INFO: [Call for Nominations] Clinical Treatment Guideline Development Panel

Dear Colleague:

 

As you may be aware, APA is undertaking a process to develop clinical treatment guidelines.  a Call For Nominations of individuals to serve on the panel that will develop a guideline for the treatment of depression is attached below..  Those interested in being considered to serve on this panel are asked to submit a brief statement indicating their willingness to serve and a CV.  Materials are due by November 15, 2011, and should be submitted to ctg@apa.org with “depression panel” in the subject line.

 

You are encouraged to circulate This Call For Nominations to your contacts and professional networks.

 

For additional background on this APA initiative, see:

APA moves forward on developing clinical treatment guidelines

Depression and obesity will be first topics of APA clinical treatment guidelines

 

Respectfully,

 

Lynn F. Bufka, PhD

American Psychological Association

 

 

Mary G. Hardiman, Director of Board Operations Governance Operations Practice Directorate American Psychological Association 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242 Tel: (202) 336-5881 |  Fax: (202) 336-5797 email: mhardiman@apa.org | www.apa.org
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American Psychological Association

 

Call for Nominations

Clinical Treatment Guideline Development Panel

Depressive Disorders Across the Lifespan

 

The American Psychological Association’s Advisory Steering Committee for the Development of Clinical Treatment Guidelines is seeking nominations of individuals to serve on a panel to develop a clinical treatment guideline for depressive disorders across the lifespan. Individuals are encouraged to self-nominate and nominations from other individuals and groups are also invited. Nominees who will enhance the diversity of the development panels are particularly encouraged to apply.

 

The development panel will be composed of at least seven members.  Members ideally serve on only one active APA guideline development panel at a time although they may serve on more than one over the course of time. The development panels will be led by a chair. The selection of the chair will be made by the Advisory Steering Committee. The development panel may include members from disciplines other than psychology.  It is expected that the panel will take approximately two years to complete its work.

 

The development panels will consist of at least:

 

1.      Three content experts in the area of depressive disorders

2.      One full-time generalist practitioner

3.      One patient/ consumer advocate

4.      One biostatistician or methodologist

 

Among the content experts, a breadth of perspectives will be represented and include both experts who are primarily researchers and those who are primarily practitioners.  Task force members should have knowledge of treatment issues related to age (including children and older adults) and other dimensions of diversity (such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, culture, gender, sexuality, physical and mental abilities).  It is anticipated that task force members will collectively have experience working with a broad range of populations and in a broad range of settings.  Membership in APA is not a requirement to serve on the panel.

 

Background or expertise in one or more of the following areas may be useful to the panel:

 

• Clinical treatment guidelines development
• Comparative effectiveness research
• Systematic reviews
• Experience with clinical trials
• Contemporary methods for evaluation of psychological and behavioral interventions
• Dissemination/implementation research
• Relevant expertise in research design and statistical analysis
• Experience applying clinical treatment guidelines in practice settings
• Experience applying evidence-based practices in clinical settings
• Direct provision of psychological care in diverse practice settings or with diverse populations
• Patient/ consumer perspective
• Federal agency policies and programs related to guidelines
• Health care systems finance or administration
• Public health research and applications
• Public and community health delivery systems

 

The development panel will write the guideline for the treatment of depressive disorders based on systematic reviews of the research literature.  The panel will not conduct the systematic reviews itself but will develop the questions that guide the systematic reviews in collaboration with the Advisory Steering Committee and potentially other consultants. The guideline will include treatment recommendations and indications of the strength of the evidence for each recommendation in accordance with procedures developed by the Advisory Steering Committee and consistent with emerging best practices in treatment guidelines development.  Progress reports will be made to the Advisory Steering Committee and the APA Board of Directors and governance groups on a regular basis. 

 

The Advisory Steering Committee will review candidate materials and provide a final list of qualified candidates for the development panel to the Board of Directors for appointment. 

 

Letters of nomination should clearly describe the candidate's specific expertise and qualifications related to the criteria above.  Nomination materials should include a letter from the nominee indicating willingness to serve for at least two years, a brief statement of the nominee's qualifications, and a current curriculum vitae.  Development panel members are expected to travel to Washington, DC, for at least two face-to-face meetings yearly and commit additional time and effort to the panel in between these meetings. Current members of the APA governance groups BPA, BSA and CAPP are not eligible to serve. 

 

Nominations and supporting materials should be sent via email to the APA Clinical Treatment Guidelines mailbox (ctg@apa.org) by November 15, 2011.

 

Note:  Candidates not selected for this development panel may be nominated for future panels.

 

Additional background:

APA moves forward on developing clinical treatment guidelines

Depression and obesity will be first topics of APA clinical treatment guidelines

 

 

 

INFO: 2011 CECP Call for Nominations

 

See below!  This is a wonderful opportunity for Early Career Psychologists.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn M. Aldwin, Ph.D.

APA Division 20 President

Professor & Director, Gerontology Program
Dept. of Human Development & Family Sciences
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR  97330
541 737-2024; 541 737-1076 (fax)

“Everything is connected with everything else; but not all things are connected by the short and straight roads we expected.” -- C. S. Lewis

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Call for Nominations

COMMITTEE ON EARLY CAREER PSYCHOLOGISTS

The Committee on Early Career Psychologists (CECP) is seeking nominations for a representative to serve a three-year term (2012-2014):

CECP Governance and Membership Representative:

• Serve as CECP liaison to the Membership Board and help advise the board on successful recruitment, retention, and engagement efforts aimed at early career professionals
• Serve as the point of contact for the membership representatives on all boards and committees within the APA governance structure.
• Work closely with the CECP staff liaison to develop activities focused on early career membership and strategies for increasing recruitment, retention, and involvement of early career members, and  provide feedback on early career initiatives and activities
• Work with CECP staff liaison to provide suggestions for social media initiatives and other electronic initiatives focused on the needs of early career members
• Promote and support activities, projects, and programs that foster early career membership and engagement in APA
• Responsible for submitting information for the monthly news box in the Monitor re CECP activities and highlighting best practices in early career member involvement
• Responsible for monitoring early career outreach communications via listservs, social media, and other electronic outlets and actively stimulating topics of discussions and conversations. 
• Write a report of activities for the consolidated meeting for distribution to the committee and inclusion in CECP’s annual report
• Membership and or governance experience at the division or SPTA level is a plus.

 

 

 

Candidates must be an APA member within seven years’ receipt of their doctorate degree on January 1, 2012.

In addition, you must be able to attend mandatory committee meetings; one in the spring, and two in the fall.  Some committee members may be asked to attend additional meetings depending on their position.  Meeting expenses are reimbursed by APA. 

Although not reimbursed, committee members are highly encouraged to attend APA’s annual convention and participate in developing early career programming for the convention.  The committee works extensively through listserv and email. Applicants should expect to spend a minimum of 5 hours per week engaged in committee activities.

 

All candidates should include:

1. Statement of Interest from the nominee 

2. Current Curriculum Vitae

3. One Letter of Recommendation

 

Nomination materials must be received by October 31, 2011.  Applicants will be notified in December 2011.

Send nominations via email, mail, or fax to:        Kraig Ronald Scott

American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Fax: (202) 216-7628
Email: kscott@apa.org

CECP seeks to represent the interests and concerns of early career psychologists throughout APA.  For more information about the committee and other early career resources, please visit the APA early career website at www.apa.org/earlycareer. If you have any questions, please contact the current Chair, Oksana Yakushko, PhD at oyakushko@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Conferences: SSHD conference

FYI…

2011 SSHD 7^th Biennial Meeting: October 28 – 30, 2011

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

The Society for the Study of Human Development (SSHD) is pleased to announce its seventh biennial meeting at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. This year’s conference will begin on Friday, October 28 at noon, with formal sessions commencing at 1:00 pm, and conclude on Sunday October 30th at noon. The general theme for the 2011 biennial meeting is:

Developmental Systems Science

 

We have a full program of posters, symposium, workshops and keynote sessions on substantive areas of theory and research pertinent to developmental science.

 

Keynote Addresses

 

            In a joint meeting with the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, we present the Colvert Lectureship:

Brain Development and Adolescent Risk Behavior Debate:

Dr. Beatriz H. Luna is a Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research has focused on the brain mechanisms that support the transition to adult-level cognitive control of behavior, which has been vital to the field of developmental research and the controversial “brain debate”. 

Dr. Howard Sercombe, Professor of Education and Social Science at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, has made significant contributions to the field of youth studies. In his research, he has collaborated with the departments of Neurophysiology and Developmental Psychology to investigate the implications of brain architecture research on how we think about and understand young people.

In addition, SSHD is pleased to sponsor a plenary symposium that focuses on Systems Science and its intersection with Human Development.  These presentations will address current knowledge and future directions of developmental research that address different levels of analysis, account for bi-directional feedback processes, and illustrate the complexity inherent in change that occurs throughout the lifespan. Systems science methodologies in particular will be highlighted, including system dynamics, agent based modeling, network analysis, etc. These techniques, although well suited to the questions addressed in our field, are not widely used, and will be a focus of this symposium.

 

 The featured speakers and their specific presentation topics will be as follows:

 

• Agent-Based Modeling: Adam Thomas, Brookings Institution, Research Director, Center on Children and Families

 

• System Dynamics: Dr. Robert Milstein, PhD., M.P.H., Center for Disease Control (CDC)

 

• Network Analysis: Dr. Janet Okamoto, PhD., National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

                            

Unique Opportunities for Conference Attendees

 

• This year we have a joint session on Friday night with the Society for the study of the transition to adulthood. This society will be meeting downtown Providence from Wednesday October 26 to Friday October 28^th. Attendees are encouraged to attend both conferences if time permits and they are of interest.
• Saturday afternoon after the morning plenary symposium on Developmental Systems Science, the three speakers will conduct methodological workshops that will highlight the methodologies employed in each of their areas: agent based modeling, system dynamics and network analysis.
• SSHD publishes the Journal for the Study of Human Development. Posters and symposiums will be considered for subsequent publication in this journal.
• A valuable aspect of this conference is the opportunity it presents to network within a small community, which is much more difficult to take advantage of in larger conferences. Our last six conferences have been an avenue for students and post docs to be able to interact with leaders in the fields represented. Seating at the Saturday banquet will be arranged to promote such interactions.

 

Conference Registration

Those planning to attend the conference can register online by going to:

 

https://payment.brown.edu/C20460_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=1&SINGLESTORE=true

 

 

	Early Registration (ends July 31)	Regular Registration (Aug 1 – Oct 15)	On-Site Registration
SSHD Members	$250	$270	$290
Non-Members	$350*	$370*	$390*
Students	$75	$85	$95

As shown above, there will be a $90 discount for all SSHD members, as well as discounts for early registration.  We are offering a significantly reduced rate for students in order to encourage their participation in the conference.

*This year we are including the option of complimentary SSHD membership in the conference registration fee for non-members.  By choosing the option, “Not an SSHD member but would like to become one” (under “Registrant Type”) on the conference registration form, you will be automatically registered for SSHD membership.  The benefits of membership include receiving the flagship journal, Research in Human Development, and reduced registration rates for all future SSHD biennial meetings.  Those who become members before the October conference will also receive all previous 20ll issues of Research in Human Development. Membership renewal takes place at the start of each year. 

For further details on SSHD membership, please visit our website at http://www.sshdonline.org/

Registration Scholarships for Graduate Students

Registration scholarships to cover the cost of conference registration will be available for qualified graduate students. To apply for a registration scholarship, please contact Cynthia Garcia-Coll, Conference Director (Cynthia_garcia_coll@brown.edu) for specific registration directions. 

Transportation
Providence can be reached by car via I-95 from all directions.  From the North or South: From either I-95 South or I-95 North, take Exit 22A, Downtown, Memorial Boulevard. From the East: Follow I-195 West until exit 2, South Main Street.  For specific instructions on reaching Brown campus, please see the Brown University website (http://brown.edu/).  TF Green Airport is located about 20 minutes from downtown Providence (approximately $30 for one-way taxi service), and provides flights via domestic airlines.  An $11 shuttle (Airport Limousine Co.) leaves the airport on the hour and arrives on campus about 15 minutes later.  It is also possible to fly into Boston Logan Airport and travel to Providence by bus (local bus service -Peter Pan), or the MBTA commuter rail, which ends at the downtown Providence station, which is located within walking distance of most downtown hotels.

Lodging

The hotels listed below are holding blocks of rooms reserved for SSHD Conference attendees, from October 28^th-30^th. Please call as soon as possible to make a reservation at the hotel of your choice, as rooms will fill up quickly.

 

Conference events will take place on the Brown University campus, which is located just a few blocks from downtown.  Hotels are all within walking distance of campus (see distances listed below), weather permitting.  There will also be shuttles available from all hotels, which will run in the morning and evening, and more frequently in case of bad weather.

 

 

Wyndham Garden Providence

220 India St, Providence, RI 02903

(401) 272-5577          

           

            $89 per night, includes complimentary parking and wi-fi

            1.3 miles from campus

Hampton Inn

58 Weybosset Street Providence, RI 02903
Get Directions

(401) 608-3500

 

            $109 per night, including complimentary wi-fi, $25 per night for parking

            0.6 miles from campus

 

The Renaissance Hotel

5 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, RI 02903

(401) 276-0010

 

            $139 per night, includes complimentary wi-fi and parking

            1 mile from campus

 

Please direct general conference questions to Cynthia Garcia Coll, Program Committee Chair, Center for the Study of Human Development, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02906, or at SSHDconf2011@gmail.com

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

INFO: Action Alert! Medicare Payment at Risk

Action Alert! Medicare Payment at Risk

From: Merla Arnold <ma159@columbia.edu>

Date: 9/26/2011 9:55 PM

To: Division 42 - Division of Psychologists In Independent Practice <DIV42@LISTS.APA.ORG>, DIV17DISCUSS@LISTS.APA.ORG, Div 20 <PSYAGING-L@LISTS.UFL.EDU>

X   Urgent    X   Action        Required         For Your        Information

APA Practice Organization Action Alert

 

 

Date:               September 26, 2011

 

To:                  SPTA and Division Federal Advocacy Coordinators and APAGS Coordinators

 

From:             Marilyn Richmond, J.D., Assistant Executive Director for Government Relations

American Psychological Association Practice Organization

 

Cc:                  Katherine Nordal, Ph.D., Executive Director for Professional Practice

SPTA Executive Directors, SPTA Directors of Professional Affairs and CAPP

 

Re:                  Medicare Payment at Risk

 

 

Your profession needs you to take action NOW to encourage your legislators to stand up and talk to their colleagues on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to protect psychologist payments from steep Medicare cuts. 

 

Take Action!

 

Click here to urge your Senators and Representative to stand up against

steep Medicare cuts for psychologists

 

If you are not able to reach the Legislative Action Center from the above link, please visit http://capwiz.com/apapractice/issues/alert/?alertid=53048676.  If possible, please take action by Friday October 7.  Grassroots feedback is extremely helpful; if you receive a substantive response please email to jcook@apa.org. 

    

What Is the Latest on This Issue?

 

Enactment of the Budget Control Act has significantly altered the dynamics on Capitol Hill, as a newly empowered Joint Committee seeks to identify $1.2 trillion in additional deficit reduction.   If the committee fails to reach an agreement that can pass both chambers, Medicare provider payments would be cut by up to 2% in addition to the already pending 29.5% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut.  Psychologists could face a triple hit because the 5% psychotherapy payment restoration, which we have won through several tough fights since 2008, is scheduled to expire at the end of 2012 if Congress fails to act. 

 

Further complicating the picture, the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), which was created by Congress for its advice in this area, will soon recommend replacing the SGR with an 18% cut to psychologists and other providers over the next three years followed by a payment freeze for seven more years.  There is a lot at stake – and psychologists cannot afford to be silent.

 

Given the steep challenges we face, the APA Practice Organization is pushing forward in every forum available to us.   Last week APAPO provided testimony before a hearing of the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health to press the case for our psychotherapy extender, which we are pleased has earned the support of the American Medical Association.  We are working with allied provider organizations to make the case that psychologists and other health professionals are struggling in this economy and serving vulnerable patients who need and deserve access to quality mental health care.  At the same time, psychologists have sent nearly 7,000 messages to the Hill on reimbursement already this year. 

 

We can't let up.  Even if you sent a message earlier this year, we need you to do so again.  Your profession needs you to take action NOW to ensure the Joint Committee and other members are reminded of these critical priorities. 

 

APAPO: Putting Your Practice Assessment to Work

 

Additional Background:

 

CONGRESS SHOULD PROTECT

MEDICARE MENTAL HEALTH PAYMENT

 

To ensure the viability of the Medicare outpatient mental health benefit, Congress should extend through 2012 the restoration of cuts to Part B mental health services made in 2007. 

 

Mental Health Extender.  Congress restored payments temporarily but they now need to be extended.  Through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, Congress partially restored the cuts made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) "Five-Year Review" through 2009. Subsequent laws then extended the restoration through December 2011. The valuation of psychotherapy codes in the 2011 Five-Year Review has been delayed into 2012.  Congress should pass new legislation to extend payments through 2012, until the Five-Year Review is completed.

 

Effect on Beneficiaries. Extending psychologist payments cut by the Five-Year Review is crucial to protecting access to Medicare mental health services.  Psychologists and social workers provide almost all of the Medicare psychotherapy and testing services, but many have indicated that they may have to reduce their caseloads or leave Medicare if they are faced with these reimbursement cuts. The cost of protecting mental health services is very low, increasing costs by only $30 million per year.

 

Cut By MEI Rebasing.  A CMS technical advisory panel will be asked to examine the effect of a 4% cut to Medicare part B reimbursement for psychologists in January 2011 due to "rebasing" of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI).  In the 2011 fee schedule, CMS used more recent survey data that showed practice expense and malpractice became a larger share of the payment formula while provider's time became smaller. This increased payments for some services, particularly of professionals who utilize expensive technology.  Due to budget neutrality requirements, CMS reduced other reimbursement work values, which hit services of psychologists and social workers the hardest because they are typically provided at lower cost and lower overhead.

 

These cuts are not related to the Sustainable Growth Rate.  Psychologists were saved from a second and even more devastating reduction when Congressional action halted the projected 25% SGR cut through December 31, 2011.  Ultimately Congress must replace the flawed SGR formula with one that responsibly and permanently addresses provider payments.

 

Psychologists will leave Medicare.  In a 2008 survey, 11% of psychologists reported that they have dropped out of Medicare participation and a primary reason cited was low reimbursement rates.

Please act now!

--  Dr. M. Arnold Geropsychologist 631-271-9863