What Is a Psychologist?

2018 What is a Psychologist? Inside: The Importance of Branding in Protecting and Promoting Our Profession • KPA President’s Reflections Sarah Shelton, Psy.D., MPH, MSCP, • KPA Executive Director Update President, Kentucky Psychological Association • Director of Professional Affairs One of the most attractive and appealing things who we are and what we do – or at least what we • KPA Convention Update about the field of psychology is perhaps its do differently - than other similar disciplines. • Board of Directors diversity. Being a Psychologist can take many • APA Council Representative Report Why does this matter? Psychologists seem to be forms…Professor, Clinician, Scientist, Advocate, generally confident in their own abilities. So, if • Relationships Matter Consultant, and more. The possibilities of we are comfortable and content with who we are • Everything You Need to Know to Vote professional identities seem endless…as they and what we do within ourselves, isn’t that all that • 2018 Convention Brochure should be. After all, psychologists possess a wealth really matters? Isn’t any concern about public • Kentucky Currents of knowledge and skills that are applicable in perception just about our own egos? I believe the • Ethical Concerns in Rural Communities many different roles and environments. This works answer to both of these questions is a frank, “no.” • In Memoriam to our advantage, because it allows psychologists • Kentucky Psychological Foundation to have a presence, voice, and influence in many For many of us, it may be true that we have already • Building the Future of Psychology in places and in many ways in local, state, national, reached a level of success, security, and stability in Kentucky and international arenas. It also affords us great our own careers that makes the looming threat of • KPF Public Education Committee Update flexibility with our professional development psychology becoming an amorphous entity seem • KPF Board of Directors trajectory on an individual level. Perhaps this far-fetched. Yet, we recently experienced a threat is what attracted many of us to a career in in our own state of licensure board consolidation • KPF Spring Academic Conference psychology in the first place. • 2018 KPF Silent Auction that belies this sense of security. As a professor and supervisor, I am often approached by students However, the diversity of our field can be a double- and trainees who are confused about why some edged sword when it comes to public perception On the Web: job postings may read, “Psychologist/Counselor/ of who psychologists are and what we do. To Social Worker,” or who are frustrated why other job • Complete Convention Information complicate this further, there are numerous other & Registration postings may simply leave out “Psychologist” all mental health professionals who appear to play together. This concerns me and, I believe, should • Continuing Education Offerings the same roles and provide the same services concern us all. • Exclusive Member Benefits that we do. This is particularly true in the clinical Practice Resources realm, where services are known by billing codes Some of us have lived and worked in environments Practice Consultations that do not differentiate between the licenses and communities where psychologists are Ethics Consultations (thus education and training) of the provider. It recognized and respected and are generally • KPA Classifieds is no wonder that public confusion exists about accurately conceptualized. Others of us have exactly who psychologists are or what it is that lived and worked in areas where this is not the we do that is unique from anyone else holding case. Some of our stories and experiences with a license to provide “therapy.” Then, add to the that can range from humorous to heartbreaking. problem, the virtually never accurate portrayal of psychologists on television and in the movies. Doesn’t this issue really only apply to clinicians? I do not believe so. Although, recent threats to Psychologists are often reluctant to differentiate our professional livelihoods are of this nature. themselves or to emphasize their superior level of For example, the ability of other professions to training and unique skill sets, possibly for fear of perform psychological services, such as testing is appearing to boast or out of fear of offending our being encroached upon by other license holders. T O P R O M O T E P S Y C H O L O G Y A S A non-psychologist colleagues. As a result, we have Reimbursement rates with various third party S C I E N C E A N D A P R O F E S S I O N blended in nicely, and lines have blurred about –continued on page 2 From the Executive Director…. -continued from page 1 payors are of constant concern, as psychologists By Lisa Willner, Ph.D., Executive Director struggle to demonstrate their (internally known) value. Once a year or so, I meet with KPA’s became KPA’s first This may not immediately concern psychologists president, past president, and president Executive Director. KPA performing other types of services or working in non- elect to review our strategic plan. We check maintained its Sears clinical environments. Yet, what makes us so confident in on our progress, consider whether the Avenue home base that the challenge for psychologists and psychology various elements of the plan are still relevant throughout the years to be recognized and respected will stay confined to and aligned with our mission, and bring of Sheila’s leader- the clinical realm? While psychology clinicians are recommendations for revisions back to the ship, through the years not superior in their identities or the services they full board. When Sarah Shelton, Psy.D., Katie when Dr. Nancy Moore served as Executive provide relative to non-clinician psychologists, they McBride, Ph.D., Eric Russ, Ph.D., and I met Director of KPA, and since my KPA tenure recently, we were reminded of how far we began in 2009. As Sheila stepped down are arguably the most common “face” of psychology have come as an organization with respect from the KPA Executive Director role, she to the public due to their high level of interaction with to advocacy. With legislative advocacy at the maintained her close proximity to KPA by others. If we are not recognized accurately on the federal level, we have more clearly defined the running Advocacy Action Network and other “front lines,” then what makes us think that we will be role of KPA’s Federal Advocacy Coordinator, numerous advocacy projects out of an office anywhere else? and how it fits into KPA’s larger advocacy within the KPA suite. Until recently, Kentucky structure. At the state level, our Legislative Voices for Health also used KPA’s offices for So as not to sound alarmist, I will happily concede that Committee has evolved over the past several many of their administrative and meeting there will always be jobs for psychologists. However, years and developed clear processes for needs. The arrangement has worked out well the question of whether or not those jobs will equitably reviewing legislation as it is filed, advising for us over a period of many years. For the reflect our advanced years of education and training, the KPA board on legislative priorities, and majority of our members who’ve never visited and the time and money we invest in those things, is engaging our membership in grassroots the KPA Central Office, there is a lot of history advocacy through action alerts, meet-ups with and a lot of activity here at Sears Avenue. a valid one. Many advisors accurately point us down legislators, and our annual KPA Legislative However, with rental costs on a steep rise, the the path of outcomes measures to demonstrate our Day at the state capitol. Beyond legislative increasing challenges of an aging building, worth empirically. While this is a vital step towards advocacy, KPA’s board has adopted a Public future tenancy considerations, and a num- protecting and promoting our profession, it will not Interest Review Committee to allow members ber of other factors to consider, our longtime wholly solve the problem. Consider, for example, a to advocate on issues of public interest for home is no longer tenable for us. company that develops a product that is indisputably the KPA board’s consideration for action, a shown to be more effective or more efficient than position statement, or opportunity to educate We are excited to announce that KPA/KPF will similar products. That is certainly convincing, Yet, that the public. With regard to advocating for be moving its operations to brand new office psychology through education, the Kentucky space in the Lyndon area of Louisville. Your research is not very useful, if stores do not know to Psychological Foundation’s (KPF’s) Public Central Office staff is very grateful for the stock their shelves with that item, or if consumers do Education Committee has participated in strong support from the KPA and KPF not know to go to the stores and buy it. That is where health fairs and forums, had a number of op- boards in making this possible! While we the importance of a brand (and marketing that brand) eds published across the state that provided strive continually for psychologically health enters the picture. information and perspective about our practices within our own KPA/KPF workplace, profession, the science of psychology, and the we are very happy to be moving to a space At the Annual KPA Leadership Retreat held in June, skills and knowledge we bring to bear. KPF’s where we can be environmentally healthy as dialog and activities surrounding these issues well! We are optimistic that our members will Psychology in the Workplace Network has occurred.

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