Take Action Regarding Legislation!


Visit the NASP Advocacy Guide to learn how to use the
NASP Advocacy Center .

NASP Tips for contacting legislators by phone, email, or letter.

West Virginia Advocacy/Legislative Priorities

APA Model Licensure Act

As many of you are aware, APA has developed a model licensure act that removes the exemption for school psychologists to be called “psychologist”. APA has always taken the stand that entry-level practice is the doctorate degree, and from the level of doctorate you go on to specialize (for example, school psychology). While the APA Model Licensure Act is just that, a model licensure act, APA does hope that there recommendation is taken up at the state level. So, it is important to note that the title issue will play out on a state-by-state basis. NASP has developed background materials and a way to write letters to APA to address your concerns.

The APA Model Licensure Act addresses the title, not the practice of what we do with children, families, and schools. It would be a restriction of trade to disallow a professional to practice in an area he/she has been trained.

The impact of not being able to call ourselves “psychologist” will have a detrimental effect on the practice of school psychology and on our training programs in the future. Please go to this link http://nasponline.org/standards/apamla.aspx for more in-depth information.

At this site you can find model letters you can send, or if you wish to send your own letter, the address to which to send your email. Please take a few minutes and write a letter regarding the APA Model Licensure Act. You will make the difference, and the number of professionals that respond to this will make our voice louder.

Be prepared to do the same at the state level at some point.

National Legislative Priories

By Beverly Winter

It was a privilege to represent West Virginia at the Public Policy Institute in Washington , D.C. this summer. The Public Policy Institute was a joint endeavor with the National Association of School Psychologists and George Washington University . Midweek, I visited the offices of Senator Byrd, Senator Rockefeller, and Delegate Rahall to discuss educational concerns and recommendations on behalf of children and their families as these issues are addressed in pending and proposed legislation.

NASP has developed a legislative service for all school psychologists to use to assist in communicating with national and some state government officials.

Legislation addressing several key public policy priorities, including advancing school-based mental health services and supports for students with emotional and behavioral needs, and promoting the NASP NCLB priorities, has been introduced in Congress.  To learn more and become part of NASP's '1-Minute Solution' by sending a letter to your elected officials asking for their support of these bills, visit http://capwiz.com/naspweb/home/

At this website you will find sample letters on each legislative issue. You can send the sample letter, you can add and take away from the sample letter and send it, or you can erase the sample letter, and insert your own letter. You can then send the letter directly to your senator, delegate, and/or representative.

I will bring my laptop to the fall conference, and if we can get an internet hookup, you can also look at it and send a letter at that time.

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