PA Psychological Association

03/24/2026

Join us for this LIVE webinar on Friday, April 10, 2026. Satisfy your Ethics, PSYPACT, and Supervision credit requirements all in one session! Register online at www.papsy.org.

03/18/2026

Cece Worley’s case marks one of the few times a court has recognized the condition as deserving of workplace accommodations.

03/11/2026

02/12/2026

When parents face the question, “Should my child take medication?” the most important factor isn’t the medication itself.

It’s the provider guiding the decision.

Master’s-level clinicians are often highly skilled in counseling and behavioral interventions.
Doctoral-level psychologists receive advanced training in diagnosis and psychotherapy.
Medical providers can prescribe medications, but may have limited training in non-medication treatments.

In some states, prescribing psychologists complete a two-year postdoctoral degree in psychopharmacology on top of their doctoral training in psychology. That means they are trained in both psychotherapy and medication management and can thoughtfully guide families through all treatment options.

For many conditions, therapy may be enough.
For others, medication may be necessary at least temporarily.
But the decision should be made by someone who understands the full picture.

When it comes to your child’s mental health, expertise matters.

01/29/2026

Emerging research shows that prescribing psychologists strengthen the mental health system in powerful ways.

New studies indicate that states with prescribing psychologists see:
• Reduced racial disparities in unmet mental health needs and medication access
• Comparable patient complexity, with prescribing psychologists more likely to treat individuals also engaged in psychotherapy and support a more integrated, holistic model of care
• The potential for hundreds of new prescribers to enter the workforce over time, significantly narrowing the psychiatric access gap

Pennsylvania already has approximately 50 qualified psychologist prescribers but many currently travel out of state to practice because they cannot prescribe here.

RxP isn’t about creating providers from scratch.
It’s about unlocking an existing, highly trained workforce to meet urgent needs.

Selected Evidence:
Hughes, P. M., et al. (under review).
Hughes, P. M., et al. (in press-B).
RxP White Paper. Hughes, McGrath, & Thomas (2024).

01/15/2026

Children’s access to mental health care improves when prescribing psychologists are part of the system.

Recent research found that in states with psychologist scope-of-practice expansion:
• Children had significantly fewer unmet mental health needs
• Children were more likely to receive appropriate mental health medication

These findings suggest that expanding prescriptive authority for psychologists helps close critical gaps in pediatric mental health care, ensuring more children receive timely, effective treatment.

Improving access for children isn’t theoretical. The data shows real impact.

Citation:
Hughes, P. M., et al. (2024). Expanded scope of practice for psychologists and pediatric mental health access.

12/22/2025

Prescribing psychologists are mental health specialists who prescribe only within the scope of psychiatric medications. Similar to how other healthcare professionals prescribe within their areas of expertise and competency.

Research consistently shows that states allowing psychologist prescribing experience:
• Reductions in mental-health–related deaths, including suicides
• Improved quality of life and cost-effective care
• Strong prescribing knowledge compared to non-specialist medical providers
• Fewer adverse medication events and more thoughtful medication use

Prescribing psychologists often treat high-need, high-risk patients, spending the time required to ensure safe, effective, and well-understood treatment plans.

Expanding prescriptive authority is about quality, safety, and access that is grounded in evidence, not assumptions.

Selected Evidence:
Hughes, P. M., McGrath, R. E., & Thomas, K. C. (2022).
Choudhury, S., & Plemmons, G. (2023).
Hughes, P. M., et al. (2023).
Cooper, R. (2022).
Hughes, P. M., et al. (in press).

12/12/2025

PPAGS "How To" Graduate School Video Series

Video #6: How to Know if a Program is Right for You

To round out our series, we have Rachel Windsor, (rachelwindsor14@gmail.com), PPAGS Advocacy Chair, providing guidance to prospective students about how to choose a program that best fits their needs.

Feel free to contact Rachel with any questions. Please share with students far and wide!

12/08/2025

Dr. Kyle Bonesteel explains what it actually takes to become a prescribing psychologist and it’s far more rigorous than most people realize.

Prescribing psychologists complete:
• Nine biomedical prerequisite courses
• A two-year Master’s in Clinical Psychopharmacology
• Hands-on physical assessment training (80 hours)
• Advanced study of psychopathology, physiology, and neural systems

This is a medical-model curriculum designed to ensure psychologists prescribing psychotropic medications do so safely, competently, and collaboratively.

When we talk about expanding access to mental health care, this is the training behind it.

Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eavRwCxoRpg&t=1s

12/05/2025

PPAGS "How To" Graduate School Video Series

Video #5: How to Prepare for an Interview

Here is Patricia Obilo-Azandegbe (nell22girl@yahoo.com), PPAGS Diversity Chair, presenting helpful tips and tricks for interview preparation.

Patricia is happy to answer any questions via email. Please share with students far and wide!

11/28/2025

PPAGS 'How To" Graduate School Video Series

Video #4: How to Decide Between Ph.D. vs. Psy.D.

This week, Claudia Hyman (hymanc1@lasalle.edu), PPAGS Programming Chair, is discussing key differences between a Ph.D. and a Psy.D. degree in the field of psychology.

Feel free to email Claudia with any questions. Please share with students far and wide!

11/24/2025

The budget is done. Which means legislators are now shifting their attention to policy.
This is the moment when advocacy has the most power.
A quick call or email today carries far more weight than waiting weeks.
Your voice is powerful. Use it now.
🔎 Find your PA Senator here:
https://www.palegis.us/find-my-legislator