How does your background qualify you for this office?

My many years of successful practice, teaching, research, leadership, business, and advocacy experience qualify me to be the President of NAN. I believe this varied experience is key to successfully representing our myriad constituents. Furthermore, for almost 25 years, I have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for numerous not-for-profit organizations.

Prior to serving as NAN Treasurer, I served as President of the NJ Psychological Association, the NJ Neuropsychological Society, and the Mercer County Medical Society Alliance. My APA leadership experience includes: 1) Member-at-Large, APA Committee of State Leaders (CSL), 2) Chair of the APA CSL Advocacy Mentoring Subcommittee, 3) APA Heiser Presidential Award for Psychology Advocacy, 4) Association for the Advancement of Psychology Honoree. No stranger to advocacy, my work ranges from preserving fair reimbursements for neuropsychologists, to fighting for mental health parity, to securing essential services for military veterans with TBI.

My NAN leadership experience consists of four years on the NAN Board, executing a major revision of our treasury: implementing up-to-date accounting procedures, empirically based investment and budgeting policies, and compliance measures. Other NAN contributions include: 1) Chair, Finance Committee, 2) Foundation Treasurer, 3) Member, Investment Subcommittee, 4) Member, Personnel Committee, 5) Member, Women in NAN Subcommittee, 6) Co-author of two NAN Position Papers, 7) Archives editorial board and book reviewer, 8) Creator of two NAN static CE courses, 9) NAN conference presentations, 10) Strategic planning leader for updated Mission and Objectives, 11) Chair, First annual NAN Foundation Fundraiser, raising approximately $57,000.

What do you see as the major challenges to neuropsychology in the next five years? How do you believe that NAN, under your leadership, can be effective in meeting these challenges?

The challenges we face include:
Professional Unity & Market Share Threats: The public is confused about who is a neuropsychologist. Let’s stand united against the threats of unqualified and untrained individuals in our marketplace.

Shrinking reimbursements: We are restricted in the use of Evaluation & Management Billing Codes. Let’s secure their use.

Diminished Funding of Post Doctoral Positions: Let’s lobby and join state psychology associations around the country to mobilize a different model of licensure, similar to that of physicians, in which licensure can be obtained prior to completion of post-doctoral training, thus allowing for billing of services.

Threats to Test Security: Let’s partner with attorneys, test companies, and others to create standards to regulate public access to tests.

Empirical Validation of Treatments: Let’s promote treatment research AND provide easy access to the data. NAN’s Policy and Planning Committee already gathers research when producing position papers. Let’s develop a multi-topic-oriented research database clearinghouse, which is periodically updated and dedicated to treatments of conditions such as stroke, ADHD, concussion, Alzheimer’s, etc.

Technician Use: NY State is in crisis. The cancer may spread. Let’s fund a powerful coalition to protect the use of technicians.

We can meet these future challenges through 1) a resource-filled website and versatile IT system that allows strong membership and public access capabilities; 2) a powerful lobbying staff and development of a well-funded Political Action Committee; 3) multi-organizational, interdisciplinary coalitions; and 4) a well-branded public education marketing campaign that highlights “Why and When you need a Neuropsychologist.”

How would you promote professional practice?

Education and practice tools are two sound ways to promote professional practice. I recommend the development of new static online courses, with a professional practice theme, which can be easily accessed by qualified practitioners. NAN should also further develop practice/business workshops at the NAN conference, such as financial seminars to address billing practices and services, bookkeeping, business investment planning, and group structures. Just as we offer the full day forensic pre-conference seminar, and now the sports concussion full day seminar, perhaps we could consider a “Professional Practice Day Track.” PAIC would be instrumental in such planning.

NAN members welcome up-to-date practice information. They need direct access to tools such as templates for employee contracts, employee manuals, consent forms, sample professional wills, and more. NAN can develop and provide such user-friendly tools. NAN can also research the feasibility of offering member services such as health insurance for practices and attorney/legal service consultation plans. Let’s research the breadth of promotional services that larger membership associations offer their members. Through research we can determine the most reasonable package of member services.

If NAN can ease the stress of busy clinicians, through education, services, and tools to help them run compliant, ethical, and efficient practices, then it has succeeded in adding immeasurable value to the cost of membership.

How do you plan to bridge science and practice?

To bridge science and practice, we may need to think beyond ourselves and focus on the greater good. NAN can benefit from partnerships that bring together our expert scientists and practitioners to work on joint projects that benefit the public welfare. Vehicles for such joint projects could consist of symposia that generate consensus statements, special topic journal issues, and information technology platforms for virtual grand rounds that are video streamed for local, national, and international access.

I am impressed that multi-disciplinary gatherings of expert representatives of science and practice, from numerous organizations whether governmental, not-for-profit, or private sector, have been able to successfully work together and create consensus statements to guide public policy and governmental regulation. Members of NAN can join in missions that reach beyond our profession. Such missions require the partnership of scientists and practitioners. NAN has the opportunity to sponsor such think-tanks. NAN has the opportunity to be the creator of socially responsible endeavors.

In addition, let’s further our commitment to NAN’s research grant program, to embrace the work of academicians and practitioners in our pursuit of science and empirically based practice. As president, I would work to enhance our research grant program by helping to secure robust funding.