California Psychological Association

CPA SUPPORTS OUR MEMBERS PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS, PROMOTES AND PROTECTS THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF PSYCHOLOGY, AND ADVOCATES FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF ALL CALIFORNIANS.

MEMBER SERVICES CONSIST OF 4 SUB-PROGRAMS: GENERAL MEMBERSHIP (RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND RENEWALS); CONTINUING EDUCATION; PUBLICATIONS; AND CONVENTION. THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF EACH ARE AS FOLLOWS:GENERAL MEMBERSHIP IN 2021, WE HAD 2,518 RENEWING MEMBERS, 8 HONORARY MEMBERS, AND 493 NEW MEMBERS FOR A YEAR-END TOTAL OF 3,011 PAYING MEMBERS. THIS WAS A DECREASE OF 3% OVER 2020. THE EIGHT SPECIALTY INTEREST DIVISIONS HAD A TOTAL OF 796 MEMBERS, MANY OF WHOM BELONG TO MULTIPLE DIVISIONS. THIS IS A 36% DECREASE AND PROBABLY REFLECTS THE GENERAL DECREASE IN CPA MEMBERSHIP SINCE AN INDIVIDUAL MUST BE A MEMBER OF CPA IN ORDER TO JOIN A DIVISION.CONTINUING EDUCATIONCPAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF SEVERAL MAJOR PROGRAMS AROUND THE STATE THAT WE PRESENT, GENERALLY IN CONCERT WITH OUR AFFILIATED CHAPTERS. IN 2021, WE PRESENTED ONE ETHICS AND RISK MANAGEMENT COURSE WITH THE INSURANCE TRUST (ONE OF THE TWO PRIMARY MALPRACTICE PROVIDERS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS IN THE US). IN ADDITION, WE CO-SPONSOR MANY OF THE CE PROGRAMS PRESENTED BY OUR AFFILIATED LOCAL CHAPTERS AND CPA DIVISIONS. WE ALSO GRANT CE CREDIT FOR READING ARTICLES IN OUR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE MAGAZINE AND TAKING AN ON-LINE TEST. IN TOTAL, CPA PRESENTED OR CO-SPONSORED 77 LIVE PRESENTATIONS AND 6 NEW DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES FOR A TOTAL OF 99 CREDIT HOURS. 226 MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS ATTENDED THE APAIT RISK MANAGEMENT COURSE. THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE IN THE ON-LINE LEARNING CENTER REMAINED THE SAME.PUBLICATIONSTHE ASSOCIATION PUBLISHES A 40-PAGE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE THAT IS MAILED TO ALL MEMBERS PLUS STATE LEGISLATORS, THE OTHER STATE AND PROVINCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND SEVERAL KEY INDIVIDUALS IN OUR NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. CPA OFFERS THREE HOURS OF CE CREDIT FOR EACH ISSUE OF OUR MAGAZINE (FOR A TOTAL OF 12 CE CREDITS ANNUALLY), AND 912 TESTS WERE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN 2021. MOST ISSUES HAD FIVE TWO-PAGE FEATURE ARTICLES ON SOME ASPECT OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE, A TWO-PAGE PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LAW ARTICLE AND A ONE-PAGE ARTICLE FOCUSING ON ETHICS. IN ADDITION, TWO TO FOUR DIVISIONS SUBMIT A TOPICAL/ SUBSTANTIAL ARTICLE (VERSUS A RECRUITMENT/MARKETING-ORIENTED ARTICLE) FOR EACH ISSUE AND COMMITTEES CAN SUBMIT ARTICLES FOCUSING ON THEIR PROGRAM GOALS. CONVENTION ANNUALLY, CPA HOSTS A FOUR- DAY CONVENTION IN A MAJOR CALIFORNIA CITY. THE CONVENTION TYPICALLY CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY 30 EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS RANGING IN LENGTH FROM 1.5 HOURS TO 6 HOURS, WITH FEATURED MASTER LECTURERS AS WELL AS NATIONAL AND STATE-WIDE EXPERTS. THE CONVENTION INCLUDES AN EXHIBIT HALL, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES, AND AWARD PRESENTATIONS. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE HELD OUR 2021 CONVENTION VIRTUALLY. 325 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE CONVENTION, GENERATING $41,000 IN REGISTRATIONS, $26,000 IN SPONSORSHIPS AND NETTED $32,000 FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AT CPA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING AND ADVANCING LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE PRACTICE OF PSYCHOLOGY. THIS DEPARTMENT HOUSES THE LOBBYING EFFORTS OF THE ASSOCIATION. THE ADVOCACY STAFF MEMBER REVIEWS APPROXIMATELY 2,500 PIECES OF LEGISLATION ANNUALLY, SEEKS INPUT FROM OUR LOCAL ADVOCACY NETWORK REPRESENTATIVES, AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGARDING CPAS POSITION ON BILLS OF INTEREST. THE LOCAL ADVOCACY NETWORK REPRESENTATIVES SHARE THIS WITH THEIR CONSTITUENCIES, AND WE SHARE WITH THE BROADER PSYCHOLOGICAL COMMUNITY. CPA STAFF WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT/OPPOSITION/NEUTRALITY AND TESTIFY IN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES ON RELEVANT BILLS. IN 2021, CPA CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DURING THE GLOBAL HEALTH PANDEMIC, SUPPORTED MORE STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS, AND IMPROVED TELEHEALTH AND VIRTUAL ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS BY PATIENTS ACROSS THE STATE. CPA HOSTED ITS ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY CONFERENCE VIRTUALLY, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 60 PSYCHOLOGISTS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE STATE. CPA ACCOMPLISHES ITS ADVOCACY GOALS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LOBBYING STAFF MEETING WITH THE 120 MEMBERS OF THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE AND THROUGH DIRECT E-MAIL GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS TO OUR 20 AFFILIATED CHAPTERS, EIGHT PRACTICE DIVISIONS, AND ALL CPA MEMBERS. WE ALSO TRAVEL TO MANY OF OUR CHAPTER PROGRAMS AND HOST ADVOCACY-RELATED MEETINGS AT THE ANNUAL CPA CONVENTION, INCLUDING PARTICIPATING IN ALL OF THE AFOREMENTIONED EFFORTS VIRTUALLY DURING THE GLOBAL HEALTH PANDEMIC.

THE PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AT CPA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CONSULTATIONS AND RESOURCES TO CPA MEMBERS. THIS YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT'S DIRECTOR PROVIDED OVER 750 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CONSULTATIONS (PHONE AND EMAIL). TO KEEP ASSOCIATION MEMBERS INFORMED ABOUT KEY ISSUES, SUCH AS NEW LAWS AFFECTING PSYCHOLOGISTS, THE DIRECTOR SENT 15 EMAIL ALERTS TO MEMBERS. SHE ALSO MAINTAINED AND UPDATED THE PRACTICE TOOLS AND INFORMATION WEB PAGE ON THE CPA WEBSITE WITH INFORMATION ON TOPICS SUCH AS LICENSURE, LAWS AND REGULATIONS, PRACTICE GUIDELINES, CONFIDENTIALITY, ETHICS, RISK MANAGEMENT, CHILD ABUSE REPORTING, BILLING AND CODING, RECORD KEEPING, AND TELEPSYCHOLOGY. THE DIRECTOR ALSO PRESENTED A WEBINAR ON WHAT OUR MEMBERS ASK ABOUT THE MOST: TELEHEALTH, TARASOFF, TERMINATIONS AND MORE. THE DEPARTMENT'S DIRECTOR REPRESENTED CPA AT FIVE MEETINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY, SEVERAL SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY, AND AT THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION PRACTICE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. THE DIRECTOR SUPPORTED CPA LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY EFFORTS, MAINLY BY PROVIDING ANALYSES OF RELEVANT LAWS AND REGULATIONS.