I am excited to be nominated for the Div. 31 president-elect position. I am currently the chair of the Div. 31 Integrated Care Task Force, and a frequent contributor to the Healthcare Reform Blog. In addition, I was recently named an APA fellow for Div. 31. Div. 31 is a professional home for me in APA as a SPTA leader (past president, Ohio Psychological Association, and past member-at-large, Committee of State Leaders) and a strong voice for the practice community (current Committee for Advancement of Professional Practice [CAPP] vice chair). Div. 31’s strengths include sharing information and strategies to advance psychology from state to state.
I would like to continue to grow Div. 31’s presence through social media, the listserv and the website as a source for state associations. For example, we are working on creating a state toolkit for integrated care on Div. 31’s website that would house resources on legislative language, sharing psychology’s value in medical settings, coding/payment reform, ethics and more. This toolkit opens the opportunity for interdivisional collaboration, which is a natural fit for Div. 31 as state associations span practice, science, education, and public interest. Further, I believe with some of the changes in practice, there is an opportunity for Div. 31 to grow as a voice of state associations to and from APA.
I would be honored to continue my service through Div. 31, and appreciate your consideration.
Kathleen Ashton, PhD, ABPP
Nominee for Div. 31 president-elect