Association Of Psychologists In Academic Health Centers Research Articles

Psychologists' Leadership Roles and Leadership Training Needs in Academic Health Centers.

Psychologists are increasingly called upon to become more involved in academic health centers (AHCs) as leaders across a range of leadership roles in areas such as the clinical, teaching, and research missions, and in the administration thereof. Similarly, expansion of psychologists' service in national associations, boards, and other forums is increasing. This paper attempts to delineate the nature and extent of psychologists' involvement in leadership roles and their needs for professional leadership development to assist them in securing and succeeding in these positions. Members of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) were invited to complete a survey to identify current leadership roles and training needed to enhance leadership capabilities. Most (75%) of the respondents (total n = 105; 42% of APAHC full members; 70% female) were currently serving in leadership roles (range 1 to ≥ 10 positions). Years since degree conferred was positively associated with the number of leadership positions. Diversity of roles was delineated across AHC missions including psychology training (49.5%), clinical service (33.3%), and research (26.7%). An important subgroup (11.5%) served in upper-level administrative leadership positions. Leadership roles external to AHCs were common, particularly service ion committees (30.5%) and boards (27.6%) in state and national professional organizations. Half (51.4%) of survey respondents endorsed at least one leadership development need, with approximately 10% endorsing leadership development needs in all areas. The most common leadership development need was financial management skills, endorsed by nearly two-thirds of the sample. Early career respondents recognized more needs than advanced career respondents. AHC psychologists are expanding their leadership roles and distinguishing themselves as important contributors in AHCs. Despite this, many identified needs for further leadership training.

Academic Health Center Psychology Representation to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

This paper outlines the perspectives of the two currently appointed representatives of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The authors focus on why it is important for psychologists, especially those in academic health centers (AHCs), to be part of CFAS. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how involvement in organizations like the AAMC helps AHC psychologists serve as ambassadors for psychology in AHCs and assists AHC psychologists in staying fluent regarding hot topics within academic medicine. The first author is a more senior member of APAHC, and so reflects the perspective of long-serving APAHC members; the second author reflects the perspectives of newer generations of APAHC members, those who have been active in APAHC for 10 years or less. The authors discuss their experiences being at national CFAS meetings. They describe meeting events including presentations such as those by national policy experts and scholars; and speed mentoring with medical residents from the AAMC Organization of Resident Representatives. Of special importance has been their opportunities for informal conversations with the AAMC's President and CEO, Board Chair, and Chief Public Policy Officer. They also have participated in networking functions that encourage interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and relationship building.

Introduction to the Second Section of the Special Issue: Invited Papers from the 2015 APAHC Conference.

This issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings includes a continuation of the special issue of Invited Papers based on presentations at the 2015 conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC). The first installment of this special issue was published in December 2015. APAHC is an organization devoted to representing the interests and providing professional support and networking for psychologists working in Academic Health Centers (AHCs). Our biennial conference highlights the multiple aspects of our work in AHCs including clinical service, teaching, and research, as well as matters concerning the business of practice and professional identity for psychologists in these settings. The 2015 conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia in February with the theme, ‘‘Academic Health Centers in the Era of Interprofessionalism: Multifaceted Contributions of Psychology.’’ A complete overview of the conference is available in the introduction to the December special issue of JCPMS (Shaffer & Shahane, 2015). Because the APAHC conference tends to be fairly small relative to the estimated nearly 5000 psychologists practicing in academic health centers across the United States (Robiner, Dixon, Miner, & Hong, 2014), we followed the conference with these special issues of JCPMS to disseminate this highly pertinent information more broadly. Manuscripts published in the two sections of the special issue reflect themes related to expanding psychologists’ work through telehealth; capturing the value of psychologists’ clinical, administrative, and educational work; patient centered medical homes and integrated care; and professional development. The December 2015 section of the special issue included five manuscripts addressing psychologists’ roles in patient centered medical homes, measuring clinical and administrative outcomes, transformational leadership, and psychology licensure implications of telehealth. The current section has three manuscripts, one of which gives a broad overview of professional development issues and the other two of which address more specific administrative issues. In their article titled ‘‘Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Being, Visible, Relevant, and Integral,’’ Barry Hong and William Robiner discuss how early and mid-career psychologist can thrive in AHCs. Eugene D’Angelo and Katie Gallagher’s article, ‘‘Capturing Psychologists’ Work in Academic Health Settings: The Role of the Educational Value Unit (EVU),’’ reviews how psychologists have been historically compensated, as well as alternative models that incorporate the many facets of psychologists’ work pertaining to education in AHCs. Last, Samuel Hubley and Benjamin Miller discuss the ‘‘Implications of Healthcare Payment Reform for Clinical Psychologists in Medical Settings’’ and give an overview of promising alternative payment models in integrated care. As the 2015 conference co-chairs and guest editors of the corresponding special issue of JCPMS, we are keenly aware of the power of the APAHC community and grateful to our many colleagues who had hands in the success of these ventures. First, we would like to thank our esteemed colleagues who contributed doubly by presenting in Atlanta and writing manuscripts for the special issue. & Laura A. Shaffer laura.shaffer@virginia.edu

Preparing Psychologists in Academic Health Centers for the Rapidly Changing Health Care Environment

The Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) convened its 5th National APAHC Conference in Boston March 3-5 2011. The conference and its theme, "Preparing Psychologists for a Rapidly Changing Health Care Environment," brought psychologists from academic health centers together to examine how psychology can adapt to and help lead health care efforts in the face of health care reform. This paper reports on the conference and introduces the special issue of JCPMS that is dedicated to the conference. The conference theme is framed in the historical context of the four national conferences that preceded it. In examining the focus and topics of the preceding conferences, recurrent themes are identified and progress in certain areas is highlighted.

Introduction to the Special Section from Recent Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) Programs

The Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) offers programming at the annual American Psychological Association (APA) conventions as well as periodic APAHC conferences. Participants from academic health centers across the country convened in St. Louis, Missouri, October 15-17, 2009, for the 4th National Conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC). The title of the conference was ''Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Facing Tomorrow's Challenges to AHC Programs and Careers.'' Efforts were made to include topics relevant to academic health center (AHC) practice including the unique challenges of working in AHCs and issues pertinent to the different stages of AHC careers. To facilitate networking, opportunities for discussion among conferees and presenters with shared interests and concerns were provided throughout the conference. This paper introduces the special section of JCPMS dedicated to the conference and provides a brief overview of its development and organization. Articles selected for inclusion represent a sampling of the four conference themes: (1) challenges to AHC programs, (2) staying current in critical clinical areas, (3) professional issues and challenges, and (4) challenges to developing careers. Post-conference evaluation data are presented as evidence of the need for further conferences with similar foci. The programming offered by APAHC at the APA convention in San Diego in 2010 built on the themes offered at the 2009 APAHC conference.

Professional Development: Mine and Theirs

This paper is based on an invited address for the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) at the 2010 American Psychological Association (APA) Convention in San Diego, California. It is in response to the Ivan Mensh Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teaching presented to the author at the 2009 APA Convention. This article addresses two key themes in the instruction and professional development of clinical psychologists: internalization and management matters. The author asserts that these process and content topics characterize critical training ingredients in preparing students for the future practice of clinical psychology within modern academic health care settings.

Innovative Methods for Making Behavioral Science Relevant to Medical Education

Thousands of psychologists teach in U.S. medical schools, and these psychologists are responsible for ensuring that the medical students they train are aware of the ways in which research findings from the behavioral and social sciences can enhance the practice of medicine. In addition, it is imperative that physicians appreciate the limits of their own ability to treat psychological and psychiatric problems and know when to refer to mental health professionals. This brief article is based on a talk given by the author at the 2007 American Psychological Association (APA) convention after receiving the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) Ivan Mensh Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teaching. The paper draws on the personal experiences of the author after three decades spent teaching behavioral science to medical students, and it introduces readers to the reasoning behind many of the decisions made in planning and developing each of the author's four editions of the medical school text Behavior and Medicine.

Changing Educational Needs of Psychologists: Do We Need More Medical Knowledge, Basic Science and More Psychological Science?

Psychologists of the 21st century must be highly skilled and versatile to function effectively in academic health centers (AHCs). Thus, the current paper focuses on the training psychologists receive to prepare them for their diverse roles in AHCs. The paper is framed around the question: Do we need more medical knowledge, basic science and more psychological science? posed to the author by the conference organizers of the 3rd National Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) Conference and is based on the perspective of the author.

Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Reflections on Traditions and Innovations in Education, Science, and Practice

In 2007, the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC), formerly known as Association of Medical School Psychologists (AMSP), held its first national conference since 1997. At the latter conference, the author of this article [Sheridan (1999) Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 6, 211-218] was asked to present some of the issues that would be important to health care psychologists in the next decade. These issues included the role of psychology in academic health centers, interventions psychologists offer, reimbursements for such treatments, education and training models, and research. This article examines those observations, offers new data, and explores the current challenges and opportunities for psychologists in academic health centers. The presentation also addresses aspirations of psychologists as well as resistances within the profession.

Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Traditions and Innovations in Education, Science, and Practice

Psychologists, interns, and postdoctoral fellows convened in Minneapolis May 3-5, 2007 for the 3rd National Conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC): "Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Traditions and Innovations in Education, Science, and Practice." This paper reviews the development and organization of the conference, which built upon the two previous conferences of the Association of Medical School Psychologists. The articles in this special issue are based on a selected number of the 32 conference presentations, covering a range of timely topics that reflect the conference theme. Participants' positive perceptions and satisfaction with the conference reveal the value of such conferences focused on the activities, interests, opportunities, and challenges of psychologists who work in academic health centers (AHCs) and teaching hospitals. Moreover, the content and success of the conference underscores the importance of APAHC as an organization serving the needs and promoting the interests of psychologists affiliated with AHCs.

Mentoring Interns and Postdoctoral Residents in Academic Health Sciences Center

This article was co-authored by a senior mentor and one of her students who worked with her as both an intern and a postdoctoral fellow. It is an expanded version of a presentation given by the first author after receiving the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) Distinguished Achievement in Teaching Award. The article offers a historical view on mentoring, defines and describes the term, and delineates the characteristics of good mentors and mentees. The significant impact of mentoring on the professional and personal development of psychology interns and postdoctoral residents and their mentors in academic health centers is explored. Techniques for developing, maintaining, and promoting effective mentoring relationships are provided and the ethical considerations related to mentoring are examined.

3rd National Conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC)

3rd National Conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC)