Update from CAPP: Healthcare Advocacy, Integrated Care, Masters Summit*

Our latest CAPP meeting was done virtually; members called in from as far away as Switzerland! Topics included an APAPO integrated care policy and masters level licensure. We are still getting used to this medium. While we miss the face to face contact, the virtual meetings can be more convenient to avoid time from work and family and represent a cost savings to the APAPO.

On all of our minds over the past few months has been the “Repeal & Replace” effort for the Affordable Care Act. The APAPO has opposed proposed repeal and replace efforts as negatively affecting mental health, including provisions that remove mental health benefits as essential health benefits, eliminate Medicaid expansion, and do not protect pre-existing conditions. CAPP received a briefing from Doug Walter, Associate Executive Director for Government Relations, during the process. The bill has been called a “zombie” bill on Capitol Hill as it seems to never die. The process appears to be different than seen in the past. The Senate is currently using a budgetary reconciliation process, and passed a motion to proceed to debate. To pass any changes, they needed a majority 51 votes, and some issues were not eligible for this process. The first vote on repeal/replacement with amendments failed. One key vote was on straight repeal and was delayed. A vote on the replacement bill “Better Care Reconciliation Act” failed, in dramatic fashion with Senate democrats, Sen. Collins (R) , Sen.Murkowski (R) , and Sen. McCain (R) voting against. Your psychology PAC money has been at work; the Advocacy staff at APAPO has been talking to Senators and getting out grassroots effort to get the message from psychology out to key votes. Psychologists have been amazing with 14,000+ messages during house debate and 8,000 during Senate debate. Keep it up! Our Advocacy office will continue to keep a close watch on healthcare as it affects psychologists and consumers.

CAPP has developed an Integrated Care policy to be a companion to an APA Council policy passed in 2016 that addresses the c-6 guild issues related to integrated care. The policy includes recommendations on colocation, reimbursement, workforce development, advocacy, and values based reimbursement. It is the first policy from the APAPO and continues to move through the new policy making process, being reviewed by the Office of General Counsel and the Finance Committee. The policy is currently available for public comment for stakeholders: http://apps.apa.org/commentcentral2/default.aspx?site=49

CAPP also continued discussion on the Masters Training Summit, which made recommendations about “the master’s level issue”( i.e., finding a place for those with a master’s within psychology to remain with a psychology identity and a mechanism for the ability to practice, either via certification or licensure). Of note, these recommendations were not an official APA or APAPO policy on the masters issue. APA Council is currently considering discussing the recommendations, and the APAPO/CAPP has been considering the implications for professional psychologists. The arguments for masters level licensure include lack of diverse doctoral level psychologists, lack of licensure opportunities for those with a terminal masters psychology degree, increasing numbers of masters level licensed mental health professionals (MFTs, LISW, LPCC), the workforce that would be needed for the potential behavioral health demand given changing U.S. demographics and considering masters level psychology trained extenders for doctoral psychologists. Arguments against masters licensure include the importance of maintaining the doctoral standard, worry about weakening the market share for the doctoral degree, difficulty of defining training, and weakening resources by splitting membership. The importance of maintaining the doctoral degree as the standard for title of “psychologist” and defining the value added of doctoral degree psychology training compared to masters level training was discussed. CAPP provided information about their discussion and strongly recommended that APA Council take up discussion on the topic; Council did vote to continue discussion at APA Convention. CAPP will further discuss the APAPO implications for practitioners.

CAPP continues to discuss with APAPO and APA leaders and staff membership models to continue to serve practicing psychologists’ guild and practice needs.

There is a new CAPP member, Dr. Peter Liggett, who replaces Dr. Jorge Wong as representing Development/Management/Administrative Experience in Large Systems.

In addition, the slates for the 2018-2020 term of CAPP have been announced:

Slate 1: Service to Ethnically Diverse Populations

1. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, PhD

2. Giselle Hass, PsyD

3. Erlanger Turner, PhD

Slate 2: Experience in Healthcare Policy

1. Bruce Bobbitt, PhD

2. Raymond Folen, PhD

3. Paul Kettlewell, PhD

Slate 3: Experience in Meeting the Challenges of Independent Practice

1. Robin McLeod, PhD

2. Judith Olson, PhD

3. Lisa Grossman, PhD

Candidates gave statements during APA Convention at the APP Caucus on Aug 2. You can review the CAPP candidates statements and vote for candidates starting September 1st.

The next CAPP meeting is October 13-15 in Washington DC.

*As always, this blog represents my personal take on CAPP news and is not an official APAPO or CAPP statement