Society expects autonomous professions to ensure the competency of it practitioners, and professions should facilitate the continuing education and training of its members. Given the shift from psychology as a mental health profession to that of a health profession, the authors propose a self-assessment model for the individual practitioner to gauge his or her readiness to provide professional service in expanded areas of practice. This model could also be useful to the American Psychological Association, state psychological associations, and other purveyors of continuing education programs in systematically developing postgraduate experiences. A template for self-assessment that reflects well-accepted core domains of knowledge and skills is presented.
There is a wealth of professional opportunities for practicing psychologists, particularly given the recent recognition of psychology as a health care profession. A number of dimensions are discussed that can be used as a heuristic to outline the participation of psychologists in the general health care arena. Dimensions include the breadth of disease categories in which psychology has been involved, the involvement of psychologists at different stages of the progression of illnesses, and the diverse roles that psychologists may play in health care. Examples are provided to exemplify the contributions psychologists have made to health care. Recommendations are made to strengthen psychology's role in the health care system. Recent challenges are also reviewed regarding the association of health care and the delivery of services that demand the participation of psychologists.Changes in the nature of health problems over time have been associated with increased opportunities for psychologists in health care. The purpose of this article is to highlight these expanding employment opportunities for psychologists within health care. With medical advances and improvements in living conditions, contemporary medicine has focused on psychological determi-
This article focuses on the impact on and reaction to managed care (the most apparent manifestation of the health care reform process) by psychologists. The recent historical context of the managed care industry is reviewed to offer a more pragmatic understanding of both its present evolution and its potential for being positively influenced by psychologists. Also, specific attention is given to diversification within the practice of psychology, alternative organizational structures, and reintegrating psychology into the treatment evaluation process. The need for psychologists to expand their influence into leadership roles in the evolving health care system will be addressed. J. G. BENEDICT served as action editor for this article.
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