Dear Colleagues,
I am running for President-Elect of Division 42. Rather than take space for the following in the 350 word statement allowed in the Independent Practitioner, here is a listing of my prior and current activities and involvement with the division. I would greatly appreciate your support.
My involvement with the division began in 1998, communicating with members via the listserv. Here is my second message to the division listserv. This will give you a flavor of things that have been important to me from very early on. At the time I posted this message I was 6 years post-licensure, and not yet in full time independent practice (that occurred in April of 2000). With this post I was ‘blogging’ probably before that term was in common use, and was dabbling in website development. I had created a web page that asked psychologists and other health professionals to pledge to not be involved in managed reimbursement schemes.
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“Subject: Biz:>”No managed care” practitioners’ list online
From: Gordon Herz <drhrz@MENTALHEALTH-MADISON.COM>
Reply-To: Division 42 – Division of Independent Practice <DIV42@LISTS.APA.ORG>
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 16:22:26 -0600
Colleagues,
A page entitled “No MC Practitioners’ List” allowing a public endorsement of a pledge regarding managed care and mental health is now available at http://www.mentalhealth-madison.com/Documents/No_MC_Pledge.htm
This page will be available for 7 days to invite comment, indications of a desire to be included on the list, or suggestions for specific changes in wording.
Level-headed comments will be especially appreciated from any PhD/JD colleague listmembers regarding freedom of speech/freedom of association issues versus whether endorsement of such statements and actions might represent antitrust violations.
Wonderfully ironic in regard to recent posts forwarded from the Div42 list regarding the need to cease discussion on APA lists about fees and participation in managed care is the article by Stanley Moldawsky, PhD, President, APA Div. 42 (Independent Practice) in the
1997 Monitor, “Managed care and psychotherapy are incompatible “. See this article at http://www.apa.org/monitor/jul97/share.html [article no longer available at that URL].
Regards,
Gordon Herz, PhD”
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You will note that reimbursement issues, health care and health care financing reform have been major areas of interest of mine since very early in my career and in my work with Division 42. In my view, these issues directly affect the health of individual psychological practices, the viability of independent practice, and our ability to serve the public.
If elected, one of my major projects will be to lead the division to direct advocacy work in this area, to positively impact reimbursement for, and access to, psychological services that are consistent with our mission, with division and APA structures and resources, and with the rapidly evolving marketplace, on behalf of our members and the public. Specifically, during my tenure, we will mobilize our advocacy, media and public education activities, and develop effective ways to educate the public, payers, and policy-makers.
Testimonial for Division 42
Division Positions Held
2002 — 2009: Member and Co-chair (2006 — 2009), Interdivisional (39/42) Task Force on Managed Care and Health Care Policy.
2003 — 2005: Associate Internet Editor
2005 — 2007: Internet Editor
Significant achievements during Internet Editor tenure:
- Led team to develop first division CD celebrating Division 42’s 25th Anniversary, “Division 42’s Greatest Hits”
- Led revision of guidelines for participation in Division 42 Listserv
- Brought free access to online Outcomes Measurement system to division members
2008 — 2010: Member at Large
2009: Delegate for Division 42 to the Presidential Summit on the Future of Psychology Practice
2010 — Present: Chair, Advertising Committee. Led development of Advertising Guidelines for the division’s online and print media.
2011 — 2012: Council Representative: Statement to D42 at time of run for Council
2011 — Present: Coordinator, Student/ECP Mentoring Program
Awards by Division 42
2006: Presidential Award presented by Dr. Lillian Comas-Diaz, “In recognition of outstanding and unusual contributions to the development of the Division 42 website.”
2007: Presidential Citation from Dr. Laura Barbanel, “For outstanding service to Division 42 in his many activities; most notably as internet editor and editor of the 25th anniversary CD project. Each of these projects, along with his many other contributions, have made him an invaluable member of the the Division 42 team.
President Dr. Laura Barbanel and Past President Dr. Lillian Comas-Diaz presenting Presidential Citation to Dr. Herz
His creativity is coupled with thoughtfulness which makes every contribution both practical and unique. In addition, his good humor through it all is noteworthy and unique. Gordon’s devotion to the division and his dedication to its needs make him a treasure. Gordon has indeed set a high standard for participation in the division.
We are deeply indebted to you.”
2010: Presidential Citation from D42 President Lisa Grossman, JD, PhD, ABPP, “Presented with appreciation in recognition of tremendous effort, creative energy and outstanding contributions to and extraordinary work as Division 42’s past Internet Editor, List Serv Administrator, co-chair of the Interdivisional Task Force Committee on Managed Care and Health Care Policy, and current Advertising Committee chair, member of the Website Committee and Member-at-Large to the 42 Board of Directors.”
2010: Outstanding Mentor Award, “For outstanding contributions as a mentor in the Division 42 Mentoring Program. Dr. Herz has generously shared his experience, expertise, and time freely and generously, making a significant impact on the careers of others.”
Receiving 2010 Outstanding Mentor Award
2011: Presidential Citation from Dr. Nancy Molitor for the Website Committee “For his generosity of spirit, his keen intelligence and his dedication.”
Independent Practitioner Articles
Herz, G. (2003). Who do you want to design your health care system? Independent Practitioner, 23, 5, 182-193.
Herz, G. (2006). How to enroll as a Medicare psychologist. Independent Practitioner, 26, 3, 150-152.
Herz, G. (2007). Balanced Choice: The right choice for psychologists for comprehensive health care reform. Independent Practitioner, 27, 2, 63-66.
Herz, G. (2007). Violence in America. Independent Practitioner, 27, 4, 179.
2007 Candidate Statement: Member-At-Large. Independent Practitioner, 27, 2, 90. According to this became Internet Editor in 2005.
Herz, G. (2007). To Preserve, Protect and Defend (and Simplify) Documentation of Psychotherapy. Independent Practitioner, 27, 3, 136-139.
Herz, G. (2009). Measuring progress and outcomes. Independent Practitioner, 29, 3, 179.
Herz, G. (2009). Working with older adults. “Virtual Happy Hour,” 6/23/2009, Psychologists in Independent Practice.
Herz, G. (2010). Candidate statement, Council Representative. Independent Practitioner, 30, 2, 112.
“Ask the Advocate” columns, with co-authors Russ Holstein, PhD and Ivan Miller, PhD. This series of articles provided solutions to problems commonly encountered in psychological practice related to health insurance and reimbursement. See, for example: Ask The Advocate, Summer 2001, Independent-Practitioner.
APA Statement of Principles for Health Care Reform
(Adopted by APA August 2007)
Whereas APA has a history of working with many other health organizations to promote health and mental health for all;
Whereas APA has never articulated its own health care policy;
Therefore, we, the undersigned believe that
- Every American should have coverage that provides affordable health care for all basic services.
- Basic health care services eliminate the artificial distinction between “mental” and “physical” health, recognize the inseparable relationship between mental and physical well being, and offer access to treatment for “mental health conditions” equivalent in all respects to access for “physical health conditions”.
- Basic health care services include the psychological treatment of physical conditions in order to maximize rehabilitation and quality of life.
- Basic health care services include appropriate prevention services that address the role that behavior plays in seven out of the ten leading causes of mortality and morbidity.
Statement at time of running for Council Representative
My involvement Division 42 began in 1998, as a member commenting on the listserv. I “Joined Division 42 for the listserv and stayed for everything else.” I am grateful to have been asked to join the Interdivisional Task Force on Managed Care and Health Care Policy, where I served the end of 2009, including as co-chair. On behalf of our divisions, successes included shepherding a formal statement of principles of health care reform to adoption by the APA in 2007, and last year’s study of reimbursement for psychological services, the related impact on access to psychologists, with recommendations for Division’s role and specific strategies and methods to affect these issues.
I served as Associate Internet Editor for two years and Internet Editor for three. During that tenure I was lead editor of “Division 42’s Greatest Hits,” our 25th Anniversary multimedia CD. I guided development of an advertising policy for www.Division42.org, and a policy to improve collegiality in the listserv community. I brought an online outcomes assessment system to the Division at no cost to members. I have served on the Board as a Member at Large since 2007. I have been a mentor through our mentorship program. I was one of four Division members selected as a Delegate to the Summit on the Future of Psychology Practice in May 2009. At the request of our current President I chair a committee to update policies and further develop the Division’s online and print advertising.
In relation to the CR position, I had the opportunity to address caucuses to promote support prior to Council’s adoption of the Principles for Health Care Reform. As part of the Executive Committee as Internet Editor, I had the opportunity to watch our current and recent years’ Representatives take the Division’s interests to Council, and report on the meaning of Council’s actions for Division 42. There will be much to learn should I be elected to this position. A key principle I would bring to this is the perspective I strived to keep uppermost as Member at Large: What do our members want?
The most critical issue confronting independent psychologists is the viability of psychological practice in the future marketplace. Division 42 should address this challenge by finding ways to positively impact reimbursement for and access to psychological services that are consistent with our scientific and professional mission, division and APA structures. We should actively reach out and nurture the next generation of psychologists, by collaborating with our academic colleagues directly in training programs. At the organizational level, we need to vigorously remind our parent organization that the independent practice of psychology is and will be a meaningful and necessary way to deliver health care services in any future system, and ensure the organization includes this understanding in its strategic planning and actions. In the public arena, we should promote the excellence and value independent psychologists bring to individuals, families and communities.
Gordon I. Herz, PhD
Madison, WI
http://DrHerz.us