needs of dental patients. Accordingly, we can be a resource to our own dentists while helping our dentists understand how to utilize our skills. Further, the program will teach how to use marketing brochures developed for this purpose, which will be available with imprinted name and address on the back.

High energy and innovation were brought together by the team that developed and produced this program. The advisory team chaired by Dorothy Cantor, includes Stanley Moldawsky and Judith Steward. The Implementation Group has been brilliantly chaired by Jeffrey Barnett. Program Chair, Sondra Goldstein created an intelligent program led by outstanding psychologists and dentists specializing in various aspects of psychological/dental issues. For our marketing brochure Elayne Rosoff brought her own creative skills together with Carol DuBois (Psy.D./Dental Hygienist) and Laurie Kolt, marketing consultant. We all encourage you to attend this outstanding conference.

Another concern of mine is that our Division must address the needs and concerns of our members everywhere. Being an active listserve participant for several years, I have heard grumbles from rural psychologists who sometimes feel that programs and ideas espoused by our leadership do not pertain to psychologists in rural areas. I have therefore encouraged our Rural Committee chaired by Kathleen McNamara to join together with Jerry Morris (Hospital Practice) and with Michael Schwartzchild (Psychopharmacology), in doing a needs assessment of our members who are rural psychologists in independent practice. I request that our rural membership be alert and responsive to this inquiry.

In a further effort to address the needs of all practitioners is the creation of the Ad Hoc committee on Diversity Issues in Private Practice, chaired by Star Vega, who is also one of the plaintiffs in the California lawsuit against Aetna Insurance. She and her committee will be contributing articles to each Independent Practitioner regarding the issues specific to various groups.

Information from our membership across the states will be gathered by Bob Wernick and the State Linkage Committee. Instead of redundancy of activities in State Associations and APA Divisions, we want to communicate, network and share our knowledge and our wares where it makes sense. For example our very successful and professional Marketing Committee, initiated three years ago by Sandra Haber, has been working on various marketing venues. Kelly Cunningham (Public Relations Consultant) was contracted by our Division about a year and a half ago. After an initial learning curve during which time she became familiar with issues that are important to us, she learned the professional tone and message that we were wanting to send to the public. For almost a year now, she has been creating terrific monthly pieces for Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) and has learned how to creatively respond immediately when crises occur. The PSA’s are usually connected to one of the existing brochures or fact sheets provided by APA, or to a special crisis in the news. We have had a significant increase of calls for information and brochures when PSA’s first air, as well as requests from radio stations for interviews with local psychologists. For the last few years we have been focusing on getting messages out to the public that educate about the usefulness of psychologists in independent practice. We have had hundreds of media placements both print and broadcast. Marketing and advertising requires repetition and duration. We are doing both because of the commitment of our board of directors and through the donations and purchases made to our Honor Roll and Practicing with Pride products. Many of our practices may have already been enhanced through these public service pieces. Please read through our Practicing with Pride section where you will see new offerings for you and for your practice. Join the effort to keep these messages in the media.

The Crisis Intervention and Trauma Response Committee headed by Barbara Wainrib developed a new activity following the Littleton, CO tragedy. A listserv posting from a Division member, Steve Meyer, suggested using the “bridge line” technology in trauma response. This course is being explored as a possible new niche for psychologists.

Membership has expanded to include a new category for the first time in the history of our division—Student/Young Professional Affiliate membership. Students learn their skills in graduate school, but are not taught how to be independent practitioners. Teaching young psychologists practice skills is a very important contribution that our division needs to make for the future of our profession. Pat Pitta is chair of the new Task Force on Educational Enhancement for Student/Young Professionals. Together with Program Chair Ed Lundeen, Pat is already planning special programs for the APA convention in August in Washington, D.C. She and Membership Chair Lou Perrott are working to attract membership in this new category. We ask that you too encourage students and young professionals to join. Important to new professionals as well as to those seasoned members is the collection of Pick 42 niche guides that are a Clearinghouse of Information on a variety of topics. Rather than do your own literature search you can have all the information you may need in a handy guide already created by a psychologist specialist in that field. The Pick 42 concept (chaired by Richard Saunders and Norma Simon) was created and initiated by our Past-President Carol Goodheart who envisioned these helpful tools for those of us who are already on information and time overload.

Michael Murphy will continue to chair the Emerging Patterns of Practice Committee; William Myers will take over the Disability Determination committee; Alan Entin is new Fellows Chair as well as Historian; Karen Kovacs North is new Continuing Education Chair; Stan Moldawsky and Stanley Graham will continue to chair the Managed Care Task Force; and Jack Wiggins the Primary Care Task Force. Our new Federal Advocacy Coordinator is Peter Sheras; Richard Saunders has moved into chair of the Publication and Communication Committee. Michael Brickey continues as The Independent Practitioner Editor and Martin Williams as Associate Editor. Rona Lo Presti is stepping up to be our Internet Editor. Our thanks to Barry Schlosser for his developing and nurturing our Internet projects from their inception. Book Series Editor is Michael Murphy. Arthur Kovacs remains as chair of the Education and Training Committee. George Goldman moved from Treasurer to chair of our Finance committee. Esther Lerman Freeman continues in her appointment as APA Interdivisional Project Curriculum for Psychology in Primary Care. Together with Past-President Carol Goodheart, President-elect Judith Steward, Secretary Jean Carter, and Treasurer Bonnie Markham we have a high energy and powerful team.

Our goal, and my goal as your president, is to make life better for Psychologists in Independent Practice. We are an exciting Division because we try new things. Let us hear from you on the Division 42 listserv, or contact a committee chair with an idea, or send a note to the editor, or contact me directly.

My wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year to all.

Elaine Rodino, Ph.D.

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President’s Message/Elaine Rodino

From the Editor/Michael Brickey

SURPRISE AND ENERGY
As the magical aura and hopeful expectations of the year 2000 are settling upon us, our division is embarking on some very exciting adventures, while continuing the successful projects already begun. We’ve been on a mission to help psychologists in private practice work successfully outside of managed care with dignity and honor, and to provide the best and most appropriate treatment for our patients. Moving this mission forward is my commitment as your president.

We begin the year 2000 with our new name, Psychologists in Independent Practice. Our recent media projects made us aware that our previous name could be confusing to the public. The present name is clear and easier to use, and sounds very professional.

The boldest and newest project is the First Annual Practice Development Conference. The program is “Psychologist-Dentist Collaboration: Mutual Practice Opportunities.” Continuing Education credit is available for Psychologists and for Dentists and their auxiliary staff. Both professionals will learn how to cross-refer to create a win, win, win situation for psychologist, dentist and patient. Psychologists are seeking opportunities to collaborate with other professions to enhance our practices outside of managed care. This program will help us create these opportunities by informing us of the needs of dental patients. Accordingly, we can be a resource to our own dentists while helping our dentists understand how to utilize our skills. Further, the program will teach how to use marketing brochures developed for this purpose, which will be available with imprinted name and address on the back.

High energy and innovation were brought together by the team that developed and produced this program. The advisory team chaired by Dorothy Cantor, includes Stanley Moldawsky and Judith Steward. The Implementation Group has been brilliantly chaired by Jeffrey Barnett. Program Chair, Sondra Goldstein created an intelligent program led by outstanding psychologists and dentists specializing in various aspects of psychological/dental issues. For our marketing brochure Elayne Rosoff brought her own creative skills together with Carol DuBois (Psy.D./Dental Hygienist) and Laurie Kolt, marketing consultant. We all encourage you to attend this outstanding conference.

Another concern of mine is that our Division must address the needs and concerns of our members everywhere. Being an active listserve participant for several years, I have heard grumbles from rural psychologists who sometimes feel that programs and ideas espoused by our leadership do not pertain to psychologists in rural areas. I have therefore encouraged our Rural Committee chaired by Kathleen McNamara to join together with Jerry Morris (Hospital Practice) and with Michael Schwartzchild (Psychopharmacology), in doing a needs assessment of our members who are rural psychologists in independent practice. I request that our rural membership be alert and responsive to this inquiry.

In a further effort to address the needs of all practitioners is the creation of the Ad Hoc committee on Diversity Issues in Private Practice, chaired by Star Vega, who is also one of the plaintiffs in the California lawsuit against Aetna Insurance. She and her committee will be contributing articles to each Independent Practitioner regarding the issues specific to various groups.

Information from our membership across the states will be gathered by Bob Wernick and the State Linkage Committee. Instead of redundancy of activities in State Associations and APA Divisions, we want to communicate, network and share our knowledge and our wares where it makes sense. For example our very successful and professional Marketing Committee, initiated three years ago by Sandra Haber, has been working on various marketing venues. Kelly Cunningham (Public Relations Consultant) was contracted by our Division about a year and a half ago. After an initial learning curve during which time she became familiar with issues that are important to us, she learned the professional tone and message that we were wanting to send to the public. For almost a year now, she has been creating terrific monthly pieces for Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) and has learned how to creatively respond immediately when crises occur. The PSA’s are usually connected to one of the existing brochures or fact sheets provided by APA, or to a special crisis in the news. We have had a significant increase of calls for information and brochures when PSA’s first air, as well as requests from radio stations for interviews with local psychologists. For the last few years we have been focusing on getting messages out to the public that educate about the usefulness of psychologists in independent practice. We have had hundreds of media placements both print and broadcast. Marketing and advertising requires repetition and duration. We are doing both because of the commitment of our board of directors and through the donations and purchases made to our Honor Roll and Practicing with Pride products. Many of our practices may have already been enhanced through these public service pieces. Please read through our Practicing with Pride section where you will see new offerings for you and for your practice. Join the effort to keep these messages in the media.

The Crisis Intervention and Trauma Response Committee headed by Barbara Wainrib developed a new activity following the Littleton, CO tragedy. A listserv posting from a Division member, Steve Meyer, suggested using the “bridge line” technology in trauma response. This course is being explored as a possible new niche for psychologists.

Membership has expanded to include a new category for the first time in the history of our division—Student/Young Professional Affiliate membership. Students learn their skills in graduate school, but are not taught how to be independent practitioners. Teaching young psychologists practice skills is a very important contribution that our division needs to make for the future of our profession. Pat Pitta is chair of the new Task Force on Educational Enhancement for Student/Young Professionals. Together with Program Chair Ed Lundeen, Pat is already planning special programs for the APA convention in August in Washington, D.C. She and Membership Chair Lou Perrott are working to attract membership in this new category. We ask that you too encourage students and young professionals to join. Important to new professionals as well as to those seasoned members is the collection of Pick 42 niche guides that are a Clearinghouse of Information on a variety of topics. Rather than do your own literature search you can have all the information you may need in a handy guide already created by a psychologist specialist in that field. The Pick 42 concept (chaired by Richard Saunders and Norma Simon) was created and initiated by our Past-President Carol Goodheart who envisioned these helpful tools for those of us who are already on information and time overload.

Michael Murphy will continue to chair the Emerging Patterns of Practice Committee; William Myers will take over the Disability Determination committee; Alan Entin is new Fellows Chair as well as Historian; Karen Kovacs North is new Continuing Education Chair; Stan Moldawsky and Stanley Graham will continue to chair the Managed Care Task Force; and Jack Wiggins the Primary Care Task Force. Our new Federal Advocacy Coordinator is Peter Sheras; Richard Saunders has moved into chair of the Publication and Communication Committee. Michael Brickey continues as The Independent Practitioner Editor and Martin Williams as Associate Editor. Rona Lo Presti is stepping up to be our Internet Editor. Our thanks to Barry Schlosser for his developing and nurturing our Internet projects from their inception. Book Series Editor is Michael Murphy. Arthur Kovacs remains as chair of the Education and Training Committee. George Goldman moved from Treasurer to chair of our Finance committee. Esther Lerman Freeman continues in her appointment as APA Interdivisional Project Curriculum for Psychology in Primary Care. Together with Past-President Carol Goodheart, President-elect Judith Steward, Secretary Jean Carter, and Treasurer Bonnie Markham we have a high energy and powerful team.

Our goal, and my goal as your president, is to make life better for Psychologists in Independent Practice. We are an exciting Division because we try new things. Let us hear from you on the Division 42 listserv, or contact a committee chair with an idea, or send a note to the editor, or contact me directly.

My wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year to all.

Elaine Rodino, Ph.D.

Return to Top

	President’s Message/Elaine Rodino
	From the Editor/Michael Brickey