Friday, May 09, 2003

Advocacy in a diverse society
Article from the latest APA Monitor based on comments by panelists at the APA Practice Organization's State Leadership Conference in March - "In California, Hawaii and New Mexico, no single ethnic or racial group constitutes a majority of the population, according to the census of 2000. As America's demographics continue to change, that pattern is likely to spread to other parts of the country, bringing with it new challenges for health-care providers. To ensure that those challenges are met, state leaders need to take an active role in the legislative process, fighting for the inclusion of psychologists in health-related bills and supporting attempts to reduce health disparities among different segments of society..." Other stories related to the State Leadership Conference include Psychologists needed for treatment of serious mental illness, Health-care reform: A difficult road and Implementing the law ("Psychologists in three states work to implement--or oppose implementation of--new laws.")