Article archive / January 1, 2011
Originally published: . Volume 2, No. 5. Source pages: 1, 13, 14, 15.
Editors note: Three statewide organizations are available to those who want to help mold the future of psychology in Louisiana – LPA, LAMP and Grassroots.
What follows is some information about each, including my editorial comments and opinions. (I’m a member of LPA and Grassroots.)
The Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA)
Established in 1948, LPA is the official state association for psychology. It is an APA affiliate and listed with the state as a non-profit corporation. Kelley Ray and Phillip Griffin are president and president-elect.
Mission: “The object of LPA shall be to support and advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare.”
Members: LPA has 257 members, mostly practicing psychologists, including clinical, school, neuropsychological, medical, and a few academic psychologists. (Some non-members call LPA “the clinician’s organization.”) Like APA, LPA has been losing scientists for many years.
Dues: At $255 for full members, dues are in line with similar state associations. First year members get a discount at $110. The second year dues are $180. Associate members are $75 and students, $20. This year 53% of the dues go to lobbying efforts.
Some Potential Benefits:
• Members can coordinate with others to watch or propose legislation. The new lobbying and governmental affairs attorney is Mr. Kevin Hayes of Adams and Reese ($2,000 per month).
• A web page with links and information for the public; includes searchable database for the public, i.e., “Find a Psychologist.” (http://www.louisianapsychologist.org/ind ex.cfm)
• Listserv for members’ questions, referrals, or discussions
• Continuing education workshops, annual meetings and fall conference
• An Executive Director, Ms. Gail Lowe, who is very helpful, efficient, and accessible
• Membership carries with it some prestige
Organizational Style:
LPA’s organizational style is mostly hierarchical and fairly formal. Some of the formality perhaps is required for quality assurance. LPA has a responsibility to the public to help with election of board members. Also, since referrals are made between members and for the public, standards regarding the behavior of its members are required. Hierarchical style organizations tend to be good at control but can be sluggish and lack innovation and creativity, and have difficulty adapting to change or crisis. LPA seems to suffer from these problems.
Current Situation:
LPA is struggling to adjust to the internal conflicts over the passage of Act 251. Last year the president asked APA for a small grant for a consultant but APA refused. Nothing else followed. So problems continue to smolder and occasionally burst into flames. But there have been some positive changes: a more representative council, better internal communications, a member opinion survey. However, intense focus on RxP for well over a decade has drained LPA’s human and financial resources. The webpage is dated, the “Public Information” section focuses on medical psychologists, public relations efforts appear paper thin, and nurturing of new leaders is absent. Unfortunately LAMP still appears to have influence with LPA leaders.
Recommendation: Psychologists, psychological scientists, professors, students and medical psychologists should join LPA. The organization is more “unfrozen” than it has been in years. Clear-headed thinkers can make important contributions.
“Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychology” or LA Academy of Medical Psychologists–PAC (LAMP)
LAMP is the political powerhouse led by Jim Quillin. LAMP, supported by LPA and grants from APA, was responsible for the 2004 law giving psychologists the authority to prescribe, something only one other state has been able to accomplish.
LAMP also negotiated the move of MPs to the medical board, a move that should allow MPs to compete in the marketplace with psychiatrists. The director of the medical board hinted that there would be more perks in store for these new “hybrid” professionals who practice both psychology and medicine.
The legal status of LAMP is unclear. LAMP does not appear to be registered under the secretary of state under that or a similar name. “LA Academy of Medical Psychologists” does exist legally, filing reports under the State Ethics Board as a PAC.
Mission: LAMP has very little public face but its mission appears to be to promote what the leaders feel is most important for the career advancement of medical psychologists.
Members: Membership appears to be somewhere between 36 and 60.
Dues: Yearly dues are $2500. Sources indicate that a portion of dues pay for some continuing education. Twenty-five percent is required by Act 251 to be paid to LAMP.
Whether these fees are dues or political contributions is unclear. The money given by members is listed on the PAC reports, but some MPs have stated that they pay $2500 in dues.
Also unclear is if a PAC can offer continuing education paid for by political contributions, or if those MPs who are not members of LAMP are contributing to a PAC when they purchase continuing education from LAMP, as required by 251.
PAC: LAMP is the only association of the three that has (or is) a political action committee. Currently they contract with the very successful lobbyists, Courson & Nickel ($6,000 per month). According to sources, LAMP may have over $100,000 in reserve to protect its interests.
Some of the Potential Benefits:
• Political action and influence unmatched in the state and perhaps even in the nation; a leader committed to political action
• Continuing education tailored to the needs of MPs
• Several listserves
• A tight-knit, heterogeneous group with similar needs, strong cohesion and internal support for one another
• Money in reserve
Organizational Style:
Appropriate to its political mission, LAMP has a competitive, somewhat military style. Decision- making is located in a small core group and information flow is restricted. Competition seems to guide the activities, with the goal of career enhancement for medical psychologists by way of political and regulatory influence.
Consistent with a competitive, goal-oriented culture, members appear quite loyal to their leaders. MPs have a strong identity and in-group culture. They have been through a lot together and those who have been along for the full ride have forked up as much as $30,000 of their own money for the cause, also contributing to strong cohesion.
Current Situation:
LAMP’s unilateral decision to negotiate Act 251 and trade psychology’s RxP for a place under medicine is likely to continue to cause problems for them. Act 251 upset a number of national groups, and galvanized a subset in LPA. These problems are unlikely to disappear.
However, LAMP appears to lack the inclination or the skill set to mend any fences or build any bridges. Hierarchical and competitive organizations are better at fighting and win-lose frames, including the stealth that LAMP is famous for, than promote consensus or win-win solutions.
Recommendation: Medical psychologists should join LAMP. Leaders and members should clear up the confusion, as they are now accountable to medicine, psychology and the public. They should push for a maturing of organizational and leadership style.
Grassroots of Psychology in Louisiana (Grassroots)
“Grassroots” emerged in reaction to Act 251 in 2009 and is listed with the state as an LLC. Frustrated psychologists, mostly LPA members who viewed the actions of LAMP as unacceptable, and who also were angry about LPA’s lack of response, organized the volunteer, loosely defined, initiative-based group. Michael Chafetz was the leader for the first year and Alicia Pellegrin is the current president.
Mission: The group formed to address concerns about 251 and LPA reform. Over time the group has added other interests: connection to psychological scientists, diversity in the state association, a public relations and media program.
Dues and Membership: Membership is free. Psychologists, psychological scientists, professors and students can join. “Initiatives” are funded by voluntary donations on a case-by-case basis. Membership is somewhere around 100.
Benefits:
• Legal direction as needed from attorney Greg Frost
• A Listserv
• Connections to the larger community: Grassroots and Susan Dardard have developed several initiatives to promote connections with scientists and professors (Pro-Psych Party, Science-to-Practice Alumni Groups, a Scientific Program at LPA’s Fall meeting.)
• Teleconferencing for meetings and think tanks
• Website (with a weather report!) www.grpla.com.
Organizational Style:
The organizational style is open, participative, and innovative. Highly flexible, the decisions and initiatives are made by consensus using the available talents and knowledge of whoever shows up and has interest. At present the group process is fluid and unstructured, at times lacking in follow-up, back-ups, or administration of details.
Current situation:
Grassroots continues to serve its members by giving them a voice. The innovative atmosphere is refreshing, although a good deal of maturing into a more cohesive organizational structure will be needed in the future if the organization continues.
The group has a strong interest in reconnecting with psychological scientists and professors, something that appears missing in either LPA or LAMP, and could give Grassroots steam well after issues about 251 are resolved. While changes in LPA could make the need for Grassroots redundant, there may also be a real need for a free, innovative group that works outside of the more formal style of LPA, and is not focused on legislative self-interest.
Recommendation: Psychologists, professors, scientists, medical psychologists, and students should join Grassroots. The group will need a more complete organizational structure to facilitate goals and interests as it matures.
Executive Council members of LPA enjoy lunch at the Fall Meeting: L to R: President, Dr. Kelley Ray, Directors Dr. Gail Gillespie and Dr. Kim Van Geffen, and President-Elect Dr. Phillip Griffin.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.