The politics of Technicians

Abstract

An unintended consequence of the New York psychology Scope of Practice legislation led to a restriction in the use of testing technicians that has yet to be reversed after 4 years. The misperception of neuropsychology by state legislators and psychology colleagues was a key obstacle to achieving a timely solution. We discuss how the political agenda and practice philosophies of New York neuropsychologists were at odds with those of our psychology colleagues, and how that brought about a protracted struggle affecting both patient care and the practice of clinical neuropsychology. Neuropsychologists must maintain an active role in professional and political organizations with equal attention at the local, state, and national levels to avoid similar restrictions to their clinical practice.

Keywords:

• Technicians
• Advocacy
• Professional Organizations
• Practice Regulations
• Politics

Acknowledgments

We have borrowed liberally from documents prepared over the years by New York psychologists involved in this fight. We acknowledge the work of Shane Bush, Charles Zaroff, and Shelley Peery. Several New York neuropsychologists have worked tirelessly on this process, whether in writing, in meetings, or in spirit. Special recognition must go to these professionals for their advocacy efforts: Larry Thomas, Steve Honor, Stan Singer, Maria Lifrak, Tony Puente, Michael Santa Maria, Dominic Carrone, Tony Wong, June Feder, and Gayle Berg. We also acknowledge the valued expertise of our lobbyist, Richard Leckerling.