Over the past few years, ABPP has been engaged in a strategic planning process with the goals of both enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of “internal” governance and expanding our ability to impact the larger issues facing the fields of psychology and, more broadly, healthcare.  Those of you who attended the recent ABPP governance meeting at APA heard about some important aspects of this work.  In this column, I will provide a fuller description of these efforts.
 
The Board of Trustees voted in May to update the organization’s mission statement to better reflect ABPP’s broader involvement in the field of psychology.  The new mission statement now reads: “The American Board of Professional Psychology serves the public by promoting the provision of quality psychological services through the examination and certification of professional psychologists engaged in specialty practice”.  Achieving the full public service impact of our mission, however, will require significant growth in the number of board certified psychologists.  Achieving this growth is a critical driver of our strategic planning.
 
Based on survey data from Board of Trustees members and specialty board presidents, the BOT has identified four action areas that are most important for achieving the organization’s strategic goals.  These areas include: (1) enhance communication, both across specialty boards and specialists (e.g., horizontal), as well as between the BOT, specialty boards, and specialists (e.g., vertical), (2) increase engagement of specialists and specialty board members across all aspects of the ABPP, (3) improve messaging/outreach to expand the number of applicants, raise the public and professional profile of ABPP, and grow revenue sources to support the growth of the organization, and (4) increase administrative support for the specialty boards and Central Office to manage all of the above.
 
Consistent with the strategic plan, the ABPP Central Office has spent the last 2-3 years building out a greatly modernized and improved technology infrastructure.  Although many of you have already seen our new website (www.abpp.org), this infrastructure will also greatly enhance the efficiency and productivity of central and specialty board governance and support the electronic management of practice samples and other aspects of the certification process.  Importantly, the new platform provides a simplified online method for completing the maintenance of certification process which, unlike many other disciplines, remains free of charge to complete. 
 
In addition, and after a year-long search, ABPP has enlisted The Reis Group (thereisgroup.com), a health and social cause-focused public relations agency, to help us develop and better disseminate more effective messaging about the value of ABPP certification.  We believe that this new marketing/outreach program will not only increase the number of professional psychologists seeking specialty status, but also enhance the professional and financial considerations available to existing specialists.
 
To support these important initiatives, the BOT has voted to approve a $25 increase in the annual attestation fee going forward.  As noted above, this 14% increase - the first in 11 years! - will provide the necessary support to grow the organization and enhance the value of ABPP certification.
 
I am extremely grateful for the honor to serve as your President for 2018-2019.  I have been continuously involved in service to ABPP since my participation as a member of the group that founded the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (ABCCAP) in 2003.  Given the myriad of oftentimes conflicting or inaccurate information available to consumers seeking mental health services these days, our mission to serve the public through promotion of competent psychological practice is more critical than ever.  I encourage each of you to reach out to a non-specialist colleague and ask him or her to consider pursuing board certification through ABPP.
 

 

John Piacentini, Ph.D. ABPP
President, ABPP Board of Trustees