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 Anabel Bejarano, Ph.D.
My name is Anabel Bejarano, Ph.D. and I am requesting your vote for the position of secretary-elect in our Division. As a member of Division 42, you can say I came in running right from the start. Upon joining I became a member of the Diversity Committee, given my specialization in multicultural psychology. I then served as associate program chair for convention 2005 while learning the ropes from Miguel Gallardo, Psy.D., convention program chair at that time. Currently, I am program chair for our upcoming convention in New Orleans and look forward to meeting many of you with whom I’ve corresponded online. When my tenure as convention program chair is completed, I will remain involved in the Division as chair of the Diversity Committee for 2007, and the liaison to Committee on Women in Psychology Network, 2005-2007.
In addition to my contributions to Division 42, I am actively involved in Division 12, Clinical Psychology, in Section VI, The Clinical Psychology of Ethnic Minorities. I am co-editor of the newsletter for Section VI, and the Section Editor for The Clinical Psychologist, the newsletter for Division 12. These are positions that require creativity, strong writing and organizational skills, and the ability to collaborate with colleagues. I believe these skills will serve me well in the position of secretary. I am also a member of Divisions 35 Society for the Psychology of Women, and 45 Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues. Locally, I am actively involved in the California Psychological Association and serve as co-chair of the Diversity Task Force, and as Diversity Delegate.
Of the issues impacting independent practitioners, a key issue that concerns me is the combination of an increasingly diverse patient population, intertwined with an administration (managed care companies, pharmaceutical industry) that promotes a blind faith among consumers on the need for psychotropic medication for almost any psychological ailment. As individual clinicians and as a Division, I believe we need to continue to create ways to address this complex issue while highlighting the value of psychotherapy. We need to leave our offices to reach greater numbers of consumers and provide workshops on ways to reduce the major contributors to physical and mental illness (obesity, drug/alcohol use, stress, depression) while promoting healthier lifestyle choices. We need to be involved on a local level in our neighborhoods (workshops, articles for the local paper, etc). As a Division we need to value these efforts; support one another by sharing recommendations on the “how to” aspects of these projects; present our work at conventions and be active promoters of the “long-acting” value of psychotherapy. At the same time, psychologists with prescription privileges will be uniquely qualified to provide high quality services.
As an early career psychologist my involvement in APA and Division 42 in particular, has been enriching and educational. My professional identity and development are enhanced by learning from the leaders in our profession, while believing that I too have a hand in shaping the future of our profession.
 Nancy S. Molitor, Ph.D.
What has been your history of service to Division 42?
I have served on the Marketing and Public Education Committee for the past three years and have participated in refocusing the group to deliver more useful products and services. As Chair last year, I developed the Distance Learning Course, “Marketing Strategies to Position Your Practice for the 21st Century.” This course was so well received - it was over-subscribed actually - that it will be repeated on an ongoing basis. I will build on this success by offering future programs designed for early-career psychologists, as well as psychologists transitioning to managed care-free practices. In addition to continuing to serve on this committee, I have been appointed to President Comas-Diaz’s Task Force on Expanding the Business of Practice.
What experience have you had relevant to the position you are seeking?
I have served as Secretary of the Illinois Psychological Association (IPA) for three years, prior to being elected IPA President in 2000. For the past 15 years, I have been an active IPA Council member, serving as Chair of IPA’s Managed Care Task Force, and Chair of its Public Relations Committee. I have eight years experience as APA’s Public Education Campaign Coordinator for Illinois and most recently as an Advisory Council Member to the Practice Directorate for the Public Education Campaign.
Throughout my 20 years of practice and supervision of graduate students, I have been active not only in my profession, but also in community service developing consensus building and problem solving skills, each of which are essential for the position of Secretary.
What are the most critical issues confronting independent practitioners?
We struggle today with an ever-increasing number of burdens to a successful practice such as insurance company constraints, public confusion about the role of psychology as a healthcare profession and both initial licensing obstacles for new clinicians and license portability problems facing all psychologists. Early-career psychologists are often burdened with five times the graduate school debt we saw a generation ago, while, at the same time, lacking the mentoring and resources to assist them. But midcareer psychologists often lack the financial and business resources necessary to set up managed care-free practices. As seasoned psychologists attempt to set up new practices in retirement communities, they face a myriad of new licensing restrictions as well.
How do you propose that Division 42 address these issues?
We need to provide all of our members with tangible benefits and resources to assist them in meeting these critical challenges. This means resources targeted to specific populations - specific distance learning courses for early career psychologists for example - or tailored mentoring for midcareer psychologists who wish to develop certain niche practices. We should offer more assistance to members who wish to develop their own websites.
This division possesses expert resources in advocacy, education and communication, which need to be further expanded to advance the needs and interests of all of our members. As a member of the Division’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, I will work to make the division a valuable resource for all members and make membership in Division 42 essential for all practitioners. I would appreciate the opportunity to serve as your Secretary.
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