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Our next SCCPA Virtual Town Hall Meeting addressing COVID-19 is: 

Thursday, April 9th, 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Special guest: Gary Dunn, Ph.D.  

CAPS Director, UC Santa Cruz 

Ph.D. in Clinical/School Psychology, Hofstra University

Pronouns: He/Him/His

 

Dr. Dunn is a licensed psychologist who has been working in mental health, hospital, and educational settings for more than 30 years.  Since 2011, he has been the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at UC Santa Cruz. Prior to coming to Santa Cruz, he served as the Director of a hospital-based community mental health center in New York, and oversaw psychology services at a large tertiary care hospital in North Carolina.  Gary’s primary training is in cognitive-behavioral therapy and strategic therapy. He is also interested in health psychology, healthcare administration, and leadership development.  Areas of interest include understanding anxiety among college students, addressing suicidal thoughts and behaviors of college students, and developing a college counseling center to meet diverse, multicultural, and intersectional needs. Most recently Gary has been focusing on transforming the Center to a telehealth delivery model and understanding and responding to the unique needs of UC Santa Cruz students in light of the current pandemic.

 

 

My hope is this will be a place to gather our collective wisdom. As we continue to get through this public health crisis we will be sending out emails including resources periodically and encouraging members to do the same. Members can now access Virtual Town Hall minutes on the website. There is also a link to COVID-19 resources on the website available to the public. 

 

 

This zoom session will be moderated by the board and we ask that you keep yourself on mute unless raising your hand to ask a question.

 

 

Jessica Byrd-Olmstead, PhD

SCCPA President


These town halls are open to non members, please email SCCPAadmin@gmail.com to register.   Please visit our COVID-19 Resources webpage.




Welcome to SCCPA

 

Founded in 1965, SCCPA is comprised of licensed psychologists, registered psychological assistants, graduate psychology students, and other professionals affiliated with the mental health field. We are the third largest of 23 chapters of the California Psychological Association (CPA), which is a state chapter of the American Psychological Association (APA).

SCCPA is dedicated to advancing the science and profession of psychology; promoting the ethical, responsible, and effective practice of psychology; providing education, networking, and support among psychologists; and offering our diverse community an array of educational and mental health services.
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Congratulations on your APA convention submission acceptance!

Hi Everyone,


Great news... better late than never!

 

Our proposed advocacy symposium submitted to the 2020 APA Annual Convention in DC was accepted by Div 31!  

 

This means that SCCPA, PAU and CPA's will be showcasing the awesome advocacy work and mentoring we all do in DC!  See confirmation from Dr. Tyson Bailey, Div 31 Convention Chair. 

 

Now it will be coordinating with Assemblyman Evan Low's schedulers and see if he can be there in-person or we will need to do a video of sorts.

 

Symposium ID 20493

 

Title:  Psychologists' impact on public policy and law: Legislative collaboration with results.

 

Brief Dx:  Psychologists often undervalue the impact their psychological science and clinical expertise add the development of healthcare policy and legislation. Legislators collaborating with psychologists are most effectively introduce laws.


Chair: Jorge Wong, PhD

Participants:       
CA Assemblyman Evan Low

Joshua Heitzmann, PhD (SCCPA Member-at-Large)

Aimee Zhang, MS & William Chan, MS (SCCPA Student Co-Chairs & PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium)

Discussant:         
Maureen O'Connor, PhD, JD (PAU President)

 

 

Congratulations Team!

 

 

Jorge Wong, Ph. D.
CA Licensed Psychologist

-Past President, Santa Clara County Psychological Association

    LAN Representative

-Past President, California Psychological Association 

    Divisions I, II & VII
-Past President, San Francisco Psychological Association
-Asian American Psychological Association

-American Psychological Association

    Div 12, 18, 31, 45

 
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Evan Low's Lunar New Year Fundraiser was a Success! February 7, 2020
Fox-Becker-Wong-Low-JBO-Heitmann-Carillo-Gibson
More photos: Assemblyman Evan Low's Events 2020

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Pancakes & Politics, Dec 8th

This is Congressman Josh Harder of the Central Valley alongside SCCPA Board Members Billy Chan and Jeff Becker in a picture taken by Board Member Neda Kharrazi at the Zoe Lofgren Pancakes & Politics fundraiser this past Sunday.  The fundraiser was held to protect/re-elect six California House of Representative seats (including Josh’s) that were flipped last year.  Because of all the activity in Washington D.C., Zoe did not attend as she was prepping for the Judiciary Committee Impeachment hearings this week. 

She sent a videotape explaining her decision for remaining in Washington that morning, discussing her Congressional work this term, the importance she places on helping to fund vulnerable California House Democrats to get elected and thanking all of us in attendance at the Pancakes and Politics event.


by Dr. Jeffrey L. Becker


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Update on August 19th SCCPA Meeting with Senator Jim Beall's Staff

A few SCCPA members met with Jonathan Perez, Sr. District Rep. (Labor area) @ Sen. Jim Beall’s district Office today (Aug 19).  In attendance from SCCPA were (L-R):  Drs. Jessica Byrd-Olmstead, Jeffrey Becker, Azadeh Weber, Jonathan Perez of Sen Beall's office, Drs. Francis Abueg and I.


We introduced ourselves, our areas of work and shared who SCCPA was and how it related to CPA.  We also discussed AB 5 (Gonzalez) impact on areas of practice for psychologists including contracted adjunct teaching & supervision, forensic evaluators & group practices, SUD treatment, foreseeable organization/programs' increase administrative costs to hire providers onto staff, adverse impact on patient care from HMO  independent contracts with private practitioners in order to meet the mental health care demands from their members, restriction/elimination of flexibility for parents to care for their families and the risk of talent drain from psychologists who do not want to be employees.  We also shared that SCCPA members volunteered to assist the Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department in response to the shooting in Gilroy.

Mr. Perez wondered and recommended for SCCPA and CPA to speak with the bill sponsor and organized labor backing this bill to consider the wider, unforeseen and adverse impact on a wide range of not only health professionals but those in other fields (e.g.:  travel consultants, trucking, etc.).  This bill originated as a result of the drivers in the gig-economy and debate whether they were independent contractors or employees of these ridesharing companies.  One hope would be for the bill sponsor(s) to consider this to be a 2 yr bill to better work out the kinks/exceptions on this broad sweeping bill.  Mr. Perez also invited us to be aware of some Senator Beall's current bills including SB 5 Building Affordable and Inclusive Communities, SB 10 Peer Provider Certification, SB 12 Youth Mental Health Drop-In Centers, and SB 582 School-Based Mental Health Partnerships.

Thank you to Dr. Weber for scheduling the visit today, Drs. Abueg, Becker and Byrd-Olmstead for joining in the visit today. 

We hope to see and have other SCCPA members join us in the future on our collective efforts to advocate and protect psychologists' practice.  If you wondered why it is important to join our professional organizations locally and statewide... AB 5 (Gonzalez) is just one reason!

SCCPA Strong!

Jorge Wong, Ph. D.
SCCPA President
 

 

 


 
   

 

    

 

 
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Winner of the 2019 CPA Award for Outstanding Chapter


Congratulations!

On behalf of the California Psychological Association (CPA), we are pleased to inform you that your Chapter has been selected as the recipient of the 2019 CPA Award for Outstanding Chapter. This award honors the CPA affiliate chapter that demonstrates exceptional service to its members and to the profession of psychology, and that contributes to the health of CPA, as the state psychological association.

On behalf of CPA and the Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee we extend a heartfelt thanks and appreciation to you for your contribution to CPA and our congratulations on being selected for this award. 






New Member  Incentives & Member Specials

The SCCPA Board and particularly our Membership Director, Dr. Beverly Floresca, would like to announce a whole slew of new membership incentives and specials (see below). We know that you, as members, love SCCPA. We would like to spread the love this year to as many psychologists and mental health professionals as possible this year. ...click for more 

We are a social activism engine this year, standing up for the rights of humans in Santa Clara County and beyond. We love the enthusiasm we are receiving and the participation level of members who want to be involved in myriad ways such as:

 Marching in protest marches that align with our values of protecting human rights and the psychological welfare of all.

  • Volunteering to provide pro-bono therapy to Spanish speakers
  • Volunteering to provide pro-bono therapy to veterans, victims of the recent shootings, fires and other traumatic events
  • Participating in phone banks
  • Volunteering to be part of expert panels on gun violence and mental illness
  • Interfacing with community agencies that provide help to targeted individuals and groups

And on and on…

Of course, not everyone is into the social activism aspect. Here are some of the member benefits you love the most:

  • Our list serve- We discuss topics of interest, pose ethical questions, ask our colleagues for referrals to other professionals and treatment options and receive referrals from our colleagues.
  • Our professional CE workshops-keeping us up to date and tuned in to what is in the spotlight in the profession of psychology
  • The monthly Professionals Book club
  • Our myriad of social events and networking events to meet and interact with colleagues
  • The chance to be part of our many professional committees
  • Our top-notch newsletter-The opportunity to read and contribute our written articles and other works.
  • Fill in your personal favorite that I am forgetting

 

SCCPA is a thriving community! If you would like to encourage your colleagues to join us, here are some great membership offers:

MEMBER TO MEMBER SPECIAL:

  • Any SCCPA member who refers someone to be a new member to SCCPA will get $100 off the SCCPA workshop of their choice. For this special, have the new member enter Workshop100.
  • The new member you refer will get half off of the membership fee for the first year of their membership.

STUDENTS ROCK SPECIAL:

  • New student members can join SCCPA for free if they join a SCCPA Committee. Have them useStudentsROCK as the promo code when they register.

NON-PROFIT AGENCY SPECIAL:

  • Anyone that works for a Non-Profit serving the Santa Clara County community who has never been a member of SCCPA before can join for half price for the first year. Use AGENCY50 as the promo code. This includes all levels of membership.
  • FULL MEMBER: Holder of a doctorate in psychology or an equivalent degree, or a psychologist licensed to practice in California. Full Members have all rights and privileges of SCCPA membership including the right to vote and serve on the Board of Directors. Note that Board positions also require CPA membership because SCCPA is a chapter of CPA.  Full members may be eligible to have their profile included in the publicly searchable Find a Psychologist web site feature. Annual fee: $175. For any psychologist staff member of your agency they can now join for $87.50.
  • NEW DOCTORATE MEMBER: Holder of a doctorate in psychology granted three years or less prior to membership. New Doctorate Members enjoy the same rights and privileges as Full Members at a reduced membership fee.  New Doctorate members may be eligible for their profile to be included in the publicly searchable Find a Psychologist web site feature. Annual fee: $95. Currently your staff member can join for the ultra-low first year cost of $47.50
  • ASSOCIATE MEMBER: Holder of a master’s degree in a mental health discipline (e.g., LMFT, LCSW, LPC, etc.) or a related degree (e.g., MD, JD, etc.). Associate Members have all rights and privileges of SCCPA membership except the right to vote or serve on the Board. Associate members are not eligible to have their profile included in the publicly searchable Find a Psychologist web site feature. Annual fee: $100. Currently your staff member can join for $50.00

 

Local Advocacy Network

Greetings SCCPA colleagues!

 

Here is an interesting article on how “Doctors And Nurses With Addictions Often Denied A Crucial Recovery Option”. The author supports non-disciplinary programs, in which doctors and nurses enroll for a number of years and are closely monitored by addiction specialists and state authorities as they seek to maintain or restore their medical licenses. But, he says that he is perplexed as to why these programs and other efforts to help health care providers generally do not stress a recovery method that has long been shown to be effective: the use of drugs like buprenorphine and methadone, known as opioid agonists, to relieve cravings.

https://californiahealthline.org/news/doctors-and-nurses-with-addictions-often-denied-a-crucial-recovery-option/

...click for more

1.      New Initiatives:

·          New York lawmaker announces bill allowing mental health days for students: https://cnycentral.com/news/local/new-york-lawmaker-announces-bill-allowing-mental-health-days-for-students-09-05-2019

·         Starbucks plans to improve US employees' mental health benefits: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/05/business/starbucks-mental-health/index.html

·         City of Berkeley creates mental health crisis hotline: https://www.dailycal.org/2019/09/19/city-of-berkeley-creates-mental-health-crisis-hotline/

·         NBA adopts new rules requiring teams to add full-time mental health staff for 2019-2020 season: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/nba-now-requires-teams-to-add-full-time-mental-health-staff.html

 

2.      Suicide statistics and more

·         One person dies every 40 seconds from suicide, WHO says: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/health/who-global-suicide-rates-intl/index.html  

·         Want To Reduce Suicides? Follow The Data — To Medical Offices, Motels And Even Animal Shelters: https://californiahealthline.org/news/want-to-reduce-suicides-follow-the-data-to-medical-offices-motels-and-even-animal-shelters/

·         Turning crisis into opportunity: Son's death by suicide in college prompts mom's activism: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/10/suicide-prevention-college-students/2273117001/

 

3.      What new studies or research data are saying 

·         Study Touts Psychotherapy As First-Line Treatment for Youth With Depression:

https://psychcentral.com/news/2019/08/01/study-touts-psychotherapy-as-first-line-treatment-for-youth-with-depression/149097.html

·         MDMA, Or Ecstasy, Shows Promise As A PTSD Treatment: https://californiahealthline.org/news/mdma-or-ecstasy-shows-promise-as-a-ptsd-treatment/

·         Most common antidepressant, sertraline, a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) barely helps improve depression symptoms, 'shocking' trial in UK finds: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2019/09/19/common-antidepressant-barely-helps-improve-depression-symptoms/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_em

·         How High Heat Can Impact Mental Health: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757034136/how-high-heat-can-impact-mental-health

 

4.      AB5 signed into law; victory for advocacy efforts of CPA  

·         AB 5 Signed Into Law: https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/18/gig-worker-bill-signed-into-law-in-california/

·         Who’s in, who’s out of AB 5?: https://calmatters.org/economy/2019/09/whos-in-whos-out-of-ab-5/

·         There will be no deal for gig companies such as Uber and Lyft in the California Legislature this year. California Senate Moves 'Dynamex' Worker Classification Bill Forward Without Deal For Gig Companies: http://www.capradio.org/articles/2019/09/10/california-senate-moves-dynamex-worker-classification-bill-forward-without-deal-for-gig-companies/

 

“A doctor put me on antidepressants about a decade ago. I’ve spent the last year and a half trying to get off of them,” wrote David Lazarus in LA times. In response, the author of Medical Treatment is Not Addiction states “There is a difference between side effects and withdrawal. There is a difference between taking a medication that helps you, even for lengthy periods, and being addicted to it” Continue reading at  https://arcdigital.media/medical-treatment-is-not-addiction-f1fa3c5e692e

 

And I’d like to leave you with an opinion piece on “How will presidential candidates prioritize mental health in 2020?” by Peggy Huppert, the executive director of NAMI Iowa; https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2019/09/25/its-time-presidential-candidates-make-mental-health-priority/2440535001/

 

Warm Regards

Anita

SCCPA Board member & LAN Rep 

www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anita-mukherjee-29080

anitaj@gmail.com

 



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