We are a broad field with many sub-specialities. Though the work of building a population health movement will take everyONE in APA, it will be important to elevate the needs and aspirations of each of us. The Association is strong because of our intellectual, disciplinary, and geographical diversity. Different things matter to different corners of our "big tent". Our racial and ethnic, gnder, and sexual orientation identities also define some of the things that are important to us. We need leadership that help weave the interconnected webs this creates and ensure that the things that matter most to all of our members are part of our mission. The key is listening our members. Dr. Butter lists a few below to get the conversations started.
A population health movement ties much of our strategic priorities together.
Working together to build a population health movement, we can invite everyone to the table to support, contribute, and benefit from mobilizing this paradigm shift.
As a result, we will need more scientists participating in the Association. We will need to listen and advance the goals of our psychological science community. We will need the work of our applied psychologists to contribute their expertise on public health, human motivation, habit formation, persuassion, leadership, diversity, and organizational change. Conitnuing the work that has been done to elevate their work will be critical to our success in building an proliferating a population health movement. We will need a diverse and multi-skilled, multi-level work force to grow over time.
Educators and the things that matter to them will be critical. Addressing curriculum, accrediatation/certification, funding, debt, and tuition will be important as we expand our work force at the doctoral, mid-level, and post-bachelors level as well as growing interest in mental health services among our grade 12 and under learners.
Working to address the needs of our full spectrum workforce in health service psychology will be crucial. Obviously, health system, public health, VA, and community mental health psychologists will be engaged and the things that matter in their work will be elevated. But, so will the needs of our independent practice community. A population health movement will require the vast network of our vibrant independent practice community and help them thrive in their current business as well as help them imagine new business wihtin a population health framework. This is expansion, not contraction of the independent practice model. Issues of mental health parity, reimbursement, code expansion, telepsychology, and more business of practice issues cut across these distinct groups of health service psychologists.
Dr. Butter works with all these constituents in his own work now in population health.
One specific "thing" we shoul all be concerned with is poverty. Poverty impacts all races, men and women, and urban and rual communities but not necessarily the same way. A popoulation health movement will bring psychology closer to helping to mitigate the impacts of social determinants of health. Dr. Butter's own research has focused on treatment of underserved populations in his area of specialty (e.g. autism).
We cannot be silent on the issues of gun safety and violence in our society. Keeping our communities safe is a foundational factor in any population health program. Our science and practice can inform us. Dr. Butter's work in the population health programs his health system operate will inform his leadership here.
The work we are doing in understanding, supporting, and applying digital therapeutics and artificial intelligence will be directly relevant and applied in a paradigm shift toward population health principles for our health care system.
A population health movement must be supported with science-based, science informed practice and interventions. A movement for population health can be ruined by disinformation, stigma, and proliferation of pseudoscience. It a "thing" we must address in this journey. Similarly, the human impact of climate change, physical, psychological, and social can be addressed in a population health movement; and, the human contributions to climate change must be addressed in this same framework.
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Dr. Butter discussing top issues impacting psychology with other candidates. Watch and decide for yourself that "Butter does make everything better!".