Article archive / July 1, 2012
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 11. Source pages: 13.
(Editor’s note: Dr. Bryan Gros takes over the presidency this month for the Louisiana Psychological Association. He agreed to an interview and here is what he told us about what he sees ahead.)
PT: What are some of your main plans and objectives for the presidential year?
BG: An overall, broad strategic vision is one of my main objectives. We could benefit from better defining, or better understanding, who we are, where we are, who we want to be, and where we want to be in the future.
I think that that’s a very broad strategic plan obviously, and we’re not going to be attaining that in one year. I’d like to set the table for the next few years, with the help of the EC and members. I believe we need a strategic plan. We've actually discussed this in the EC, so that we have a good idea of exactly where we want to go.
Also, and related to that, and the EC has discussed this also, we need to be stronger in promoting psychology to the public.
For just a little bit of the background, I was looking at the mission statement–To support and advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare. Obviously that includes the public in Louisiana. I think the public sometimes gets the short end of the stick. So, I think we can do a better job of that.
PT: What do you see as some of your biggest challenges?
BG: I’ve thought about that. I think my answer now would be much different than it was a few years ago.
One of the biggest goals and perhaps challenges is in membership recruitment and retention.
The loss of members is something happening nationally and I think it is a challenge we can overcome in time, but it relates to the other goals we have.
One of the other issues is communication. One of my primary goals is to encourage more communication between members and the EC. I do not want us [EC] to forget whom we represent.
I'd like more openness and transparency and also more communication with the members whenever possible. We've made some strides here. But I'd like more. I want to know what members think and want. Another challenge is continuing to be more proactive. We are often reactive and in fact I think we do a pretty good job when we are put in that position. But if we can develop a more proactive approach in developing our goals and plans, and then in reaching goals, this will be a very good outcome.
PT: Do you have any plans regarding Act 251?
BG: The issue of 251 is quite challenging. LPA obviously has a mandate from the members to actively explore bringing back the practice of psychology by prescribing psychologists to the regulation of the psychology board. That’s going to take a lot of strategy. The EC and I will not lose sight of this. I’m not going to lose sight of it. But it is going to require strategy, timing, and developing relationships. We also need to make LPA attractive again to those with prescription privileges. LPA also needs to promote and be welcoming to those people pursuing prescription privileges. PT: What will you be doing to heal the rift, between those who support Act 251 and those who have opposed it?
BG: Time and cooler heads can be very helpful. And one of my goals is to make LPA more welcoming and attractive to psychologists who don’t practice in traditional clinical settings, such as IO [Industrial- organizational], academic psychologists, consulting psychologists. I think we are missing too much in not being attractive to these. And I want LPA again to be attractive to prescribing psychologists.
I’d like to develop more open communication with LAMP [Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists].
I would like for LPA to develop even more viable reasons for any and all psychologists to join and become active.
Dr. Bryan Gros (R) incoming President for the Louisiana Psychological Association, listens to out-going President Dr. Phil Griffin at a recent Executive Committee meeting of the group.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.