OPA Frequently Asked Question

 1. What does OPA do?

OPA works to serve the best interests of all Oklahoma Psychologists through several strategies to include engaging in political lobbying both at the State and Federal level, advocating for mental health parity, and at times providing a “voice” for the Board of Examiners of Psychologists at the state legislature such that if changes are needed in our law or if our law is threatened, OPA is available to act for psychologists.  The organization provides numerous educational opportunities through seminars and workshops, mentoring opportunities as well as providing a forum for meeting other professionals.  Four times a year, the Oklahoma Psychologist Newsletter is published which informs members of the organizations activities as well as providing important information such as explaining about the NPI which practitioners are required to obtain.

 

2.  What are the benefits of being an OPA member?

The benefits of OPA membership are numerous to include being an active member of your professional organization.  The Psychologist of the Day program at our state legislature is for members only and facilitates visibility for our organization as well as individuals serving for a week in that capacity.  CPE’s are readily available through OPA and are inexpensive.  The listserv available to members keeps all of us abreast of what is taking place in Oklahoma Psychology and what we need to be aware of to be informed and “savvy” professionals.

 

3.  What is the cost of joining?

Qualified psychologists can join for $150.00 for the first year, $225.00 for the second and $300.00 for each subsequent year.

 

4. What are the academic requirements of joining?

To be eligible for membership, a psychologist will either a) hold an earned doctoral degree from a department of psychology in a regionally accredited university or b) hold an earned doctoral degree from a program which is primarily psychological in content in a regionally accredited university; or c) be licensed by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists to practice psychology in the state of Oklahoma.  (Please note:  no individual shall be eligible for Member status who is or who becomes licensed/certified in another healthcare profession unless he/she is also licensed as a psychologist).

 

5.  How do I join?

You can download the membership form on this website and then mail it to the OPA office or call the office at (405) 879-0069 and the membership form will be sent to you.

 

6.  Who else belongs?

Psychologists of all ages working in a variety of settings from private practice, university settings, the Health Sciences Center and the VA are members of OPA. 

 

7.  Where might I fit in?

Attending a Board of Directors meeting held the second Monday of the month from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in Oklahoma City would be a great way to get introduced to the activities being undertaken by OPA.  Signing up to be “mentored” by an OPA Board Member for a year would be a second strategy.  Volunteering for one of OPA’s active committees would be a third way to “fit in” and a list of the chairpersons is available on this website.  Feel free to call or to e-mail the President of OPA to express your interests in participating in the organization. Three different divisions exist in OPA, the Division for Research and Training (DRAT), the Division of Health Service Providers (HSP) and the Division of Prescriptive Authority (RxP), and members are invited to become active in one or more of these divisions.

 

8.  Where does OPA stand on prescription authority for properly trained psychologists?

Based on a recent survey of the membership, OPA is not working actively for prescription authority for psychologists in Oklahoma at this time.  At some point in the future if there is enough interest on the part of our membership, activity in the Division of Prescriptive Authority may well revive.  In the meantime, the Division does sponsor workshops to aid Oklahoma Psychologists to be informed about medication as so many of the people we work with are taking prescribed psychotropic medication.

 

9. What membership Classifications exist?

Besides being a full member as outlined above, an associate member is an individual who has received a Master’s degree in psychology, or related behavioral or social science field.  (Individuals who meet the requirements for Member status in the Association shall not be eligible for Associate status).  A Post-Doc status applies to someone who has received a doctoral degree in psychology and currently is working in a post-doc fellowship and finally, a student membership is for someone enrolled in a state or regionally accredited college, university, or professional school.
 

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