Importance To Your Membership

Members of IPA are engaged at the local, state, and Federal levels to promote the interests of Iowa psychologists and the communities they serve.  Ongoing engagement with lawmakers and public policy experts is crucial and IPA contributes to efforts to expand access and quality mental health care to all citizens of our state.  These efforts include a yearly Legislative Breakfast with state lawmakers at the Capitol in Des Moines, attendance at the annual Practice Leadership Conference hosted by the American Psychological Association, and regular outreach and communication in collaboration with our lobbyists to provide input and guidance to legislators and their staffs regarding policies that impact psychological practice and the delivery of mental health care services.

IPA's efforts during the past several years have secured several new initiatives aimed at improving mental health care access and quality in Iowa.  These include legislation and regulations allowing for the provisional licensure of psychologists in Iowa as well as our recent work on granting Iowa psychologists prescriptive authority.  Members are regularly involved in outreach to agencies within Iowa and around the nation to advocate for the role of psychology in promoting health and wellbeing. See IPA's recent accomplishments.