Workshop Pricing: 

$150: GPA Members

$200: Non-members

Be at the Table – Not on the Menu: How to Advocate for Your Practice and Profession

In-Person Workshop, CE: 6 Hours

Please also note that a portion of your registration will be donated to the GPA Political Action Committee (GPA PAC).

Presented By: 
Anita Brown, PhD; Daniel Rogers, PhD; Angela Londono-McConnell, PhD; J. Kip Matthews, PhD
Special Presentations by Georgia State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver, J.D.; Jennifer Kelly, PhD-American Psychological Association Past-President; Stanley S. Jones, Jr., J.D.; Helen L. Sloat, B.A., and George Ray, J.D. of Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough

A recent example of advocacy’s impacts on the profession is the passage of the Mental Health Parity Act in the Georgia legislature during this year’s legislative session.  This success along with other challenges to the work of psychologists in the context of an election year are the inspirations for this exciting upcoming CE event and GPA PAC fund-raiser. Key speakers will be Representative Mary Margaret Oliver, who was an instrumental figure in the passage of this key legislation, and Dr. Jennifer Kelly who has had an immense impact on psychology advocacy at state, national and international levels.  GPA’s lobbying team from Nelson Mullins also be an important part of the event. Their insights and experience are always valuable and to GPA.  GPA members and staff will also contribute valuable opportunities for learning during this event.

This workshop will be held live, in-person at Atlantic Station.  Please review your registration notification email for specific location details.

Workshop Description:

The importance and relevance of advocacy in the study and practice of psychology is recognized.  State and federal laws and regulations have huge impact on and are of great significance to psychologists.  During the day of this advocacy conference, presenters will share general information about the process of advocating for psychology and the skills needed to be impactful, while other presenters will focus on more specific topics, including the recently passed parity law.  The value of advocacy which is informed by knowledge of the differential access to needed mental health services as well as the disparities in quality and availability of needed services will be emphasized. A portion of registration fees will support the GPA PAC.

(Introductory)

Learning Objectives:

Dr. Rogers is a faculty member in the Department of Psychological Science. Trained as a clinical psychologist, his professional career has involved studying, researching, teaching, and providing clinical services in applied areas of psychology. Dr. Rogers received his PhD in 2003 in Clinical Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; completed his predoctoral internship at Baylor College of Medicine in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and his postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan in the Psychological Clinic. Dr. Rogers is a licensed psychologist in Georgia. Dr. Rogers joined the KSU faculty in the Fall of 2005 and teaches a variety of courses, most frequently Careers in Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. His research has included projects exploring the working alliance between teachers and students, interpersonal strengths, teaching styles, and the validity of survey data from undergraduate samples. Dr. Rogers previously served as the Associate Chair in the Department of Psychological Science. He is also involved in psychology-related advocacy within Georgia through various leadership roles in the Georgia Psychological Association and serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). He is currently GPA’s Legal and Legislative Advocacy Committee Chair.

Dr. Angela Londoño-McConnell is a licensed psychologist and President of AK Counseling & Consulting, Inc. in Athens, GA. She has extensive experience in the areas of college student life & development and is a nationally recognized expert in the field of cultural diversity. She worked as a Multicultural Specialist and directed the Latinx Student Cultural Center at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She has served on several university and community-wide committees to address enrollment and retention of students of color at the University level. Dr. Londoño-McConnell co-chaired the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs of the Massachusetts Psychological Association and is a Past President of the Athens-Area Psychological Association. She served on the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP), the governing committee for the American Psychological Association Practice Organization.

She was named a Fellow of the Georgia Psychological Association for her contributions to the field of psychology. Dr. Londoño-McConnell has conducted numerous workshops on a variety of topics and is often interviewed by regional, national and international media.  She is a regular featured guest on CNN en Español and also hosted a weekly health segment on Georgia Public Radio. Dr. Londoño-McConnell served as the Georgia Psychological Association Public Education Services Committee Chair and the State’s liaison to the American Psychological Association in their public education efforts. Her professional interests include diversity, women’s issues, relationship concerns, college student life and development, psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS, and anxiety and mood disorders. Dr. Londoño-McConnell is bilingual (Spanish) and bicultural.

J. Kip Matthews, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and is Vice-President of AK Counseling & Consulting, Inc. in Athens, GA. He served as the Director of the Student Success Center at the Georgia State University Counseling Center and was the Coordinator of Career Services at both the Georgia State University Counseling Center and the University of Georgia Counseling and Testing Center.

Most recently, he has been involved in the American Psychological Association’s Mind-Body Health Public Education Campaigns. Additionally, he was the Public Education Coordinator for the Georgia Psychological Association and Chair of the Public Education Committee. Dr. Matthews has offered programs on numerous topics including stress management, health psychology, relationship enhancement, and performance and sport psychology. His research has been presented at the American Psychological Association, the American College Personnel Association, and in a variety of other forums.

Dr. Matthews’ professional interests include career and life planning, performance enhancement, Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) concerns, mind/body health, corporate/business consulting, and multiculturalism. He is currently credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.

 

Representative Mary Margaret Oliver is a DeKalb County native and practicing attorney in Decatur.  She serves House District 82, which encompasses parts of Decatur, Brookhaven, Tucker and Chamblee inside Interstate 85, all of the Emory University campus and the unincorporated neighborhoods of Druid Hills, Saga-more Hills, North Briarcliff and Oak Grove. For more than 25 years, she has served multiple terms in the Georgia House and Senate, focusing on legislation to protect children and consumers and having the distinction of chairing both the House and Senate Judiciary committees. 

Rep. Oliver currently serves on the Appropriations, Judiciary, Governmental Affairs, Juvenile Justice and Science & Technology committees. She was appointed by the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court to serve on the Committee on Justice for Children. She was also appointed by the governor to serve on the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission. The speaker of the House also appointed her to the special committees on Criminal Justice Reform, Child Welfare Reform and Access to the Civil Justice System. In 2021, the speaker appointed her to chair the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Oversight Committee (MARTOC), making her the sole Democrat committee chair in the House. During the 2022 legislative session, she helped carry the speaker’s bipartisan House Bill 1013, the Mental Health Parity Act, to unanimous passage by both chambers, which was a watershed victory for Georgians.

As a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Emory University Law School, Rep. Oliver has remained active in the life of Emory, where she has taught in the Barton Child Law and Policy Center. She also serves on Emory’s Board of Visitors and was honored as one of Emory’s “History Makers.” Her legislative work has also garnered recognition by the Atlanta YWCA, Garden Clubs of Georgia and Voices for Georgia’s Children, among other organizations. Rep. Oliver is a frequent guest on GPB’s “Political Rewind” program and is a timely contributor of opinion pieces on legislative issues to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rep. Oliver is an avid golfer and canoeist with a love of Georgia’s beauty, and she proudly serves on the board of the Altamaha Riverkeeper. She is a lifelong member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Midtown Atlanta, where she teaches an annual Sunday School class, “Jesus on the Front Page of the New York Times.

Stanley S. Jones, Jr., is a partner in the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. Stan practices in the areas of healthcare law, governmental relations and public policy, and administrative law. A graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Stan has been Involved in the mental health movement in Georgia since working on numerous gubernatorial and presidential commissions for the Carter family.  Stan has been recognized for Outstanding Leadership in the Public Interest by the Emory University School of Law EPIC Inspiration Awards (2014), the 2011 Sandy Brandt Volunteer Service Award, Mental Health America, and more.

 

Helen L. Sloat is a legislative consultant and Georgia Registered Lobbyist with the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. She is an advocate for various clients including healthcare providers, insurers, and child welfare providers. Helen tracks federal and state legislation, conducts research, drafts bills and amendments, and lobbies for legislative initiatives' introduction and passage. She has experience with Georgia's budgetary process.

George Ray is a Senior Associate in the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. George focuses his practice on Georgia government relations, state and local administrative law and regulatory proceedings, and business litigation. Representing education, healthcare, nonprofit, and other business entities before the Georgia General Assembly and State agencies, George works with clients to develop and implement strategies at each stage of the legislative and regulatory policy processes. He also helps clients resolve Georgia business, regulatory, and procurement disputes.

Dr. Jennifer Kelly is a licensed psychologist and is Board Certified in Clinical Health Psychology. She has been the director of the Atlanta Center for Behavioral Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia since 1994. As a Clinical Health Psychologist, Dr. Kelly addresses a variety of mental health concerns in her practice, with expertise in treating disorders that involve the relationship between physical and emotional conditions. She specializes in pain management and trauma, and her practice is dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of acute and chronic pain. She coordinates care with members of the treatment team to maximize the treatment outcomes. The treatment provided is goal-directed and problem-focused with the goals of effectively managing with the pain and leading a more productive life. In addition to treatment, she conducts psychological evaluations to assist with treatment planning and to assist in determining if the patient is an appropriate candidate, from a psychological standpoint, for medical procedures, such as surgery and spinal cord stimulation.

A native of Gulfport, Mississippi, Dr. Kelly earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Florida State University in 1987. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi.

In addition to her independent practice in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Kelly is actively involved in numerous professional organizations. She has been elected the 2021 President of the American Psychological Association. She most recently served as Co-Chair of the newly formed Advocacy Coordinating Committee of the American Psychological Association Services, Inc. She served on the Board of Directors as Recording Secretary for APA from 2013-2018. Prior to that, she served on the Board as a member-at-large. Other leadership positions within APA include Council of Representatives six years, Past-Chair of the Board of Professional Affairs, member of the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP), Past-Chair of the Committee of State Leaders, Past-President of the Division of State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs (Division 31), Division 29 Member-at-large, and numerous task-forces. She served on the Board of Trustees of the Association for the Advancement of Psychology (PAC) and was Chair of the Board 2008-2009.

A past president of the Georgia Psychological Association, Dr. Kelly has served as the Federal Advocacy Coordinator of the Association and Treasurer of the GPA Political Action Committee for 21 years. 

Dr. Kelly has received many awards from the APA over the course of her career.  She was recognized at the 2019 APA Services, Inc. Practice Leadership Conference for her Leadership in Advancing the Profession of Psychology through Federal Advocacy. Other Advocacy recognitions include the 2011 State Leadership Award, Karl F. Heiser Advocacy Award and Legislative Award of the Georgia Psychological Association in 2000, and the Federal Advocacy Award by the APA Practice Organization in 2004. She was the 2012 recipient of the APA Division of Health Psychology/American Psychological Foundation Timothy B. Jeffrey Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Health Psychology. In 2011 she was presented with the Diversity Award from the Committee of State Leaders of APA. She received the Outstanding Psychologist Award from Division 31 of APA in 2006.

Dr. Kelly served as a member-at-large of the American Board of Professional Psychology Foundation from 2014-2019. She is a graduate of the 2003 class of Leadership Atlanta. She is a member of Lions Club International. She served on the Board of Directors of ChrisKids and Project Interconnections, in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Kelly belongs to numerous professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association (Fellow), Georgia Psychological Association (Fellow), and International Association for the Study of Pain. She was an Associate Editor of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice from 2006-2011.

These presenters have no financial, professional or personal relationship that might potentially bias and/or impact content of the educational activity/session

Cancellation Policy:

All cancellations must be submitted in writing to Gabrielle Dean via email (CE@gapsychology.org). A $35 cancellation fee will be charged for any cancellations prior to one week before the event. No refunds will be given within one week of the event.

The Georgia Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Georgia Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.