Elena J. Eisman, EdD
Today’s challenges are demonstrating the wonderful work done by the staff, leaders and members of our SPTAs. I have seen how they are helping their members ramp up to deliver needed services in new ways through uncharted waters, often at personal health and financial risk and always with the highest values of our profession. The challenge of delivering psychological services in the “new normal” requires flexibility and creativity on behalf of us and those we serve. I want to spend the bulk of my message thanking all of you who work so hard to ease the suffering of patients, students and fellow health professionals.
The need for coordination between states and the federal government mirrors the need for the strongest links between SPTAs and APA. That has always been my goal as I have been involved with APA over many years. It feels strange to self-promote details of my career at this time other than to say I have devoted my whole career to major volunteer and staff roles at my SPTA (Massachusetts) as well as at APA. My last project as I retired from directing APA’s Center for Psychology and Health was developing the pain management course as a way of using the SPTAs as training sites for new APA/SPTA coordinated skills development. I believe in and know how to promote strong psychology linkages and would feel honored to continue to help Div. 31 and its SPTAs members in their important work. Thank you and stay safe!
As a candidate for president-elect of Div. 31, I ask for your vote to take on this leadership position for State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Associations (SPTA). If elected, my work for Div. 31 would be grounded in experience serving in governance in the Minnesota Psychological Association (2016 president), APA as chair of the Committee of State Leaders as well as Div. 35 (liaison to CAPP), 31 (secretary), and 42 (continuing education chair), chair of the licensure board of my state, and as a woman psychologist-entrepreneur with a track record of creating financially self-sustainable business models for the practice of psychology in specialty and integrated care settings.