Open
Letter to APA Regarding MLA* Donald
J. Asbridge, Ed.S., KOG Editor
APA
is removing the exemption for school psychologists through their Model
Licensure Act. Amongst other changes, they want the term, "psychologist,"
to be used only by doctoral-level personnel. Here is the KOG's open
letter to APA regarding their proposal:
The
KOG agrees in part with APA: now is the time to go ahead and stop
calling nondoctoral psychologists "psychologists," but only under the following
four conditions:
1)
Remove all "psychologists" from the schools, whether they are Ph.D.'s or
not. Students need to go to school to get an education -- not a diagnosis. 2)
Drop special education
altogether. Students with true disabilities can be served through
504/ADA, just like everywhere else in America. 3)
Schools should keep any and all employees who actually help students.
Give them the title of "professional educators." 4)
For a thousand reasons, don't replace "school psychologists" with
"clinical psychologists" in the schools.
As you APA Ph.D. clinical
psychologists begin your entry into the schools, I want to congratulate
you on your soon-to-be legislative victory. I know you're excited
to start implementing your DSM (especially your brand new DSM-V) in the
schools, but please, I encourage you to start slowly. Things in schools
work a bit differently than you've become used to in your private practice:
there's more to it than just calling the kid ADHD, slapping him on meds,
banking the kickback from the pharmaceutical company, and moving on to
the next case. I know there's a lot of money to be made, but don't
feel you have to make it all on the first day. Try to show some self-restraint.
Good luck and let me know if I can help. I'm happy to train you for
a large fee upon request.
Q:
Why do we never get an answer?
A:
Because the truth is hard to swallow...
When
you stop and think about it, you
won't believe it's true!
It's
not the way that you say it... ...It's
more the way you really mean it.
Click
here to submit your letter to the KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
If 25,000 school psychologists lose their jobs because of MLA, will there
be a huge class action lawsuit related to restriction of trade?
Signed, "Wondering"
Dear Wondering,
Of
course, but not to worry, APA has a lot of money.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
Why is the KOG taking sides with APA?
Signed, "School Psychologist"
Dear School Psychologist,
The
KOG is not siding with APA -- The KOG is siding with the students.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
As a Ph.D. psychologist I've been planning for the near future when I will
become a supervisor for ex-school psychologists. I've been trying
to come up with the best title for my new staff. Which of the following
do you recommend: psych aide, psych helper, psych worker, or psych
runner?
Signed, "Real Psychologist"
Dear Real Psychologist,
I wouldn't
count any chickens yet... your MLA may not work out exactly as you hope
it will.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
Will APA go after other nondoctoral "psychologists" too? I'm thinking
about Licensed Educational Psychologists in California and Certified Sports
Psychologists.
Signed, "LEP/CSP"
Dear LEP/CSP,
They're
going to have to, otherwise it would give the image that all they were
really interested in was access to millions of students in the schools,
and that would look like a mere money-grab. From a PR perspective
alone, they'll have to go after all nondoctoral psychologists. They
wouldn't discriminate against only one type of nondoctoral psychologists
-- that would add millions to any lawsuit settlements.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
Is there any way this MLA issue could be peacefully resolved?
Signed, "Negotiator"
Dear Negotiator,
This
plan might work -- APA could buy us out. For example, I'm 54 and
plan to retire at age 65. Starting with my present salary, APA could
pay me for eleven more years of service with each year's salary increasing
by 5% COLA. Add $250,000 to that figure for damages and APA could
also provide me with an insurance/benefits plan for life; add $1,000,000
if they've discriminated against only school [non-doctoral] psychologists.
That would work for me and who wouldn't be happy with that peaceful resolution
to this tricky situation? We wouldn't have to be tied up in the courts
for ten to twenty years or more with lawyers and all... APA would be able
to carry out their agendas, nondoctoral psychs would be gone... it would
be an easy solution because APA has a lot of money already. What
do you think?
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear
KOG Editor,
Will the clinical psychologists use RtI?
Signed, "RtI Believer"
Dear RtI Believer,
No.
Clinical psychologists use other methods, primarily the DSM, meds, ECT,
lifelong therapy, psychiatry, anger management classes, case management,
and, um, more.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
I'm a Ph.D. Only I should be allowed to be a psychologist because
I'm better than you. I went to one more year of college than you
did.
Signed, "Ph.D. Psychologist"
Dear Ph.D. Psychologist,
Ph.D.s
fall on the normal curve, just like everyone else.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
There aren't that many Ph.D.s. -- who will actually implement all the services
for students if MLA occurs?
Signed, "Principal"
Dear Principal,
BS-level
mental health workers will be scampering around all over campus implementing
the services as recommended and supervised by the Ph.D. psychologist, who
will be sitting blocks away in some ivory tower.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
Is it true children as young as four years old are being referred for psychiatric
services and ECT?
Signed, "Concerned Parent"
Dear Concerned Parent,
Look,
the information is out there. Why don't you begin collecting your
own information so you can make an informed independent decision?
Do a few web searches of your own. Go to your favorite search engine
and type in Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy for children.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
If MLA goes through, what kind of work will the ex-school psychologists
do?
Signed, "Special Education Director"
Dear Special Education
Director,
Well,
they could work with all students to help with real-life issues through
problem solving and decision making activities, provide empowerment, choices,
and utilize powerful interventions from Glasser's reality orientation and
Seligman's positive psychology model and more! We wouldn't have to
work with invented conditions (such as ADHD, etc.) any more -- the APA
[real] psychologists can work with the imaginary "conditions." We,
on the other hand, could actually help students with real-life conflicts
and problems! This APA MLA might work out okay after all.
Signed, KOG Editor
Dear KOG Editor,
The more I read about this topic, the more outraged I get! Where
can concerned citizens speak up about this MLA?
Signed, "Concerned Citizen"
Dear Concerned Citizen,
Click
here to submit your comments.
Signed, KOG Editor
Another KOG RtI Resource...
in
Turmoil
KOG's Suggested Format for the Summary
& Conclusions Section of Your RtI Report Donald J. Asbridge, Ed.S., KOG Editor
Your KOG Editor, like thousands of others
across the country, has been struggling for several years now trying to
find any kind of logical, professional, effective, and scientifically-sound
way of documenting how the [behavioral] RtI process has, um, diagnosed
still another child with a [cognitive] "learning disability." After
much hard work, I think I've finally found accurate wording for the "Summary
& Conclusions" section of my RtI reports.
Summary
& Conclusions: This student
has received three tiers of my powerful research-based instruction and
interventions in the general education environment, yet she continues to
experience academic difficulties in math; therefore, she certainly possesses
a learning disability as per district RtI criteria. Assuming the
IEP team concurs, we should all just throw up our hands, give up, and recommend
that she should receive special education services in the most appropriate
and least restrictive environment.
Feel free to utilize this free KOG RTI
resource/format in your reports if it helps!
Look Closer...
*About APA's Model Licensure Act (MLA)
Okay, school psychologists and APA members
know what this MLA is all about, but many KOG visitors, including the increasing
numbers of parents, students, and community members who are visiting The
KOG from around the world, may not. Therefore, an explanation is
due:
In real language, APA wants to have access
to [all the money that could be made by prescribing meds and enjoying the
subsequent kickbacks from services provided to] children in the schools.
By "kicking out" nondoctoral school psychologists, doctoral-level
clinical
psychologists could gain access to the children and make more money.
It's potentially a spectacular payday for clinical psychologists, big pharma,
and the legislators who end up backing this, um, cause to improve
services in the schools.
But don't take my word for it. Here
is an explanatory letter from Gene Cash, NASP President:
"APA’s current MLA (1987) includes an exemption
for school psychologists certified by state education agencies allowing
them to use the term psychologist in their title as long as they are practicing
in public schools. The new language removes this exemption for non-doctoral
school psychologists, who will no longer be able to use the title “school
psychologist.” This will affect more than two-thirds of all school
psychologists, cause extensive complications in policy and regulatory provisions,
and cause public confusion.
The proposed MLA definition of psychological
practice addresses in total or in part all services provided by school
psychologists. Any non-licensed or non-exempt person would be prohibited
from providing any services that fall within the definition. This
will seriously impinge on the ability of non-doctoral school psychologists
to provide the services for which they are credentialed and qualified,
and limit the availability of those services at a time of increasing need
in schools.
The proposed MLA changes school psychology
from an area of specialization to a foundational area of psychological
education, effectively eliminating the
necessity for full school psychological
training in order to practice in schools. This would enable psychologists
with minimal training in school psychology and education to practice in
schools and would put in jeopardy the quality of services for thousands
of children and schools.
“Supervision” has been added to the definition
of the “practice of psychology,” with the apparent goal of requiring all
non-doctoral school psychologists
to be supervised by a doctoral psychologist—without
regard to whether or not they have training in school psychology.
They may be either licensed by a Board of Psychology or credentialed by
a State Education Agency (SEA), although there would be no requirement
that the SEA credential be in school psychology.
NASP is developing an updated side-by-side
overview of the changes, along with their implications, and is drafting
responses to each issue of concern. It is imperative that every school
psychologist weigh in with APA on these revisions. In addition, if
you know others outside the field of school psychology who might be affected
by these proposed changes (e.g., administrators, SEA officials, school
board members, legislators, parents, teachers, etc.), ask them to comment
as well. We face a significant battle ahead, and we must start now.
Sending your response is easy. Simply
click [on the link provided below] and follow the brief instructions.
It is important that you fill out the APA form correctly or your response
will not be counted. You can use the resources provided by NASP,
adapt and personalize these, or draft your own response.
NASP continues to work with APA, Division
16, and our stakeholders at the national level to fight the proposed changes.
Your state leaders are doing the same at the state level. We will keep
you posted. Make no mistake, this is a direct challenge to our profession
and we need you to join the fight.
Thank you for all you do—and will continue
to do—to take strides to make a difference for children, families, and
schools.
Sincerely,
Ralph E. (Gene) Cash, NCSP
NASP President
National Association of School Psychologists"
Submit
Your Comment(s):
Parents, Students, School
Staff, Community Members, Taxpayers!!!
Make Your Voice Heard. Provide your
comments to APA.
APA has opened a second 90-day comment
period. It is critical that school psychologists and other stakeholders
share their views on the proposed changes to the Model Act no later than
June
5, 2009.
As always, The KOG is different from others...
a "sample paragraph" will not be provided for you -- you are highly capable
of developing and articulating your own views... just remember -- the real
question is, do you want the the clinical model to replace the educational
model in the public schools?
Past KOG Classic Revisited...
As the passage and implementation of the
new MLA looms, this past KOG classic (The Interview!) will help you prepare
for your upcoming interviews for new psych assistant positions. This
KOG resource was originally published November, 2007 in the "Preparing
For America's Future Edition."
Click
here to become a friend or affiliate of The KOG...
DISCLAIMERS:
Same disclaimers as always! Opinions are just opinions.
NOTES:
The MLA is about much more than just titles. If it was only about
titles, I really could care less. But it's about much more than just
titles... potentially (in the KOG Editor's opinion) it could change almost
every aspect of special education, mental health, and psychology in the
schools. Again, if it was a change for the better (like The KOG has
been proposing for years), I'd be all for it. But you get to decide
if psychiatry,
the DSM, medications,
therapy, anger management
classes, ECT, national
mental health depression screening day, etc. should become the
primary service delivery system for students in the public schools.
If you're okay with that, you don't have to say a word to anyone because
that's the path down which we're seemingly going. If, on the other
hand, you have concerns about that path, then it would be wise to speak
up now because once any of these practices become standard routine, it
will take ten to twenty years -- or more -- to change it. Speak up
now to avoid a new therapeutic state in the schools. These are your
children we're talking about.
April KOG Published Wednesday,
April 1st, 2009 • Amended/Edited April 2nd, 2009
in
Turmoil
