The National Register of Health Service Psychologists is proud to present a 2026 SPTA Advocacy Award to the Ohio Psychological Association.
This award is presented annually to State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations (SPTAs) to honor excellence in advocacy.
April D. Fernando, PhD, member of the National Register Board of Directors and Chair of the National Register’s SPTA Advocacy Award Committee, said of the Ohio State Psychological Association: “The Committee was incredibly impressed with the results of OPA’s advocacy work to secure state funding for their pilot project to attract top interns to Ohio and establish the state’s first doctoral internship program in all six of state-run psychiatric hospitals. We were equally impressed with their efforts to successfully reform the insurance practice of skimming 3-5% off the top of ETF reimbursements to health and behavioral health providers. Truly remarkable accomplishments – congratulations to OPA!”
After receiving notice of the award, Dustin J. McKee, Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio Psychological Association, stated, “We are honored to receive the SPTA Advocacy Award from the National Register. Psychologists in Ohio and across the nation want to make sure that everyone has access to quality mental healthcare when they need it. Everything we advocate for is centered on helping our loved ones and fellow citizens access this life saving care. From defending the independent practice of psychology and protecting access to care for vulnerable populations – to growing the psychological care workforce and reforming insurance – OPA will continue to work everyday to achieve that goal.”
The National Register looks forward to the 2027 cycle of this award. Learn more on our SPTA Advocacy Award page.
About the National Register of Health Service Psychologists
The National Register of Health Service Psychologists was established in 1974 and is the largest nonprofit credentialing organization for psychologists and psychology doctoral students. The National Register is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare by identifying psychologists who meet specific education and training standards, and by verifying these professionals to consumers, healthcare organizations, and regulatory bodies. The National Register currently credentials 10,000 Health Service Psychologists and has approximately 5,000 psychology doctoral student and postdoctoral trainee members in its Associate Program. For more information, visit www.nationalregister.org.
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For more information about this announcement, contact the National Register at 202.783.7663.
