APA & the Pursuit of RxP: How Past Efforts have Shaped Current APA RxP Policies including RxP Model Legislation to Support Future Successes
Presented by Deborah C. Baker, JD
Recorded on Thursday, March 14th, 2024
Access provided upon registration on “My Courses” page
The American Psychological Association has long supported the idea that psychologists can be trained to be competent prescribers. Since the original APA Model Psychopharmacology Curriculum and Model Prescriptive Authority Legislation documents were first approved by APA Council of Representatives in 1996, education and training models and advocacy initiatives (both federal and state) have evolved significantly. Prescriptive authority for psychologists is now formally recognized as a specialty practice area in psychology. Understanding the movement’s history helps to provide insight into future directions.
In this presentation, there will be an overview of APA’s historical support for prescription privileges, state-based advocacy efforts to enact prescriptive authority legislation and the repeated claims by opponents. This will include discussion about the development of the current recommended education and training models, the designation criteria system and model legislative provisions. Ms. Baker will also describe how APA continues to support state leaders in prescriptive authority advocacy efforts, what kind of advocacy opportunities with payers and federal agencies might be available, and how important it is to become politically involved as a precursor to any prescriptive authority advocacy initiative. Some lessons learned from past advocacy efforts will also be highlighted.
When attended in full, this program offers 1.0 APA CEs for Psychologists.
The American Psychological Association has long supported the idea that psychologists can be trained to be competent prescribers. Since the original APA Model Psychopharmacology Curriculum and Model Prescriptive Authority Legislation documents were first approved by APA Council of Representatives in 1996, education and training models and advocacy initiatives (both federal and state) have evolved significantly. Prescriptive authority for psychologists is now formally recognized as a specialty practice area in psychology. Understanding the movement’s history helps to provide insight into future directions.
In this presentation, there will be an overview of APA’s historical support for prescription privileges, state-based advocacy efforts to enact prescriptive authority legislation and the repeated claims by opponents. This will include discussion about the development of the current recommended education and training models, the designation criteria system and model legislative provisions. Ms. Baker will also describe how APA continues to support state leaders in prescriptive authority advocacy efforts, what kind of advocacy opportunities with payers and federal agencies might be available, and how important it is to become politically involved as a precursor to any prescriptive authority advocacy initiative. Some lessons learned from past advocacy efforts will also be highlighted.
After attending this introductory-level program, participants will be able to:
(1) Identify the key program areas within the APA supporting prescriptive authority efforts.
(2) Describe the evolution of prescriptive authority legislative provisions and advocacy strategies reflecting geopolitical considerations and ongoing developments in the education and training domains.
(3) Identify key areas for targeted advocacy initiatives addressing practice-related implementation issues impacting prescribing psychologists.
This program meets APA’s continuing education STANDARD 1.2: Program content focuses on ethical, legal, statutory or regulatory policies, guidelines, and standards that influence psychological practice, education, or research.
This program meets APA’s continuing education GOAL 2: Program will enable psychologists to keep pace with the most current scientific evidence regarding assessment, prevention, intervention, and/or education, as well as important relevant legal, statutory, leadership, or regulatory issues.
Deborah C. Baker, JD; Director of Legal & Regulatory Policy in the Office of Legal & State Advocacy of the American Psychological Association’s Practice Directorate
Deborah C. Baker, JD is the Director of Legal & Regulatory Policy in the Office of Legal & State Advocacy of the American Psychological Association’s Practice Directorate. Since joining APA in 2004, she has worked with state psychological associations, APA leadership and members, regulatory bodies and outside stakeholders on a variety of issues relating to scope of practice/licensure (including prescriptive authority), telehealth and digital therapeutics, HIPAA compliance and patient data security and other legal and regulatory issues.
Ms. Baker works with APA governance groups, such as the Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) on legal/regulatory issues affecting professional practice. She also provides staff support to the APA Designation Committee for Postdoctoral Education and Training Programs in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority, which recognizes psychopharmacology training programs that meet the minimum standards and published criteria for psychologists seeking prescriptive authority. She has worked with various APA task forces on subsequent revisions to the original 1996 APA model psychopharmacology curriculum and model prescriptive authority legislation documents. The most recent initiative involved the 2019 APA Task Force established to review and revise APA policies on prescriptive authority for psychologists, designation of psychopharmacology training programs. She represents APA Practice in several outside organizations, including the Coalition for Patients’ Rights and the American Telemedicine Association.
She has made numerous presentations at the APA Annual Convention, state psychological association meetings and conferences as well as outside organizations about scope of practice and prescriptive authority issues. She has also authored numerous articles in this area including “The Revised 2019 Standards for Psychopharmacology Training” Model Education and Training Program in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority, published in the January 2021 issue of The American Psychologist.
American Psychological Association. (2019). Model Legislation for Prescriptive Authority. Washington, DC: Author. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/rxp-model-act.pdf.
American Psychological Association. (2019). Model education and training program in psychopharmacology for prescriptive authority. Washington, DC: Author. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/rxp-model-curriculum.pdf.
American Psychological Association. (2019). Designation Criteria for Education and Training Programs in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority. Washington, DC: Author. https://www.apa.org/education-career/grad/rxp-designation-criteria.pdf.
Brown, R. T., Abrahamson, D. J., Baker, D. C., Bevins, R. A., Grus, C. L., Hoover, M., LeVine, E. S., Lincoln, A. J., & Foster, E. O. (2021). The revised 2019 standards for psychopharmacological training: Model education and training program in psychopharmacology for prescriptive authority. American Psychologist, 76(1), 154-164. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000729
Target Audience: Psychologists and students.
Psychologists. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.0 continuing education credits. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is also committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods.
Non Psychologists. Most licensing boards accept Continuing Education Credits sponsored by the American Psychological Association but non-psychologists are recommended to consult with their specific state-licensing board to ensure that APA-sponsored CE is acceptable.
*Participants must attend 100% of the program in order to obtain a Certificate of Attendance.
If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address questions, concerns and any complaints to [email protected]. There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.