Please mark your calendars! The TPA 2012 Convention will take place at the Nashville Airport Marriott October 31 – November 3, 2012. The TPA Convention Program Planning Committee is excited to report the theme for this year’s convention is “Navigating the Current: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities”. We are living and working in some exciting and at times difficult times. The profession of psychology is looking to expand its scope of practice while protecting itself from encroachment by other disciplines. Practicing professionals are up against stiff obstacles: decreasing reimbursement, managed care, and explosions in new information and technology that make it hard to stay current in the field, hard not to feel “in over our heads”. As I listened to a good friend who is an avid white water kayaker describe the challenges of staying upright in his boat, and staying in it even if he’s upside down, I thought to myself: “That sounds a lot like clinical practice these days!” There’s always something new to face as we attempt to move our practice along. Just like the successful boater, we need to broaden and enhance our skills for navigating these difficult times. Our tendency might be to slow down, and exercise more caution, become more tentative. But, just like the successful boater, we need to be aggressive and lean into these challenges, turning them into opportunities for growth, opportunities for even greater personal and professional success. If you have research, or professional training that fits the spirit of this year’s theme, “Navigating the Current: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities”, please submit your proposal by going online to TPA’s website at www.tpaonline.org. Click on the button on the left for “continuing education”, and then click on “information for presenters” for guidelines in submitting your proposal. We are interested and excited to hear from you. Our deadline for proposal submissions is June 1, 2012. Come on in, the water’s fine!
Your 2012 TPA Convention Program Planning Committee: Lynn Boatwright, Ph.D., Nicky Ozbek, Ph.D., Kerry Holland, Ph.D.
Advisement of New Law Regarding Additional Signage and ID Requirements for All Health Professions
As many of you know, last legislative session, a bill was passed requiring that all healthcare providers be mandated provide additional identification regarding their profession. There are several ways to meet the new bill's requirement. The bill, which went into effect January 1, 2012, requires that all practitioners either: 1. wear a photo ID which includes their full name and their licensure, or 2. provide this information in writing to all new patients. On your office doors and on your websites, practitioners must now also be identified by full name AND LICENSURE (e.g., "John Q. Smith, Ph.D., Psychologist"), in letters at least one inch in height. Click here to review the full details of the bill.
A Message From the TPA Board: Please Support APAPO!
The Tennessee Psychological Association asks that you support the Tennessee Psychological Association AND APA and paying the APA Practice Assessment.
WHO PAYS THE ASSESSMENT:
Licensed APA members who provide health or mental health services or supervise those who do pay the Practice Assessment, which supports the work of APA Practice Organization on behalf of professional psychology. The Practice Assessment is included in a separate section in the APA member dues statements. The base Practice Assessment amount is $140 for 2011, as noted on the APA dues statements
WHY PAY THE ASSESSMENT:
As a quick review: It's not every day that you see a legal team with a track record of 100% success, but that's the case with the Legal & Regulatory Affairs Office of the APA Practice Organization ( APAPO).
APAPO attorneys (supported through our Practice Assessment payments) have been bringing lawsuits against managed care abuses for the last 15 years, working through collaborations with state associations.
As a medium state, the Practice Assessment portion of your APA dues is pooled, and helps support Tennessee as well as other state, provincial and territorial psychological associations. This grant money helps to insure that EVERY SPTA state has a formed and INFORMED association that manages the profession on a local level. The practice assessment money awards legislative grants to ALL SPTAS and organizational development grants to small and very small SPTAs to help keep a basic office infrastructure in place. APA is not able to work alone and stay aware of issues that affect the profession on a state to state to level without every SPTA having a central organization.
EACH MAJOR PIECE OF LITIGATION HAS RESULTED IN A FAVORABLE SETTLEMENT WITH MONETARY BENEFITS AND/OR POLICY IMPROVEMENTS!
Download PDF's of Presentation files for the TPA Convention 2011 seminars you attended RIGHT HERE (by seminar number):
Almost 86% of prescriptions for psychotropic drugs in Tennessee are written by primary care physicians. In part, this is because the wait for a first appointment with a psychiatrist in Tennessee can be almost 3 months, and up to 30% of psychiatrists are not taking new patients. And so many people with psychological difficulties are "over-medicated and under-treated." The solution is comprehensive treatment: Prescribing Psychologists, who have completed several years of additional training in psychopharmacology after their doctoral degree, who can provide both psychotherapy along with appropriate medication as needed. Learn more about TPA's public information campaign, "Becky's Story," based on a true story, depicting the tragic consequences of the current lack of comprehensive mental health treatment in Tennessee:
We are always looking for members who are willing to volunteer their time to help make TPA an even more effective organization. Currently we are particularly looking to fill the following positions; if you are interested, please contact us at: admin@tpaonline.org:
Members willing to help in TPA's political advocacy work (Legislative Advocates)
Ethics Committee Members, especially Senior LPE's
Key Constituents (members willing to serve as designated liasons between TPA and their own legislators)
Disaster Response Network (DRN) members
Click above to Identify your State and US Senators and Representatives, and to respond to Legislative Action Alerts!
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Special Offers Exclusively For TPA Members:
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$1,000 Discount on FDU's Post-Doctoral Master's Degree Program in Clinical Psychopharmacology
$225 Discount on purchase price of Therapist Helper Software
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Tennessee Psychological Association
P.O. Box 281296
Memphis, Tennessee 38168
Please mark your calendars! The TPA 2012 Convention will take place at the Nashville Airport Marriott October 31 – November 3, 2012. The TPA Convention Program Planning Committee is excited to report the theme for this year’s convention is “Navigating the Current: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities”. We are living and working in some exciting and at times difficult times. The profession of psychology is looking to expand its scope of practice while protecting itself from encroachment by other disciplines. Practicing professionals are up against stiff obstacles: decreasing reimbursement, managed care, and explosions in new information and technology that make it hard to stay current in the field, hard not to feel “in over our heads”. As I listened to a good friend who is an avid white water kayaker describe the challenges of staying upright in his boat, and staying in it even if he’s upside down, I thought to myself: “That sounds a lot like clinical practice these days!” There’s always something new to face as we attempt to move our practice along. Just like the successful boater, we need to broaden and enhance our skills for navigating these difficult times. Our tendency might be to slow down, and exercise more caution, become more tentative. But, just like the successful boater, we need to be aggressive and lean into these challenges, turning them into opportunities for growth, opportunities for even greater personal and professional success. If you have research, or professional training that fits the spirit of this year’s theme, “Navigating the Current: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities”, please submit your proposal by going online to TPA’s website at 
