It’s estimated that one out of two people who suffer psychological conditions do not have access to care, including appropriate medication. Now, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is helping to fill that gap, by offering master’s degrees in psychopharmacology to licensed psychologists.
Only in five states do psychologists with this special training have the authority to prescribe medications. Meanwhile, in rural towns and underserved ethnic communities, people who need medication to manage mental health challenges often have few places to turn. With the pandemic highlighting the chronic shortage of psychiatrists, there’s new urgency for the movement to authorize psychologists to prescribe medication to their patients.
In New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa and Idaho, licensed clinical psychologists (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) who complete pre- or post-doctoral master’s degrees in psychopharmacology are filling the treatment gap, using prescriptive authority to augment clinical counseling.
“There is a large body of evidence that shows psychologists who are trained to prescribe can help meet the growing need for giving patients access to medications as part of an integrated approach to assessment, diagnosis and intervention of mental illness,” said Dr. Michele Nealon, president of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. “At The Chicago School, we are proud to be an innovative training ground for addressing mental health access and treatment.”
The new two-year training is led by Dr. Gerardo Rodriguez-Menendez, director of the Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology program, which is designated by the American Psychological Association (APA) and accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs.
“Psychologists who are able to prescribe medication to their clients are taking a bio-psycho-social approach to care for the entire person, “ said Dr. Rodriguez-Menendez. “This is the holistic way we need to treat everyone.”
The movement to grant psychologists the authority to prescribe medication began in the 1960s when the APA identified psychopharmacology as a discipline of psychology. During the last 60 years, pilot programs have demonstrated success on U.S. military bases in more than 40 states.
“The need is great, and the evidence is clear,” said Dr. Beth Rom-Rymer, president of the Illinois Association of Prescribing Psychologists and a leader of the Prescriptive Authority Movement. “Legislating prescriptive authority for psychologists is an essential step to providing thousands of patients with access to high caliber, comprehensive mental health care.”
There is pending legislation and ongoing negotiations about prescriptive authority in several states, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Norway, Taiwan, and Australia.
About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Integrating theory with hands-on experience, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology provides education rooted in a commitment to innovation, service, and community for thousands of diverse students in the United States and globally. Founded in 1979, the nonprofit, regionally-accredited university has campuses across the country (Chicago, Southern California, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Dallas) and Online. In addition to training psychologists, The Chicago School offers 35 degrees and certificates in the professional fields of health services, nursing, education, counseling, business, and more. Through its engaged professional model of education, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and an extensive network of domestic and international professional partnerships, The Chicago School provides its students with real-world training opportunities that reflect their future careers. The Chicago School is a proud affiliate of TCS, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact. Visit www.thechicagoschool.edu.
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