Pamela Steadman-Wood, PhD, ABPP
Q. Why did you become interested in making a career working with older adults?
A. During my undergraduate and graduate training, I developed an interest in helping individuals and families manage chronic illness. Various health psychology and neuropsychology practica provided me with opportunities to work with older adults. As I became aware of the unique issues related to aging—including barriers to mental health treatment and the value of interdisciplinary approaches to care—I realized that the aspects of psychology I was most passionate about were especially prominent in this population. I then pursued geropsychology internship and fellowship training programs to further develop my skills in working with older adults.
Q. Where do you practice?
A. I am a staff psychologist in the Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) Program at the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island. I am also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Brown University Alpert Medical School.
Q. What kind of work do you do?
A. My work is multifaceted and includes clinical, administrative, leadership, and teaching responsibilities. I work on an integrated, interprofessional primary care team that provides home-based services to older adults with complex medical and psychiatric conditions that have not been effectively managed through routine clinic-based care.
Our psychology services include both direct patient care and consultation. Direct services include assessment (psychodiagnostic, cognitive, and decision-making capacity evaluations) and intervention (brief evidence-based psychotherapy, behavioral medicine, dementia care management, and palliative care). Consultation is provided both formally and informally to the team and other referring providers. As mental health team leader for the HBPC program, I developed the behavioral health care integration model and remain involved in various program evaluation and enhancement projects.
In addition to my clinical and administrative roles, I participate in psychology internship and fellowship training through the Brown University Psychology Training Consortium. In this role, I have created geropsychology training opportunities within the Behavioral Medicine and Neuropsychology tracks. I am also involved nationally in developing mentoring programs for early-career HBPC psychologists.
Lastly, I hold leadership roles on several VA committees focused on enhancing geriatric mental health care policies and procedures at both local and national levels.
Q. Why did you decide to become board certified in geropsychology?
A. I have always taken pride in striving for the highest standards in both my personal and professional endeavors. Pursuing board certification in geropsychology felt like the natural next step in my professional development. I also believe strongly that board certification helps protect the public by ensuring the provision of high-quality geropsychology services to an ever-growing, underserved, and diverse population. I viewed the process as an opportunity to deepen my awareness, knowledge, and skills through in-depth analysis and study.
Q. Did the process of applying for the ABPP promote any changes in your professional behavior?
A.Yes, it certainly did. The process of pursuing American Board of Professional Psychology certification gave me the opportunity to reflect on my areas of strength and weakness. In areas where I identified relative weaknesses (e.g., third-party reimbursement issues that I do not typically encounter as a government employee), I made a concerted effort to strengthen my knowledge and familiarity.
Q. Were there aspects of the ABGERO process that you found more difficult?
A.Overall, my experience was challenging in a positive and rewarding way. The most difficult aspect for me was the ethics oral examination. I found it challenging because some aspects of the exam were unrelated to my everyday practice, requiring me to consider ethical principles and standards in unfamiliar contexts. Ultimately, I believe the experience strengthened my understanding of ethical issues, standards, and possible resolutions.
Q. Do you have any advice for those people considering applying to become a specialist in working with older adults?
A.For those considering ABGERO certification, I highly recommend completing the self-assessment using the Pikes Peak Geropsychology Knowledge and Skill Assessment Tool to evaluate strengths and weaknesses. It is a comprehensive and user-friendly resource that can guide preparation for the Professional Self-Study section of the examination while also highlighting areas for further in-depth study.