The Iowa Psychological Association (IPA) has been working diligently on your behalf to promote and advocate for the science and practice of psychology in Iowa. In the past year we’ve made significant progress toward many of our key initiatives and we continue to work tirelessly for all licensed psychologists in our state. In this letter we will provide some updates regarding IPA’s recent advocacy work and victories, recognize IPA psychologist leaders, provide updates regarding strategic plan initiatives, and highlight upcoming continuing education opportunities.  

IPA’s advocacy efforts have been in overdrive the past 18 months. IPA’s Advocacy Team includes the State Advocacy Coordinator (Paul Ascheman, PhD), Federal Advocacy Coordinator (JoAnna Romero Cartaya, PhD), IPA Training Director (Matt Cooper, PsyD), and IPA Lobbyist (Amy Campbell). The newest member of the IPA Advocacy Team is Dr. Bethe Lonning, IPA’s Director of Professional Affairs (DPA). Dr. Lonning has done an excellent job in her unique role which includes advocating for the needs of psychologists regarding the professional practice of psychology and serving as a liaison between IPA and professional associations, governmental agencies, Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), private insurance agencies, and other institutions. Dr. Lonning has been a trailblazer during her inaugural year as DPA. She has served as an invaluable resource for many Iowa psychologists regarding issues related to insurance reimbursement, CPT codes, payer credentialing, and Medicare and telehealth guidelines. IPA is also grateful for the support of the Iowa Psychological Foundation who provided a generous grant to help fund the DPA position and Dr. Lonning’s work.  

IPA’s Advocacy Team successfully advocated for several important issues throughout the pandemic. Along with other IPA leadership, the IPA Advocacy Team has initiated numerous conversations with Federal and State legislators to advocate for issues related to equivalent telehealth reimbursement, Psychology Workforce Training Programs (e.g., Graduate Psychology Education and Minority Fellowship Programs), expanding the Postdoctoral Training Program in Iowa, supporting the implementation of prescribing authority for specially trained psychologists, and continuing to advocate for and protect the value of the psychology license. IPA’s advocacy efforts have been recognized at a federal level as Dr. Cartaya, in her role as IPA Federal Advocacy Coordinator, received the APA Advocacy Champion Award during the APA Practice Leadership Conference in March. Iowa psychologists are fortunate to have such a talented and passionate group serving as a strong voice for psychologists. 

The IPA Strategic Plan Committee has been busy planning for the future of psychology in Iowa. One of the goals of the IPA strategic plan was to strengthen the involvement of all IPA committees and increase collaboration among Iowa psychologists. During the strategic planning process several key organizational themes emerged as central to IPA’s mission and purpose. These themes include Education and Training; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Building Connections and Community; Advocacy; and Financial Stability. We are excited about the ongoing implementation of these themes within the strategic plan which will help IPA continue to grow and meet the needs of IPA members and all psychologists in our state. If you have not reviewed the IPA Strategic Plan and the IPA/IDPH survey report, we strongly encourage you to do so by following links on the IPA website’s home page.

We are delighted to announce revisions to the IPA Ethics Committee, chaired by Dr. Marla Shapiro ([email protected]) and the formation of the new Disaster Relief Committee, chaired by Dr. Ashley Freeman ([email protected]). You can learn more about how to join an IPA committee on the IPA website.  

The IPA Program Planning Committee (PPC) has spent a great deal of time brainstorming, planning, and delivering world-class continuing education opportunities to psychologists and other mental health providers. On IPA’s website, IPA members have access to a video library of exciting Continuing Education (CE) presentations and a CE tracker that will help you keep your CEs organized for licensure renewal. More recently, IPA partnered with New Mexico State University's (NMSU) Clinical Psychopharmacology Post-Doctoral Master’s Degree Program to offer affordable and relevant Continuing Education (CE) to all mental health providers. See below for a list of upcoming training opportunities:

• 11/18/2021-Best practices for assisting the farming population with their behavioral healthcare needs (Michael Rosmann, PhD; Lauren Welter, PhD; Isaac Hooley, PhD)
• 12/11/2021-Introduction to psychopharmacology for psychologists: The basics of pharmacology (NMSU Staff)
• 04/04/2022-04/05/2022- IPA Spring Conference, SPACE: Parent-based treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety and OCD (Eli R. Lebowitz, Ph.D.) 

We appreciate the opportunity to share this important information with you. As IPA members and leaders, we are passionate about mental health issues and we will continue to advocate on behalf of all Iowa psychologists. Thank you for being IPA members and thank you for all that you do!

Valerie J. Keffala, Ph.D., IPA President

Nicole H. Keedy, Ph.D.              

Benjamin A. Tallman, Ph.D.