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The Colleague Assistance Committee of PPA has a
two-fold function:
- Educating psychologists,
through articles, presentations and consultation, on the importance
of personal and professional self-care and the prevention of
professional impairment.
- Providing confidential assessment
and treatment services to psychologists when requested or referred.
Sometimes psychologists focus on caring for and
trying to improve the quality of the lives of others, while losing
sight of the issues in their own lives, or awareness of their
own problems. Ignored or untreated, these issues can lead to the
more serious problems of depression or substance abuse.
PPA and the Colleague Assistance Committee are addressing
this need through our program, Psychologists Concerned About Psychologists
(P-CAP). We can help you to find the counseling you need while
providing confidentiality. If you think you have a problem, let
us help.
WHO SHOULD CALL?
P-CAP is open to all psychologists and psychology
graduate students with personal problems that interfere with effective
professional functioning.
Signs of impairment include, but are not limited to:
- abuse of alcohol or other
drugs
- depression, anxiety, serious
and chronic job burnout
- chronic absenteeism or lateness
- decreasing productivity or
attentiveness
If a colleague or family member suggests that you
have these or other signs of impairment, we ask you to examine
yourself carefully and decide if you could benefit from treatment.
You can call and discuss your life situation with one of our participating
peer psychologists.
ARE SERVICES CONFIDENTIAL?
All services are confidential. The mandatory reporting
of impaired psychologists found in the Professional Psychologists
Practice Act does not apply to psychologists who are receiving
treatment.
HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
Psychologists should call one of the numbers below,
where they will receive the names of participating psychologists.
Psychologists should then call their peer psychologist for an
appointment. There are peer psychologists in most regions of the
state.
If the impairment is such that there is a risk of
a serious ethical violation or potential harm to patients, then
P-CAP may discuss the option of a joint enrollment with the Professional
Health Monitoring Program of the Pennsylvania Department of State.
WHAT IS THE PROGRAM GOAL?
The goal of the program is to help restore psychologists
to effective functioning as quickly as possible by providing a
program that focuses on the psychologists’ needs.
P-CAP will provide psychologists with the names
of qualified peers who have expressed an interest in helping colleagues
in distress.
Most impaired psychologists who receive treatment
are able to continue or resume their professional activities.
WHOM SHOULD YOU CALL?
For the names of participating peer psychologists,
or for more information, you may contact:
Dr. Samuel Knapp
PPA
717-232-3817
email: sam@PaPsy.org
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