IPA Legislative and Advocacy Accomplishments

• Passed Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 88, removing the requirement for a psychiatrist to be one of the three experts appointed by a judge when an insanity defense is raised. The bill changes the psychiatrist requirement to only cases involving homicide but also requires at least one psychologist for homicide cases (2014).
• Protected the privacy of students who receive mental health services and adults who are committed by amending HEA 1204 so that release of student mental health records to schools (at the request of parents or guardians) are limited, follow HIPPA requirements, and includes immunity for providers (2014).
• Protected patient confidentiality by working with the authors of HEA 1218 to ensure that information submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) would not include clinical information (2014).
• Advocated for increased role for psychologists in evaluating defendants' competency to stand trial (2011).
• Passed APA’s Model Licensure Act (HB 1573), allowing sequential and organized pre-doctoral training experiences to count toward the two years of supervised experience required for HSPP licensure (2010).
• Prevented detrimental changes to our practice act regarding cease and desist language for individuals practicing psychology without a license (2010).
• Advocated for Medicaid reimbursement of technicians who administer psychological and neuropsychological tests under a psychologist’s supervision (2010).
• Worked with Department of Child Services to revise service standards so that diagnosis and treatment work performed for DCS require supervision by HSPP psychologist (2010).
• Defeated legislation that would have diminished the authority of the Indiana State Psychology Board (2009).
• Defeated legislation that would have allowed expansion of school psychologists scope of practice into HSPP Clinical Psychologists scope of practice (2009).
• Worked to include Psychologists in loan repayment program (HB 1210) providing up to $25,000 per year for 4 years for new psychologists who start their practices in Indiana in community mental health centers, state mental health institutions, and others locations (2009).
• Negotiated licensing changes to the independent practice qualifications for school psychologists (also contained within HB 1573) to require school psychologists to complete 12 hours of DSM-IV-specific continuing education provided by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist (2009).
• Defeated legislation that would have licensed addictions counselors and required psychologists to obtain a license as addictions counselor in order to do addiction counseling (2008).
• Amended legislation that would have prohibited psychologists from doing behavior analysis unless they received a national certification as a behavior analyst (2008).
• Lobbied successfully to gain full mental health and substance abuse parity under Indiana’s healthcare plan for the uninsured (2008).
• Lobbied successfully for a provision in the new occupational therapists licensure law to allow psychologists to directly refer their patients to occupational therapists (2008).
• Defeated legislation that would have removed psychologists' ability to refer directly to physical therapists (2007).
• Passed legislation (SB 114) that prevents insurance companies from including a clause in your contract that would force you to give them the best price you give another insurance company (2006).
• Defeated a proposal that would have cut Medicaid reimbursement to psychologists by 2% (2005).
• Defeated legislation that would have given the Governor the authority to cut optional services under Medicaid (2005).