Follow Up…

NPA leaders and members turned out in force for a well-attended breakfast with senators at the Capital on February 5th. This breakfast was a welcome opportunity to not only meet our legislative representatives, answer their questions, and address with them the behavioral health concerns of their constituents; it was also an opportunity to let them know who we are, the range of concerns we have, and how we can help them in finding solutions.

This year’s legislative season is exceptionally busy, but twenty three senators accepted the invitation to join us. An additional ten or more were unable to attend due to other commitments. We provided all attending senators a comprehensive packet of information, and after the breakfast dropped off packets at the offices of those who were unable to attend, speaking with their legislative aides, and any senators who we incidentally encountered.

Check out the Legislative Packet provided to senators.

Joining me from Scottsbluff was Katie Carrizales, PhD, our newest board member and an early career psychologist who is gaining in experience in providing testimony and talking with legislators. This experience will serve her well when she attends the APA Practice Leadership Conference in Washington, DC next month and meets with our Nebraska congressional delegation on issues important to psychologists. Dr. Carrizales will return to Lincoln in a week to testify on behalf of LB 801, a piece of legislation on which she has worked closely with Senator Stinner of District 48 and ESU 13.

Our NPA Director of Professional Affairs, Lori Lundquist Wall, PhD was on hand to speak pointedly on a number of concerns including LB 442, LB 835, and LB 867 addressing Medicaid Managed Care (Heritage Healthcare) as well as LB 891 (Psychology Regulations).

Dan Ullman, PhD has worked closely with Senator Carol Blood on LB 686 (PSYPACT). NPA will provide testimony at hearings on February 22nd on both PSYPACT and the stalled psychology regulations bill for which we are most grateful to Senator Pansing Brooks.
 
Our conversations with the senators were strongly enhanced by participation from Jim Madison, PhD, Federal Advocacy Coordinator, and past president of NPA as well as Lynda Madison, PhD, NPA past president; Joe Swoboda, PhD, NPA past president and current Co-chair of the Legislative Committee; Laurel Van Ham, PhD past board member; and NPA member Lisa Logsden, PsyD. All of us were actively engaged in lively conversation with senators from our respective districts as well as senators with interest in the bills we are supporting or watching.

We also had extensive discussion on LB 299 with Trevor Reilly, legislative aide for Senator Ebke. NPA has many questions about this bill specific to how it would affect psychology. The bill has serious implications with respect to deregulation of licensing boards and the specter of an omnibus board overseeing professional licensure. While there are good reasons for limiting certain regulations pertaining to, say massage therapists and cosmetologists perhaps, we obviously have concerns with what this bill would mean for protection of the public and standards for professional licensure such as psychology.

So look through the packet material and tell us what you think. We appreciate your feedback and want to know what issues are important to you and your thoughts on the issues we have highlighted. Upcoming testimony will be provided on the PSYPACT bill on February 22nd from Dan Ullman and Anne Talbot (written submission to be read by Diane Marti); LB 891 (Psychology Regulations) by Will Spaulding; and on LB 801 fromKatie Carrizales and Diane Marti. Additional NPA leadership and members may be testifying as well. Please feel free to contact NPA at npa@nebpsych.org, or any of the individuals above by clicking on their name.

I will close with a shout out to my eleven Scottsbluff and western NE colleagues who gathered in Scottsbluff (one via Zoom) to talk about our concerns in response to an upcoming panhandle vote on closure of Panhandle Helath Group (formerly Panhandle Mental Health Center). There was an amazing range of discussion on the implications of the closure for access to treatment and a commitment to action that showed the potential for what we can bring to the table as doctoral level clinicians adovcating not just for our profession but also for Nebraska’s underserved constituents.

Join, Renew, Recruit! 

Anne Talbot, PsyD
NPA President

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Thank you for supporting the Nebraska Psychological Association through membership and donation at www.nebpsych.org.