We have arrived at the end of 2023, and I wanted to give you a quick update on KPA.
In 2023, we lowered rates for Early Career Psychologists (up to 10 years post-graduate), first time members, post-docs, and Full Members. This felt like the perfect time to address the financial burden we are all adjusting to since the pandemic by offering our membership at a lower rate. Your membership fees will have some special benefits that include:
- Reduced fees for our Spring and Fall conferences
- Free monthly CEU events started in 2023 (stay tuned for 2024 exact dates, TBD)
- Inclusion in the “Doctor Finder” profile on the KPA website, a service used by fellow members, KPA staff, and the public to locate referrals.
- Access to our Mentorship Program, either as a mentee or mentor
- Membership listserv to communicate with colleagues for purposes of networking, referrals, and information sharing
- Updates by state licensing board, state legislative efforts, and professional endeavors
- In-person advocacy at the federal level in conjunction with APA Services, Inc.
In recent years, your KPA board was hard at work advocating for the benefit of all psychologists while taking care to speak on behalf of psychologists working in Kansas and the communities we serve. Our advocacy efforts have included:
- Improving integrated care rates and structure
- Maintaining and increasing reimbursement rates through CMS, with heavy emphasis on telehealth services
- Addressing parity issues mainly with increasing federal and state oversight and response
- Maintaining and increasing federal funds for training, access, and infusing the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), especially in rural areas
- Improving community and school-based access issues
Your new or continued membership allows various board members to attend and participate in advocacy summits where we talk with federal legislators from our state about our state's mental health needs.
A more in-depth update will be forthcoming. Please consider joining or renewing now for 2024 so that we can continue our future planning,
Jason Malousek, PsyD (President 2024)