Hawai`i and Florida Legislative Efforts
Presented by Judi Steinman, PhD
Recorded on Friday, March 15th, 2024
Access provided upon registration on “My Courses” page
The Prescriptive Authority Movement for Psychologists began in Hawai`i in in the mid -1980s and continues in the current 2024 legislative session. Many members of the Hawai`I Psychological Association have supported the movement over the years and legislators from around the state have introduced their own bills and resolutions that would create a path towards Prescribing Psychologists in Hawai`i.
As of 2022, legislation has passed in six states – New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho and Colorado – and eleven other states have introduced legislation or plan to do so in 2024-2025. This presentation will highlight the activities in Florida and Hawai`i. How do we change the trajectory for RxP in Hawai`i? Input from legislators, advocacy groups and educators will be presented in an effort to identify ways that HPA members can contribute to successful passage of RxP legislation.
When attended in full, this program offers 1.0 APA CEs for Psychologists.
The Prescriptive Authority Movement for Psychologists began in Hawai`i in in the mid -1980s and continues in the current 2024 legislative session. Many members of the Hawai`I Psychological Association have supported the movement over the years and legislators from around the state have introduced their own bills and resolutions that would create a path towards Prescribing Psychologists in Hawai`i.
As of 2022, legislation has passed in six states – New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho and Colorado – and eleven other states have introduced legislation or plan to do so in 2024-2025. This presentation will highlight the activities in Florida and Hawai`i. How do we change the trajectory for RxP in Hawai`i? Input from legislators, advocacy groups and educators will be presented in an effort to identify ways that HPA members can contribute to successful passage of RxP legislation.
After attending this intermediate-level program, participants will be able to:
1. Identify states and federal entities in which qualified psychologists can prescribe.
2. Explain the different approaches that states are taking to introduce Prescriptive Authority legislation for Psychologists.
3. List several ways that Prescribing Psychologists can contribute to Hawai`i’ and Florida’s mental health needs.
This program meets APA’s continuing education STANDARD 1.1: Program content focuses on application of psychological assessment and/or intervention methods that have overall consistent and credible empirical support in the contemporary peer reviewed scientific literature beyond those publications and other types of communications devoted primarily to the promotion of the approach.
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.
Judi Steinman, PhD, Adjunct Professor, CSPP – Alliant International University
Dr. Steinman is an adjunct professor in the CSPP-Alliant International University’s Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology (MSCP) program and was Program Director from 2017-2022. She served as the President of APA’s Society for Prescribing Psychology (Division 55) in 2019 and as Past President from 2020-2021.
She chairs the Division 55 Training Program Director Council and is founding chair of the Division 55 Legislative and Social Action Committee (LASAC). She is a member of numerous Councils and Committees. She co-authored the Division’s Specialty Petition to APA’s CRSPPP, allowing Clinical Psychopharmacology to be recognized as a specialty.
Dr. Steinman serves as chair of the Hawaiʻi and Florida Psychological Associations’ RxP Committees. She is actively engaged in efforts to bring prescriptive authority for qualified psychologists to Hawai`i, Florida and across the globe. She trains graduates from all of the MSCP programs for the national PEP exam.
American Psychological Association. (2019, February). Designation criteria for education and training programs in psychopharmacology for prescriptive authority. https://www.apa.org/education/grad/rxp-designation-criteria.pdf
American Psychological Association. (2019). Model Legislation for Prescriptive Authority. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/rxp-model-act.pdf
American Psychological Association Division 55 (American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy) Task Force on Practice Guidelines (2011). Practice guidelines regarding psychologists’ involvement in pharmacological issues. The American psychologist, 66(9), 835–849. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025890
Choudhury AR, Plemmons A. Deaths of despair: prescriptive authority of psychologists and suicides. Published online https://www.thecgo.org/research /deaths-of-despair/; September 28, 2021.
Gordon, J. A. (2020). Addressing disparities: Advancing mental health care for all Americans. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2020/addressing-disparities-advancing-mental-health-care-for-all-americans.shtml
Gray, J, Folen R, Harnick, K and Steinman J. (2016) The 2016 Hawai’i RxP initiative. The Tablet, 2, 10-11.
Illinois Psychological Association. (2019). The RxP difference: Answering the crises in mental health care. https://illinoispsychology.org/prescribing-psychologists/
McNamara, K.M. and Steinman, J.L. (2015). Hawaii FQHC and Legislation. The Tablet, 1, 26-28.
Phillip M. Hughes, Robert E. McGrath, Kathleen C. Thomas. In press. Evaluating the impact of prescriptive authority for psychologists on the rate of deaths attributed to mental illness. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.
Target Audience: Psychologists.
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.