Practice Transitions: Two Sides of the Coin
Yesterday we talked about our hopes and fears for Practice, as we anticipate the end of the APAPO in 2018, and CAPP sunsetting in June 2019. As Dan Abrahamson from APA Staff pointed out, hope and fear are two sides of the same coin. By acknowledging our fears, it helps us to focus on moving forward and taking action. It’s emotional to watch something as vital to the practice community as CAPP come to an end, but it is also important to remember that the essential functions and important work of CAPP will go on in new forms.
And that is the essence of the work that CAPP has endeavored to do this weekend. We worked hard to identify essential tasks that CAPP performs and how these will continue in the new membership model. As you know, practice advocacy will move to the new c-6 organization APA Services Inc (APASI) which will replace the APAPO in January 2019. Practice advocacy will be integrated with advocacy for public interest, education, and science, overseen by the new Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC). By the way, applications for this important group are due by October 31 and can be accessed here: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4599814/Nomination-Packet-ACC. So the recommendations regarding practice advocacy priorities previously overseen by CAPP will now be overseen by the ACC. We are hopeful that this new model will maintain the excellent advocacy work by the Government Relations staff on behalf of practice and build on it with financial strength from the new membership model.
However, it is important to remember that CAPP also had oversight and lent expertise beyond legislative advocacy to additional areas such as business of practice, state issues, and legal/regulatory affairs. CAPP and the APAPO have been the voice of the practicing psychologist. And this is the real hope that the voice of practice will continue in the new model and CAPP can help to smooth this transition. Importantly, CAPP continues through June 2019, and Dr. Lindsey Buckman will continue as Chair and myself as Vice Chair during this time. CAPP will also have an in-person meeting at Spring Consolidated Meetings and attend Practice Leadership Conference. Importantly, the communications tools that our members value such as the listserv, website resources, Good Practice Magazine, Practice Update Newsletter, Progress Notes podcast and more will continue without interruption from Practice Communications staff. Practice Leadership Conference, which has been an essential tool for state association and leadership pipeline, will continue in March 2019, with expanded participants and attention to science, public interest, and education topics. CAPP will oversee state organizational grants this year for 2019, and these are expected to continue into the future, with the hope to reinstate state legislative and emergency grants.
CAPP has provided a list of essential functions to the Transition Steering Committee (led by Chief of Practice Dr. Jared Skillings and includes CAPP members Drs. Lindsey Buckman, Pete Liggett, and Jo Linder Crowe). These include but are not limited to: voice of practice community/communications with practice community and stakeholders; policy development on practice issues, support for state associations including organizational development grants and PLC; Legal and Regulatory Issues, Products, and Consultation; and collaborative relationships with other practice related organizations such as ASPPB, ABPP, etc. CAPP also met jointly with the Board of Professional Affairs to discuss practice needs in the transition and felt very positive about BPA’s strong commitment to practice issues and openness to collaboration.
What can you do to ensure the voice of practitioners continues loud and strong?
Apply to be on the new Advocacy Coordinating Committee: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4599814/Nomination-Packet-ACC
Continue to engage through APA/APAPO website and Practice Listserv: https://www.apapracticecentral.org/index.aspx
Renew your APA membership. Note no APAPO dues. https://my.apa.org/apa/idm/login.seam?ERIGHTS_TARGET=https://memforms.apa.org/apa/cli/dues/dues.cfm&_ga=2.40358817.203698963.1539711610-1000578192.1513624736
Increase practice advocacy voice by donating to PAC.: https://www.supportpsychologypac.org/
