May - Texas Psychological Association

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Ray H. Brown, PhD. As I sit before my .... HAeval ($2.99) presents a structured interview for headache symptoms, along with assessment of triggers and patterns .
A Message from the President Ray H. Brown, PhD

As I sit before my computer to once again address the TPA membership, I cannot help but reflect on all that has been written, all that has been done, and all that has happened since first addressing our membership at the 2012 TPA Convention. We introduced the Platinum Advocate Membership and hoped/budgeted for a mere handful. I counted around 85 Platinum Advocate members on the last published list! I asked that you attempt to bring at least one new member on board and many of you have done that and even more. The rest of you still have time to meet that challenge. While more is needed, our membership has shown increased readiness to meet the changes and the challenges before us. An unbelievable TPA committee has put together this year’s convention program in what has to be record time, and they sacrificed nothing in the way of quality. The committee’s convention theme is consistent with the theme of change and challenge that we often talk about—“Honoring our traditions. Expanding our horizons.” The goal is to focus on the traditional practice issues while exploring new modalities and new points of service delivery—gaining some needed tools to meet the changes ahead. Psychology is important to the public, and we are the best trained profession among the ranks of mental health care professionals. We have a responsibility to maintain that and to grow with changing times. This legislative session started quickly, and It was amazing to walk the halls of the Capitol with TPA made amazing progress resulting in our being among David and to see how many people know him, how many the first groups to introduce bills and among the first approach him, and how many ask David and TPA for to have hearings set. This was not accidental! It certainly input! Because of that, we literally made history! is not routine! This momentum began with some good work, some good relationship-building, and the introduction of some good bills last session. That momentum was maintained and accelerated by your Executive Director, David White, through hours and hours of relationship building at the Capitol, both between sessions and through the current one. It was amazing to walk the halls of the Capitol with David and to see how many people know him, how many approach him, and how many ask David/TPA for input! Because of that, we literally made history! I have yet to talk with anybody who remembers TPA drafting, introducing, and passing—YES, passing not one, but two bills this session. As I write, I can tell you that, pending only the blessing of Governor Perry, HB 807 and 808 will be law in September. Much more is forthcoming in the next edition of the Texas Psychologist, so I will be brief here. HB 807 protects the title “psychologist,” essentially eliminating the age-old standard of government employees being given a job title of, for example “Staff Psychologist” without having a license, sometimes without even having a background in psychology.





May 2013 E-Newsletter

A Message from the President

HB 808 is written to enhance the career advancement of the upcoming psychologists, allowing the billing of As I write, I can tell you that, insurance companies for their services, delivered under supervision, during that Provisionally Licensed time that I have referred to as a “no man’s land,” a time pending only the blessing of where employment/income have been a problem. These are big steps, and I do not intend to diminish Governor Perry, HB 807 and 808 will the value and importance of these bills with my next statement. That is, I believe that the biggest victory of all is the new momentum, the greater recognition and be law in September. valuing of TPA and Psychology, and the opportunity to carry that forward, session after session. It is the responsibility of each of us to help maintain that momentum. Get to know your senator(s) and representative(s)! Get on board with the Grassroots Committee! Increase your activity in TPA!





We can never focus on one thing at a time at TPA. As the legislative work was being done, the convention was being organized, routine business continued, and our Business of Practice Committee continued to fight to protect our reimbursement rates and our inclusion in various reimbursement plans among both governmental and private insurance programs. Even as I write, leaders of TPA are addressing, through live and written testimony, the likes of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Rate Setting Division. Among their goals in this is the protection of rates related specifically to testing and to family therapy. Talks are being initiated with the APA Practice Directorate attorneys for assistance in these matters and extensive efforts are being made to protect you and me as practitioners of psychology. Hopefully, you can see from this “tip of the iceberg” presentation just how much TPA does to protect our profession. I think too that it is surely obvious that all of this takes much time (away from practices) and much money. We need to increase our numbers at TPA as that makes us more visible and more powerful. We need to increase our financial resources (through membership) as there are costs involved, especially in dealing effectively (as we did this session) with the legislative process. Thank you to those of you who have joined TPA and special thanks to those of you who stepped up to the Platinum level. That is significant to our success. Finally, I sincerely thank every person who is serving on a committee, every person who writes a letter of support, every person who has traveled to Austin to give testimony and to each of you who generously writes a check from time to time to finance TPA, the best “insurance policy” available to psychologists in Texas! I apologize to each of you leaders in these outlined areas of hard work and success, for not naming you each and every time I write of your accomplishments. I truly fear leaving someone out, especially one or more of you who just silently do what is good for psychology. I do appreciate you! I thank each of you for the privilege of serving alongside you in our efforts at TPA.

May 2013 E-Newsletter

Apps for Psychologists

Christopher Royer, PsyD Pennsylvania Psychological Association The following article is from the June 2012 edition of The Pennsylvania Psychologist.

These days, between iPods, iPhones and iPads, most folks are using apps to stay organized, network, and shop like never before. The question is, how far away is the iPsychologist? This article takes a look at the current state of mobile apps for psychologists. Apps cost very little. Most are either free or just a few bucks. Apps tend to be simple, giving you access to content from one or multiple websites, or functioning as a standalone program focused on a specific function. Psychology apps are in their infancy, and other general apps can be tailored for use by our field. The PAR Assessment Toolkit (free) gives you a silent stopwatch, a conversion utility for standard scores, z scores, T scores and percentiles, a visual normal curve with conversions, an age calculator and a utility for maintaining compliance with follow-up dates. The Toolkit also lets you buy scoring conversions for the BRIEF, the BRIEF-A, BRIEF-P, NEO inventories, the PAI, and the MMSE-2. Each module costs between $4.99 and $7.99. 3D Brain (free) is a fantastic app with just the right level of brain anatomy to help educate clients about brain locations and functions. Test administration with iDevices has not taken off yet. Tests are expensive. Cost and ensuring user qualifications are still a problem. There’s also the issue of personal data stored on a portable device. The touch interface provides a great way to have the subject respond to items. The Stroop Effect (free) asks the test-taker to touch the color that the word is printed in as the stimulus flashes in the screen. The program is very easy to use and the interface is comfortable. We just need some norms! The Token Test (free) for language disorders is also available. The tokens are reproduced very nicely and a host of test versions can be used. The interface is a bit awkward and needs some work. The Williams Naming Test and the Williams Memory Test ($19.99 each) appear to have some credible press. They are both normed for the iPad, which is important for iTest development, although they have yet to see mainstream use. On a sad note, for 99¢ you can have your own set of Rorschach plates for the iPad. The images are distorted and stretched lengthwise. The app comes with a “test,” which is about as close to the Exner method as Beck is to Freud. The PAR Concussion Recognition and Response App ($4.99), allows for an on-the-scene assessment of concussion symptoms, as well as follow-up for monitoring of recovery and return-to-play decisions. The app is laid out very well, and the assessment is based on sound clinical standard of care.

May 2013 E-Newsletter

Apps for psychologists HAeval ($2.99) presents a structured interview for headache symptoms, along with assessment of triggers and patterns. The app generates a report based on your findings. Psychiatry on Call ($1.99) gives the user information on DSM-IV diagnoses and symptoms to use as a companion for a clinical interview. iCouch CBT ($1.99) gives clients a venue to record and reframe negative thought patterns, and it is very well reviewed by consumers. PTSD Coach (free) assists clients with assessment and management of PTSD symptoms through education and suggestions for personal behavior change. There is also an extensive set of links to PTSD resources. There are several self-help modules for AD/HD, adult dyslexia, and autism. Each app costs $4.99. These apps contain the standard checklists to assess how likely a person is to have the diagnosis, and they also give suggestions about interventions and resources. Relax2breathe (free) is a great app that presents the user with attractive scenes and sound tracks along with a fully customizable breathing session. The app allows you to set inhale and exhale times, along with the length of the session. The app also asks you to rate your stress at the beginning and end of each session. For about $25 ($4.99 per module), you can study for the EPPP on your iDevice. I haven’t looked at these apps because, well, I don’t have to! However, there are some very positive user reviews. PsycExplorer HD and Psychology Latest are both free. Both apps give thumbnail sketches of news, videos, and citations that can be followed up for more in-depth information in the app or through links to the Web. Both apps wander into the pop psych arena, although PsycExplorer seems less inclined to do so. ITunes University gives you access to over 500 courses in the field of psychology alone (and thousands in other areas). The courses range from single lectures to complete courses. There are also hundreds of podcasts on iTunes dedicated to psychology and related fields. Like anything else, it’s always a good idea to cross check the presenter(s) with reliable sources as to their credentials and areas of competency. Medline, Pubmed, and APA offer apps for searching for articles and book chapters. Unfortunately, all have been poorly reviewed, mainly for technical issues and crashes. Popplet ($4.99) offers a nice method of organizing your ideas in a visual manner. It has an easy user interface and many types of files that can be ported into the chart. APA’s PsycEssentials ($39.99) provides information about various disorders, assessment, and treatment. APA also released a companion app for the 2011 convention, which was very well reviewed. Access to APA journal abstracts is also available in an app format.

May 2013 E-Newsletter

Apps for psychologists Finally, the recent introduction of interactive textbooks is an amazing opportunity for psychologists. Imagine reading about an intervention and then watching it being performed right on the electronic pages of the same book, or reading about conduction aphasia and then hearing an example of how it sounds at the same time. To see the potential of interactive books, I recommend Al Gore’s Our World app. The PPA Committee on Technology Implementation assists PPA members in learning and evaluation of new technologies to improve practice efficiency and patient care.

Source: Christopher, R. (2012). Apps for Psychologists. The Pennsylvania Psychologist, 72(6), 15.

May 2013 E-Newsletter

Electronic Health Records Committee Michael Ratheal, EdD

Electronic Health Records Committee Chair

In 1996, Congress required that national standards be developed for electronic health care records (EHR). This initiative was furthered in 2009 to address improving health care through standardizing the quality of patient information and establishing systems for efficiency and privacy related to sharing this information. An EHR is an electronic version of the patient’s record. To support the psychologists of Texas, TPA has developed a committee to address the impact on our practices. The results will be published in August and will help each of us understand the practical impact of the regulations and identify resources to individualize compliance. The committee is covering the following areas: • • • • •

Current Texas statutes and rules that govern psychologists using EHR Federal statues and rules that govern psychologists using EHR Current EHR systems on the market for psychologists and the cost of implementing this in their practice Security and confidentiality issues psychologists must consider when implementing EHR How EHR integrates into the Health Information Exchange (HIE)

The committee includes Andrea Bradford, PhD (Houston), Alan Stephenson, PhD (Duncanville), Mike McFarland, PhD (Dallas), Karin Price, PhD (Houston), Colette Miesse, PhD (Athens), and is chaired by Michael Ratheal, EdD (Lubbock).

May 2013 E-Newsletter

May Member Spotlight Danielle Hale, PhD

Dr. Danielle Hale is the lead psychologist for the Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Program administered through Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority (MHMRA) of Harris County in conjunction with the Harris County Sheriff ’s Office (HCSO), Houston, TX. She has been working with this program since its inception in December 2007. The program provides individual and group psychotherapy to 20 male inmate patients and eight female inmate patients housed on the Mental Health Unit. She enjoys working with the diverse patient population and the variety of areas in which she can help her patients. She performs and presents outcome research on a regular basis to monitor the efficacy of the CBT program and assist with disseminating the knowledge gained with this patient population. She also assists the HCSO in providing training for incoming mental health deputies and is an adjunct professor with the Department of Psychology at Houston Baptist University. Her areas of interest include resilience, coping strategies, malingering, reduction of recidivism, and mental illness in the forensic population. Danielle enjoys spending her recreational time with her children and her beautiful 2-year-old granddaughter, reading, and traveling. Dr. Hale enjoys the privilege of belonging to TPA, reading the weekly news clips and monthly newsletters, as well as attending and occasionally presenting at the conventions around the state.

May 2013 E-Newsletter

TPA Legislative Day and Mental Health Fair Lauren Witt

TPA Director of Marketing and PR While the Legislative Session is a demanding time for TPA and the Legislative and Grassroots Committees, it is an imperative one for your profession. Executive Director David White has spent countless hours at the state capitol visiting with legislators and their staff to shed light on the most important legislative issues facing Texas psychologists today. Without someone monitoring the bills being proposed and enlisting legislators to support or oppose bills that directly, or indirectly, impact your profession, the voice of Texas psychologists would get lost in the crowd at the capitol. Through the commitment of your Legislative Committee, along with the help of TPA lobbyist Shannon Noble, a number of TPA bills have been introduced and filed by legislators. In particular, two of these bills were heard before House committees exceptionally early in the session. On Wednesday, February 27 two of TPA’s 2013 Legislative Bills were heard before the House Public Health Committee. President Dr. Ray Brown, flying in from Lubbock, and Dr. Bob McPherson, driving in from Houston, provided testimony on behalf of TPA for each of these bills. While the testimonies themselves only lasted about 30 minutes, the entire process took most of the day. After arriving at the capitol at 7:30 a.m. for the 9:00 a.m. hearing, and waiting hours for our bills to be heard (which included sitting through five hours of testimony on raw milk distribution), Drs. Brown and McPherson testified on House Bills 807 and 808 around 3 p.m. To date, both of these bills have passed through the House of Representatives and are on their way to be heard in the Senate.

May 2013 E-Newsletter

A Day at the Capitol HB 807 relates to the removal of exempt agencies from being able to use “Psychologist” as a title for employees who do not hold a doctoral degree in psychology. HB 808 relates to the authority of a psychologist to delegate the provision of certain care to a person under the psychologist’s supervision. This pertains to provisionally and newly licensed psychologists for billing purposes. Included are some photos from the day’s event. Prior to the hearing, Dr. Brown, Dr. McPherson, and David White go over the hearing schedule and discuss the plan for the day.

Dr. McPherson (left photo) and Dr. Brown (right photo) providing testimony before the House Public Health Committee.

May 2013 E-Newsletter

A Day at the Capitol

House Public Health Committee, chaired by Representative Lois Kolkhorst, listening to TPA testimony on HB 807.

Dr. Ray Brown, Dr. Bob McPherson, Executive Director David White, and TPA lobbyist Shannon Noble after the hearing.

May 2013 E-Newsletter