Nebraska Behavioral Health Needs
As you are aware, consumers in Nebraska often either experience long wait times to see a psychiatrist, or have to spend a large amount of time trying to find a medical professional who has knowledge of behavioral health disorders. Tragically, the behavioral health needs of many consumers go unmet.
As stated by a Nebraska behavioral health consumer, “No individual should have to wait months to receive care for an illness that could be life threatening.”
When the behavioral health condition requires the use of psychotherapy and mental health medication, the consumer is forced to schedule appointments with one professional for psychotherapy and with another professional for medication management. This split treatment adds a significant burden for the consumer, involving both their time and their money.
Improving Behavioral Health Access
Licensed psychologists with advanced training are helping to close the gap on those unmet needs in several federal agencies and some states. Support for prescriptive authority has been the official policy of the American Psychological Association for the past 20 years. Psychologists with specialized training have been prescribing medications for over two decades in the Department of Defense and for over ten years in two states (New Mexico and Louisiana). ). Prescribing psychologists in these locations shorten the wait time for services, and provide psychotherapy and mental health medication management in the same appointment.
In 2014 Illinois passed legislation authorizing prescriptive authority for qualified psychologists and in 2016 Iowa passed enabling legislation. In 2017, Idaho joined the ranks of states allowing qualified psychologists to prescribe mental health medication. The Public Health Service and the Indian Health Service have utilized prescribing psychologists for many years.
The Process to Improved Access
The Nebraska Psychological Association has submitted an application to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, regarding the creation of a prescription certificate for Nebraska psychologists with advanced training. This certificate would be an extra credential for psychologists who have met national training standards enabling them to prescribe medications for mental disorders. This would be a voluntary, supplemental credential with its own set of standards and requirements, and would not affect the general scope of practice of psychology.
The application is undergoing an administrative review in NDHHS that is required before a legislative bill may be introduced. The administrative review is typically finished within 12 months. The application can be accessed through the link provided on this webpage.
How Can You Support
NPA has created a separate fund to support RxP to help better meet the needs of Nebraska consumers. If you would like to support RxP efforts in Nebraska use the link on this webpage. You can make a contribution specific to RxP. Donations of $25, $50, or $100 will be appreciated.
If you have questions about the RxP efforts in Nebraska please direct them to Dan Ullman, drdan@nebpsych.org, 402-770-6326.
Daniel Ullman, Ph.D., MSCP
Chair, RxP Committee
