Rick Barnett Honored by Division 55
Dr. Rick Barnett Honored by Division 55
Progress on PSYPACT
VPA has been advocating for the passage of PSYPACT, Vermont H.282, for some time. Great news! PSYPACT passed through the House Health Committee and has now gone to the House Ways and Means Committee. Here is written testimony from the Office of Professional Regulation from March 16, 2023, reporting on the Board of Psychological Examiners’ support for PSYPACT. We are hopeful this bill will pass through the House this session and complete its journey through the Senate in 2024. Here is where you can get more info on H.282.
As of this date, PSYPACT has been enacted and is effective in 34 states; 2 additional states have enacted PSYPACT but it is not yet effective in those states. You can see a map of states that have enacted PSYPACT here. If you support the passage of PSYPACT, please write your legislators and ask them to co-sponsor or at least support passage of this important legislation!
RxP in Colorado
In early March, the Colorado governor signed RxP into law in Colorado. Colorado is the sixth state to allow prescriptive authority for psychologists with advanced post-doctoral training.
Bills in Hawaii and Washington failed to pass thus far.
Medicare: Independent Authority for Psychologists
The Increasing Mental Health Options Act (S.669) has been reintroduced in the Senate. As in the last Congress, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sponsored the legislation along with Susan Collins (R-ME), and is joined this year by new Senator (and past House supporter) Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-CO). The American Psychological Association is working with House supporters on the introduction of companion legislation in that chamber.
The legislation would establish independent practice authority for psychologists treating Medicare patients in outpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, partial hospitalization programs, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and home health agencies. The legislation would also make psychologists eligible for Medicare bonus payments for services delivered in mental health professional shortage areas starting in 2025.
Write your United States senators and ask them to co-sponsor or support S.669.
RxP Bill in Vermont Legislature
VPA has, for several years, promoted prescriptive authority for doctorate-level psychologists with advanced training (known as RxP). We are making progress on advocating for this important tool in addressing the shortage of psychopharmacology prescribers in Vermont.
We have introduced a bill, H.428, this year (2023) with enhanced education and training requireements, as requested by the Vermont Board of Psychological Examiners. We are hopeful the Board of Psychological Examiners will vote to support this new bill at its next meeting, which would put RxP in a good position to be passed this session or next session.
We anticipate the RxP bill will be taken up for testimony by the House Committee on Health Care very soon. We expect strong opposition, in particular from the Vermont Medical Society, but we believe the groundswell of support we’ve gathered will prevail and help us continue the process into 2024 for ultimate passage.
Dr. Rick Barnett, VPA Legislative Committee Chair and long-term VPA member received the 2026 award for Distinguished Contribution to the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy at the State Level from the APA Division 55, Society for Prescribing Psychology for his efforts in advocating for passage of legislation to allow psychologists-doctorates with advanced training to prescribe psychotropic medications in Vermont.
Dr. Barnett led that 10-year advocacy effort with the full backing of the Vermont Psychological Association and we could not be more thrilled that his success and effort has been recognized nationally. Dr. Barnett recently explained the drive behind seeking prescriptive authority for psychologists:
“There is still a good deal of misunderstanding about what it means to be a ‘prescribing psychologist.’ . . . . The goal isn’t simply to prescribe medication. It is to bring the depth and perspective of psychology together with the science of medicine so that we can help patients make thoughtful, informed decisions about when medication may help, when it may not, and when it may no longer be needed.”
We look forward to seeing the legislation in Vermont implemented and creating a new generation of prescribing psychologists.
Dr. Barnett is also scheduled to be the keynote speaker on clinical psychopharmacology at the American Academy of Clinical Psychology’s 2026 Leadership Summit in October 2026.