2008 Convention

The Education Committee is already starting to work on the 2008 Convention, "Building a Psychologically Healthy Society: Theory, Research and Practice," to be held October 29-31, 2008 at the Concourse Hotel, Columbus.

Do you have suggestions for keynote speakers? plenary speakers? workshops? Post them below!

OPA Workshop Costs

At Convention, we asked attendees what they'd be willing to pay for a standalone workshop. Some answers ranged in our current price ($125) while some were $30-$50.

OPA has not raised the cost of its workshops in more than 5 years, despite the increase in costs at hotels and facilities. In case you were wondering what your workshop registration pays for, read below.

Breakfast: $10-12
Morning coffee refresh/bottled water: $2-3 per bottle/$1.50-3 per person coffee refresh
Lunch: $15-20
Afternoon coffee refresh/water or soda: $2-3 per bottle/$1.50-3 per person coffee refresh/$3-5 per refreshment
Room rental: $7-10 per person, just so you have a seat
AV Rental: $10 per person to use the facility's lav microphone, screen and cart to put OPA's LCD Projector

On top of all of these charges, each meal is taxed 20% gratuity along with sales tax, which adds about another $10 per person.

While this can equal anywhere between $60-70 per person, there are other costs associated outside the hotel. Those include the speaker's honorarium, which can range from $10-50 per person, the cost of making handouts, paying for the speaker's hotel room, mileage, printing the brochure and mailing the brochure.

We have been asked about the possibilty of having a cheaper workshop option without lunch. With hotels, if we go without lunch it can increase our room rental fee several hundred dollars. Before we even start our registration process, we have to tell the hotel how many folks we think will be in attendance. So if we say 35, we must have at least 80% of that number show up to get the rates we were quoted at or face additional charges. If we make lunch optional guess a number too high for lunch or too low, we would wind up paying for the additional meals, along with the higher room rate.

There's also the time factor to consider. If we have people go out to lunch, the time would have possibly have to be extended another half hour, and our No. 1 thing we hear is let workshops out earlier.

What it comes down to is offering all the food you can eat (which we currently do) or not offering any refreshments at all, which is what a lot of organizations do. Which do you prefer?

Please feel free to comment!

2008 Standalone Workshops

Here's a sample of some of things we're working on for 2008:

March 7, 2008
Optimizing Sexual Health Past Age 50: Assessment and Treatment Issues-Fred Peterson
Cincinnati

March 28, 2008
MMPI-2 Workshop: Dr. Yossef Ben-Porath
Columbus

April 22, 2008
OPA Legislative Day
Columbus

April 25, 2008
When Lust Takes Over! Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexual Offending-Stuart Bassman
Columbus

May 2, 2008
Psychologists’ Role in Healthcare Settings-Dr. Brent Van Dorsten
Columbus

May 9, 2008:
Ethics Worskhop-Dr. Ron Ross and Dr. Steve Behnke
Columbus

And more on the way, such as: Autism, PTSD, Ethics, Business of Practice and more!

OPA Convention

Wow! Time has flown by and Thanksgiving is almost here. October brought us our most successful and well-received Convention to date. A few highlights for those who couldn't be there:

* A wonderful keynote address by our own First Lady of Ohio, Frances Strickland
* An energized Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards Luncheon with emcee Andrea Cambern of WBNS 10-TV
* Lots of great workshops that received positive feedback
* The second Foundation for Psychology Silent Auction with 100 items--a little bit of something for everyone
* The PAC Luncheon with John Carney, complete with photos with George Bush and Hilary Clinton
* The fifth Swearing In Ceremony for Newly Licensed Psychologists
* Honoring our award winners
* 72 psychologists finished with 23 hours at Convention, while 10 took part in the All Convention 23 hour package

For complete details and photos of Convention, visit www.ohpsych.org.

OPA Web site/E-mail Down

A few quick central office updates:
1) E-mail is now working for all staff members.
2) The Web site is up-please note some pages are outdated and registrations are not online at the moment. If you are registering for Convention, you will still need to fax and mail your form in.

Spotlight on: Workshop #1: Cultivating a Psychologically Healthy Workplace

Workshop #1: Cultivating a Psychologically Healthy Workplace
Wednesday, October, 24, 2007-10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Presenter: Matthew Grawitch, PhD

Why Should You Attend?
Do you want to be more successful ? Expand your practice? Escape managed care? Do you want to work more effectively with all types of organizations? Then come learn about the 5 key practices of a psychologically healthy workplace, presented by Matthew Grawitch, PhD, chair of the Organizational Studies Program, St. Louis University. Dr Grawitch is a leading researcher on the organizational characteristics of a psychologically healthy workplace. Learn from the 3 panelists representing organizations that have won the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award discuss how they have applied the 5 key practices that identify a psychologically healthy workplace and the positive effect on employees and the impact on organizational performance and goal achievement.

OPA Web site/E-mail Update

OPA's Web site, www.ohpsych.org and e-mail have been down for two weeks now. OPA staff can send e-mails, but not receive them. We are trying to correct the problem with our web host but have not had success yet.

We apologize for the inconvenience this is causing during Convention and poster registration. If the meantime, if you have Convention questions, please call Katie at 800-783-1983 or e-mail katiethomasopa@gmail.com.

Spotlight on: Workshop #27: Evaluation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders

Workshop #27: "Evaluation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders"
Friday, October 26, 2007 * 2-5 p.m.
Presented by: Ryan Wetlzer, PsyD

Why should you attend this workshop?
Problems with sleep are on of the most common complaints of clients presenting with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Sleep problems adversely impact nearly every aspect of a client's life. Helping someone sleep better is a critical step on the treatment road to recover. -Jerome Gabis, PsyD, Education Committee Member

Spotlight on: Workshop #8: Aftereffects of Membership in Cults and Coercive Relationships

Workshop #8: Aftereffects of Membership in Cults and Coercive Relationships
Wednesday, October 24, 2006 * 1:45-4:45 p.m.
Presenter: Paul Martin, PhD

Why should you attend this workshops?
Parents, friends, and family members often lose their loved ones to coercive groups such as cults. This workshop provides the clinician with a way to understand and intervene in these situations. It's good to know a how and where clients can recover from the damaging effects of coercive group membership. --Jerome Gabis, PsyD, OPA Education Committee Member

Early Bird Registration Extended to 9/17

As you may have discovered by now, OPA's Web site and e-mail is down. We are unsure of when our web host will have us back up and running.

In the meantime, the early bird discount for Convention has been extended to Sept. 17. If you need to register for Convention, please do so by mail or fax.

Call the Central Office at 614-224-0034 and ask for Katie if you have questions.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Countdown to OPA Convention

September is already here, so OPA's Convention is right around the corner!

You should receive your print brochure any day now. Online registration is live at www.ohpsych.org.

We've had several calls about the number of credit hours and it's true--you can earn all 23 credit hours! We've included a Wednesday night "Politics and Pie" dinner for CE credit, along with an extra hour block on Thursday afternoon.

For the Convention countdown, this blog will spotlight a different Convention workshop this week, and we'll have trivia for prizes about some of speakers--so keep checking this page for updates!

We've received several great items for our auction in the past couple of weeks. You can be the lucky winner of:
One (1) Week Condo Stay in Lake Placid, New York
Two (2) One (1) Week Condo Stays in South Beach, Florida
Wine Lover Tour of Italy (6 bottles of wine)
Southern Hemisphere Wine Sampler
Two (2) Glory Foods baskets
Longaberger Collectors Club Basket
Three (3) Night Summer Stay at a Condo in Snowshoe, West Virginia
Two (2) Night Winter Stay at a Condo in Snowshoe, West Virginia

www.ohpsych.org is your source for all things Convention!

Guess the Convention Presenter

Which OPA Convention presenter...

* Helped run a beverage store during his bachelor's and master's degree programs?
* Would be a pediatrician if he wasn't a psychologist
* Says a memorable trip he has taken was to Vietnam and Cambodia to help establish ties with
psychology, university and mental health hospitals
* Has been in private practice for 25 years and works with children, adolescents, adults and couples

Is it...

Karl Moeller, presenter of "Cranial Electrotherapy"
Michael Dwyer, presenter of "Issues and New Findings Regarding Evidence Based Treatments"
Kenneth DeLuca, presenter of "Anxiety and Depression and/or Language and Learning Problem?"

E-mail your guess to win a prize!

Spotlight on: Cranial Electrotherapy Workshop

A new feature to our Convention is that we'll be highlighting a different workshop each week on this blog. Keep reading for more info on workshops. This week's highlighted workshop is Safe and Innovative Interventions in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Depression and Insomnia: Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation as an Alternative to Big Pharma, presented by Dr. Kathy Platoni and Karl Moeller on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 from 10:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.

Why should you attend?
While medications are helpful in treating insomnia, anxiety, and depression, many patients are sensitive or intolerant of their side-effects or interactive effects. Many prefer to stay away from medications altogether. Cranial-electrotherapy (CES) is a viable alternative for clincians to suggest and use safely and efficiently. The Alpha-Stim system is a valuable tool in the clinician's toolbox. --Dr. Jerome Gabis, OPA Education Committee Member

What's going on with Convention?

A few quick Convention updates for your Friday...

1) We are hoping to have the printed brochure hit your mailbox by mid-August and anticipate that online registration goes live right before that.
2) OPA's Poster Session is accepting entries. This year's poster session is open to faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. This is our first year to accept faculty.
3) Nominate a deserving psychologist, graduate student or OPA committee for an award by August 10.
4) A few Foundation for Psychology in Ohio silent auctions are up for grabs now. You can check out the full list here.
5) Keep checking back for workshop updates!

Psychologically Healthy Workplace

As you may know, OPA honors those organizations that honors businesses who implement policies to make its employees' lives less stressful. This interesting article, "Are You Fit Enough to Climb the Corporate Ladder?" reiterates the fact.


Are You Fit Enough to Climb the Corporate Ladder?
Healthy Body, Healthier Paycheck -- By Leanne Beattie
College degree? Check.
Professional resume? Double check.
Perfect health? Ah, not so fast.

What does your health have to do with your career? Plenty. Besides having the right skills and qualifications for your profession, you may also want to make sure you’re healthy—if you want to get ahead financially, that is.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal showed that the healthier you are, the richer you are. Researchers found that healthy employees are more productive at work, earn more and spend more time in the workforce because they take fewer sick days. Employees in poor health, on the other hand, are more likely to be out of work for extended periods of time or forced into early retirement—two factors that reduce overall earning potential.

Research conducted by Professor Martin McKee and his colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine yielded similar results. They found that an employee's salary is dependent on some seemingly unconnected factors, such as height. Taller people earn more than those of average height. Apparently your adult height reflects your overall childhood health—meaning the healthier you were as a kid, the taller you are as an adult.

The High Cost of Poor Health
Employers have long recognized that healthy employees cost less. Absenteeism due to sickness (related to obesity and inactivity) is expensive and employers are now convinced that good employee health saves money in the end.

Sedentary employees spend 30 percent more days in the hospital than exercisers and the severely overweight are 48 percent more likely to have yearly medical claims of more than $5,000. Obesity currently costs U.S. employers more than $13 billion each year in lost productivity and sick days.

Fair or not, the size of your waistline is a threat to your career and being significantly overweight can even impact your ability to find a good job. Several studies have shown a pervasive discrimination against overweight employees—especially women—who are less likely to get promoted than their skinnier peers. Other research suggests that overweight employees are paid less than thinner ones, regardless of education and experience.

Good Health Pays Off
Along with taking fewer sick days, a healthy employee is more apt to demonstrate leadership characteristics, such as creativity and energy. This vibrancy is reflected in how leaders speak with customers, employees and investors. People naturally prefer to follow someone who is confident and energetic—two positive outcomes of living a healthy lifestyle.

According to a survey conducted by TheLadders.com, 75 percent of responding executives felt that good physical fitness was critical for career success at the executive level. The same number of respondents also felt that being overweight was a serious career impediment. Gone are the days of liquid lunches and cigars for corporate managers.

Get Fit to Climb the Corporate Ladder
A healthy lifestyle may be more critical to your climb up the corporate ladder than you thought. Sacrificing your health and fitness so you can put in more hours at the office might actually backfire. Even the most devoted employees will experience diminished health if they are totally consumed with work.

Being fit and healthy gives you the stamina and the resiliency needed to perform your best. On-the-job accidents and low productivity are more likely if you are out of shape and tired. The Perrier Survey of Fitness in 1997 found that employees with a strong commitment to fitness felt less tired, more relaxed, more self-confident and more productive. Make time to exercise moderately (two or three times per week), eat well, and get plenty of sleep to help maintain your health.

Even though it seems counter-productive to your career to take a break and go for a jog, caring for yourself will payoff in more ways than one. Better job performance, clearer thoughts, more creativity, and improved problem-solving skills all translate to better earning power throughout your career.

2007 OPA Convention Line-Up

Where has the month of June gone? As the month wraps up, we are excited to announce the 2007 OPA Convention line-up.

For the first time, the 2007 Convention will offer attendees the opportunity to obtain all 23 credit hours that they need for the biennium!

Registration is set to go live at the end of August, but we wanted to give you a sneak peak of the rough draft schedule:

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
9 a.m. Keynote Address by Frances Strickland, First Lady of Ohio

10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Workshop 1: Psychologically Healthy Workplace Discussion
Workshop 2: Safe and Innovative Interventions in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Depression and Insomia: Cranial Electrotherapy Col. Kathy Platoni and Karl Moeller
Workshop 3: A Comparison of Suicide Risk Across the Lifespan and Between Ethnic Minority Populations: Strategies for Prevention Josephine Ridley, PhD
Workshop 4: Issues and New Findings Regarding Evidence Based Treatment Michael Dwyer, PhD

12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Fifth Annual Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards

1:45 – 4:45 p.m.
Workshop 5: 10 Major Ethical Areas Psychologists Face in Their Practice Workshop Glenn Karr, Esq.
orkshop 6: Judging Amy: Evaluating Decision-Making Fitness in the Cognitively Impaired Older Adult George Kraus, PhD
Workshop 7: The Life Stages of Psychologists Ohio Women in Psychology
Workshop 8: Aftereffects of Membership in Cults and Coercive Relationships: Empirical Evidence and Implications for Clinical Practice Paul Martin, PhD, et al.

5:15 p.m. - 8 p.m. Special Dinner and CE Presentation: Advocacy and Psychology

Thursday, October 25, 2007
7:50 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. Special CE Presentation: Telepsychology Guidelines

9 a.m. Plenary Session: How Medicare Shapes Behavioral Health Practice with Older Adults with Dr. Paula Hartman-Stein

10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Workshop 9: Medicare Update 2008 Paula Hartman Stein, PhD
Workshop 10: Therapeutic Approaches for Persons with Impaired Memory or Dementia Cameron Camp, PhD
Workshop 11: Self-Esteem, Positive Psychology and the Life CycleWorkshop 12: The 3 L's: Language, Learning and Literacy Kenneth DeLuca, PhD

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Political Action Committee (PAC) Luncheon

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Workshop 13: OSHIPP: A Resource for Your Medicare Questions Gretchen Margraf
Workshop 14: Diversity Issues in Psychopharmacology Denise Deschenes, MD
Workshop 15: Learning, Growth and Change Opportunities for MH Professionals in a Correctional Setting Robyn Hoffman, PhD, et al
Workshop 16: Understanding and Addressing the Mental Healthcare Needs of Rural Residents Kristi Barnes, PhD, Richard Sims, MA

2:45 – 5:45 p.m.
Workshop 17: Ethics Roundtable
Workshop 18: Characterologic People Aren't Bad…Treatment Isn't Impossible! Norman Shub, BCD, LISW
Workshop 19: End-of-Life Issues Across the Lifespan: Adulthood and Older Adulthood Mary Miller Lewis, PhD, Jessica Richmond, MA
Workshop 20: Advanced Topics in Pain Management: What's Hot, What's Not David Schwartz, PhD

5:45 –7 p.m. Reception & Foundation for Psychology in Ohio Silent Auction

7 p.m. Dinner Honoring Newly Licensed Psychologists

Friday, October 26, 2007
7:50 – 8:50 a.m. Special CE Presentation: Ehancing Practice Opportunity by Promoting Psychology: APA Public Education Campaign Nabil El-Ghoroury, PhD

9 a.m. – Noon
Workshop 21: Developing, Implementing and Evaluating Counselor-in-Residence Programs for College Campuses Lindsay Orchowski, MS/ The Current Generation of College Students: An Examiniation of Their Work Ethic, Values and Levels of Motivation Kim Metz, PhD, Jo Anna Kelly, PhD
Workshop 22: Teen Sexual Identity: Helping Therapists Navigate the Minefields Jim Broyles, PhD, Jim Brush, PhD
Workshop 23: Psychopharmacological Considerations in Geriatric Populations Alice Randolph, EdD, MS
Workshop 24: Bariatric Surgery Among Older Adults Heather Henrickson, PhD, Kathleen Ashton, PhD, and Amy Windover, PhD

Noon – 2 p.m. OPA Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon

2 – 5 p.m.
Workshop 25: Ethics and Consequences Lisa Barrett, Esq. and Barbara Hill Newby, Phd
Workshop 26: Applying to Graduate School Lindsay Orchowski, MS
Workshop 27: Evaluation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders Ryan Wetzler, PsyD
Workshop 28: Comprehensive Neuropsychological Screening: Geriatric Substance Abuse Martha Banks, PhD, Rosalie Ackerman, PhD

PAC Luncheon at Convention

I just finished discussing Thursday's Political Action Committee luncheon with the PAC Committee and we have some exciting ideas in store for this year's luncheon...including meeting with some of your favorite history figures...stay tuned!

Practices-Sponsor a workshop at Convention!

Is your practice looking for more advertising and promotional opportunities?

Look no further than the Ohio Psychological Association 2007 Convention!

With more than 25 workshops, the Ohio Psychological Association’s (OPA) 2007 Convention looks to be another smashing success! Approximately 350 psychologists, graduate students, exhibitors and poster presenters are expected in attendance for “Transitions: Learning, Growth and Change Through the Lifespan,” at Quest Business Centers in Columbus, Ohio from October 24-26, 2007.

Help advance psychology as a profession by sponsoring or co-sponsoring an OPA Convention workshop! This year’s Convention features workshops on a variety of topics including suicide risk, dementia, end-of-life issues, pain management, psychopharmacology, bariatric surgery and more. (A complete schedule is enclosed). Get the kind of visibility and recognition that is vital to the kind of practice you have. Become a sponsor of a workshop today!
Please contact kcrabtree@ohpsych.org for rates and benefits.

May Updates

May was a busy busy month at the OPA Central Office. Some highlights of everything that has been going on in the central office include:

• The Education Committee will meet next week to select the programs for 2007 Convention, so stay tuned for the line-up. We are excited about the programs that have been submitted so far that cover our theme, "Transitions: Learning, Growth & Change Through the Lifespan."
• We held a successful round of workshops in the month of May, including two ethics presentations by the APA Insurance Trust, an Alzheimer's workshop and a pain and addiction workshop. In June, our 2007 workshop line-up will conclude with a Medicare seminar, Business of Practice Workshop and HIPAA Rules workshop. More information is at www.ohpsych.org.
• By now, you should have received your free copy of the OPA Membership Directory. This is the first membership directory since 1998. We have been receiving great feedback on the directory, made possible by the hard work of our operations and member services director Denise Brenner. We hope you find this directory useful!
• The OPA Annual Report should hit mailboxes in June. Read up on what your OPA Committees have accomplished this past year.
• Planning is underway for 2008 workshops--post your feedback on possible presenters.
• OPA's Public Interest Committee sponsored a Mental Health Month Event at COSI Columbus. The Committee developed many activities for children in regards to mental health, including coloring sheets, match games and puzzles. The committee hopes to plan more events at COSI in the future.
• Planning for 2007 Foundation for Psychology in Ohio Silent Auction is taking place. So far, we've received donations from Kings Island and Dick's Sporting Goods. This event will happen October 25, 2007 during OPA's Convention.

Again, stay tuned in the coming weeks for Convention program updates!

OPA Convention Feedback Needed

A few weeks ago, my fellow co-workers and I attended a convention on meetings. We came back refreshed and excited to implement some new features into our future conventions and meetings.

But first, we need your input! Some things to think about:

1) We currently have our Conventions Wednesday through Friday. Are there other days of the week that work better? Would Sunday-Tuesday work? Or all weekend?

2) Would you be interested in more social activities? Last year, we held a networking dinner on the first night of Convention. The silent auction was held on Thursday, the second night. Would you like to see more of these? What type of activities do you suggest?

3) What is the most you're willing to pay for a hotel room? What do you look for in a hotel? Gym? Restaurant?

4) Would you be interested in having the speakers available for questions outside of their presentation time, at a table or booth? Would you attend a dinner if presenters were going to be present?

5) We would like to squeeze in 23 credit hours so you can complete your hours for Convention in one setting. Would you attend workshops the night before or during the night to meet this requirement?

6) What other comments/suggestions do you have to improve Convention?

Education Committee Meeting Minutes

The Education Committee held another productive call last Friday. We are now entering the hectic months for the Committee-our convention call for programs are due the first of June, and in the meantime, we have to get everything scheduled for 2008!

We are looking into some interesting programs for our 2007 Convention, including workshops on: sleep, selling your practice, virtual reality, medication in the elderly, evaluating decision making capacities in older adults, aging and more! We hope to have the Convention schedule finalized in mid-June.

The committee also looked over feedback from the OPA membership about upcoming workshops. Based on your feedback, we are looking into workshops on the MMP, austism, sex offenders, Internet pornography and PTSD. If you know of an outstanding presenter in any of these areas, please let us know.

Our next meeting is taking place in June-so stay tuned for more convention updates!

Successful Legislative Day

Yesterday, 35 psychologists and graduate students invaded the Statehouse and Riffe Center and met with their legislators during OPA's Annual Legislative Day.

After a morning session that included a special visit by state representative Ted Celeste who spoke about the importance of visiting your legislator, attendees divided into a "first timer" and "advanced advocate" group to learn the ins and outs of OPA's advocacy agenda.

The advanced advocates agenda focused on specific bills and key messages, followed by detailed information on how to become a key psychologist in the district. Duties of becoming a "key psychologist" include organizing meetings in the district and contacting legislators quarterly.

First timers learned about how to find their way around the statehouse, how to talk to the legislator and then participated in practice visits.

After the afternoon visits and watching committee meetings, attendees shared their experiences. Several attendees said, "A great workshop! I'll be back next year! " One said this was "well done--very exhilarating." Another attendee remarked, "Superb! It was a fascinating day. It is such a joy to be watched over by such a competent OPA staff."

Legislative Day is held every April. For more information about OPA's advocacy efforts, contact Bobbie Celeste, director of professional affairs, at bceleste@ohpsych.org.

Convention Update: Columbus News Anchor to Emcee Luncheon

Andrea Cambern, anchor for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on WBNS-10TV, Columbus, will emcee OPA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award (PHWA) Luncheon on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 during Convention.

Her bio is below:
In addition to her anchoring responsibilities, Andrea focuses on health issues, and is an award-winning journalist. She has been honored with five Emmy Awards for her anchoring and reporting skills, named Female Anchor of the Year by the National Association of Television Journalists, and has received honors from the Associated Press for her spot news coverage and medical documentaries.

Andrea is also an advocate for health and wellness. She created and champions the city of Columbus' well known "Commit to be Fit" campaign. She also devotes much of her personal time to local organizations that promote health, child, family and community issues.

We are excited to have Ms. Cambern join us for this important luncheon. More information about the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards can be found at www.ohpsych.org.

Author an OPA Homestudy

Why should you develop a home study for OPA?
* Educate psychologists about a certain topic area
* Help OPA develop long-distance learning alternatives
* Earn money!

Home study offerings increase the flexibility of continuing education
(CE) and help meet the needs of psychologists who do not have access to traditional CE learning experiences. They also offer cost-efficient and easily accessible continuing professional education without sacrificing quality.

Home study CE programming is a standardized set of learning experiences with fixed content that individuals can participate in off-site, on their own time. Home study programs usually take the form of books and online reading material, accompanied by a test. The Ohio Psychological Association maintains high standards in the design of home study materials to optimize quality educational materials for psychologists engaging in continuing professional education through this method of delivery.

Components of OPA Homestudies
Each OPA developed home study most contain the following components: 1. A structured learning curriculum or syllabus; 2. Two to four learning objectives stating what participants will learn; 3. A statement telling participants they must answer 80% of questions to pass, and tests will be graded within 30 days of receipt; 3. A line stating that the participant took the test and did not receive any outside help, which also must be signed by the participant; 4. Questions (10-15 questions per credit hour) that are a mixture of multiple choice and true and false; 5. An answer key to help OPA grade tests and check for accuracy of questions.

Guidelines for hours of credit
OPA understands that each test will differ on the amount of time it takes to read and answer questions. As a general rule of thumb, 10-15 pages of typed text, in 10 or 12 point font, and 10 questions will equal one hour of continuing education credit. This guideline can be changed depending on the committee's recommendations.

Procedure of determining credit
When a CE program is submitted for consideration, it will be reviewed by psychologists appointed by the Education Committee of OPA. These psychologists will provide feedback about possible changes to the home study, if warranted. They will also determine the number of CE units to be awarded for taking the home study. The psychologists appointed to evaluate a home study will recommend approval or disapproval of the final version of any home study to the Education Committee and to OPA's Mandatory Continuing Education Committee. These committees will make the final determination as to whether or not a particular home study meets APA standards. Once a home study receives approval from the Education and Mandatory Continuing Education Committee, it will be posted for psychologists on the Internet.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please e-mail me at kcrabtree@ohpsych.org. Check out www.ohpsych.org for examples of home study opportunities.

Input Needed for 2008 Workshops

We want your input on OPA's 2008 workshops! Are there specific topics or speakers you would like to see? What areas of the state should workshops be held in? Comment below!

Your input is valuable to the committee.

Keynote and Plenary Speaker Announced for OPA Convention

The OPA Education Committee is pleased to announce that the First Lady of Ohio, Frances Strickland, will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2007 Convention.

Dr. Paula Hartman-Stein will be the plenary speaker.

We are excited to have both of them on board for this year's Convention. Don't forget that this is the last OPA Convention before the biennium ends, so make plans to attend.

Stay tuned for upcoming speakers and information!

OPA Convention: Call for Programs

Don't forget: our call for programs ends June 1, 2007!

The Ohio Psychological Association invites program proposals for the 2007 Annual Convention. This year’s Convention will explore the topic “Transitions: Learning, Growth and Change Through the Lifespan.”

OPA’s Education Committee strives to offer a variety of programs including workshops, discussions and current research and poster presentations. Equal consideration is given to all submissions. The Committee is especially seeking advanced level programming. The Committee will choose some ethics-based programs and courses that appeal to office staff and business managers, as well as psychologists.

Visit www.ohpsych.org for the online form to complete!

OPA Convention-Save the Date!

It's only March but OPA's Annual Convention will be here before we know it. Mark your calendars for "Transitions: Learning, Growth & Change Through the Lifespan" for October 24-26, 2007 at Quest Business Centers, Columbus. More information can be found at www.ohpsych.org and workshops will be posted on here as we receive them!