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Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, 10-16-99.
Page 2
our members. Additionally, I have asked the PAC to also compile the
various carriers? policy statements
concerning psychological and neuropsychological testing in an effort
to document areas of variance in the
implementation of the HCFA regulations. Tony Puente has been asked
by the Policy and Planning Committee of
NAN to present a 4-hour “executive workshop” to that committee regarding
HCFA and AMA issues, and Jeff
Barth and Neil Pliskin, Chair and Vice-Chair of this committee have
invited myself and several other Division 40
representatives to take part in this meeting. In addition to getting
up to speed on the major issues, I hope that this
group can do a bit of brainstorming and lay out a consolidated plan
for fixture initiatives in this area. Hopefully,
Barbara Wilson and the Public Interest Advisory are working hard on
a concrete plan for getting materials together
that can be publicly disseminated to raise the visibility of neuropsychology
in the public arena. I have suggested to
her that she and her committee may wish to work with Lloyd Cripe in
developing a page on our website to post
materials that may be of interest to the lay public. Finally, I am
considering re-constituting the Planning Committee
to re-examine the mission and goals of the Division and to forge a
new 5-year plan for the Division.
I understand that in about 2 weeks, APA will be convening another round
of “consolidated” meetings. I will remind
our 4 Council Representatives (Drs. Blau, Boll, Hamsher, & Puente)
that according to our Policy and Procedures
Manual they need to “inform the President and, if possible, all Division
40 Elected Officers about all Council
Agenda issues and concerns of importance to Division 40” (p. 6). To
facilitate this I might suggest that they caucus
among themselves and appoint one Council Representative to notify the
President and the EC of the agenda items
of interest prior to the forthcoming meeting and another who will provide
an executive summary of any actions
taken at meeting of interest to Division 40 within one month after
the meeting. I will look forward to seeing what is
to be discussed at the general APA Council. Hopefully, we can enhance
the communication between the Division
and the APA Council via our representatives with a more thorough understanding
of what is being discussed,
This brings me to my last item, and one which is somewhat troubling,
At our last EC meeting at APA,
representatives of the Practice Directorate came by to share information
concerning some of their current
initiatives. One item created a bit of a stir - GME. The matter
is quite complex and apparently has a long history of
which most of the Division 40 people at the meeting were not aware.
Apparently the Practice Directorate?s strategy
had been developed over the past three years and had been discussed
along the way at APA Council and at CAPP.
The PD representatives were as surprised at our apparent ignorance
and objection to their strategy as we were with
their plan. Clearly, there was a failure of communication — something
that has now become a major priority for me
during my remaining 10 months as Division President. But more importantly,
there have been several recent
instances that have been brought to my attention in which members of
the Division have taken it upon themselves
to contact members of the Practice Directorate to voice negative and
not wholly constructive concerns in the name
of the Division on this matter. While any one of us can express our
concerns to any aspect of APA, we do so as
individuals. It is professionally inappropriate and irresponsible to
present such opinions in the name of the Division
unless the EC or President directs one to act on behalf of the Division
and its members. This is especially true when
the Division does not have a formal stance or opinion on a given matter.
Please be mindful in how you conduct
your business on behalf of the Division. Division 40 may be an “elite”
group of professionals, but we must be
careful not to act “elitist.”
Working together in a collaborative and respectful manner, we can make
a difference on behalf of neuropsychology
within the APA structure of organized psychology. If we need to take
a minority position, let us do so in a
constructive manner.
My thanks to all,
Gordon J. Chelune, Ph.D., ABPP-CN
President, Division 40
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