Presented By: Ginger Apling Carlson, PhD, ABPP, Robert DiCarlo, PhD, Greg Loebel, PhD, Tamara Martin-Causey, PhD, Heather Okvat, PhD, Emily Raymond

Event Schedule

9:15 - 9:30 am | Registration

9:30 - 10:30 am | CE Presentation - How Psychologists Can Engage in Legislative Advocacy at the State Level and Why It Matters

10:30 - 11:30 am | CE Presentation - Risks, Benefits, and Ethical Considerations with AI Use in the Field of Psychology

11:30 am - 1:00 pm | Lunch with Legislators and Networking

1:00 - 2:00 pm | CE Presentation - Forensic Ethics and Boundaries in Family Court Intervention: From Therapy to Testimony

2:00 - 3:00 pm | CE Presentation - Extreme Heat and Emotional Distress: Options for Protective Legislation

3:00 - 3:15 pm | Break

3:15 - 3:45 pm | Wrap Up: Takeaways and Next Steps

*Morning coffee and lunch will be provided. 

Student Scholarships

Attention! If you would like to sponsor a student to attend this event, please add it to your registration by entering a dollar amount in the Scholarship Contribution question.

Students: To apply for scholarship, please submit a statement of interest (up to 350 words) to Jessica Painter, jessica@azpa.org, by Wednesday, January 23rd. If applying for scholarship, it is recommended that you register to hold your spot. At the end of the registration form, select "Invoice Me" to bypass the payment page. Payment will not be due until scholarship status has been determined.

Program Descriptions

How Psychologists Can Engage in Legislative Advocacy at the State Level and Why It Matters
Ginger Apling Carlson, PhD, ABPP and Emily Raymond 
1.5 CE credits (1 hour didactic and 0.5 for networking lunch)
This program is focused on applied state legislative advocacy for psychologists in Arizona. We consider psychology professional principles (e.g., clinical, research, advocacy, ethics) that can inspire psychologists to engage, not only as individuals but also as professionals and as representatives of our professional associations, to have a potentially direct impact on larger systems affecting the population we serve by influencing legislation at the state level. During a 1-hour morning didactic presentation, participants receive an overview of the legislative process, discussion of current legislation relevant to psychological practice, and training on using clinical skills to build rapport with legislators. Role-play practice and support from presenters ensure participants are prepared for these conversations. During a 1-hour afternoon lunch event, participants apply these skills with support from the presenters, engaging individually or in small groups discussion with legislators. While principles and learning objectives from previous year’s didactic are similar, content of presentation will be updated to reflect current sociopolitical and professional landscape. 
Program Level: Intermediate
Learning Objectives:

1. Describe at least three key steps to the Arizona state legislative process.
2. Identify at least one current state legislation with implications for the professional practice of psychology.
3. Apply at least two ethical, clinical, and advocacy-based communication skills to establish rapport and effectively communicate with state legislators regarding issues relevant to psychological practice and public welfare during the event networking lunch.

Risks, Benefits, and Ethical Considerations with AI Use in the Field of Psychology
Greg Loebel, Ph.D. and Tamara Martin-Causey, PhD 
1 CE credit

The use of AI applications has seen more widespread use in the public and increasingly applied in various forms in the mental health field. This presentation will focus on the range of AI use in mental health settings and provide an overview of the philosophy, values and ethics involved when evaluating the use of AI. The presentation will also cover legislative and regulatory efforts regarding AI use in mental health at the national and state levels.
Attendees will be provided with the most current APA AI guidelines presented and will be able to identify ethical dilemmas with various AI uses as it relates to the field of psychology. Attendees will also be informed of the most current legislative actions at the national level and in other states. Attendees will participate in discussions about possible legislative actions for the State of Arizona.

Program Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify at least two prominent philosophical and ethical views regarding the impact of AI use on human cognition and relationships.
2. Identify and describe two key ethical and legal considerations in the professional use of AI in practice.
3. Describe at least one current legislative and regulatory efforts regarding AI use in mental health.

This presentation is designed to meet Arizona state criteria for Ethics credit, however, final determination is made by the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners.

Forensic Ethics and Boundaries in Family Court Intervention: From Therapy to Testimony
Robert DiCarlo, PhD 
1 CE credit
This session explores the evolving ethical landscape of forensic mental health work in family court, including the complexities of court-ordered interventions such as Therapeutic Intervention (TI), Forensically Informed Therapy (FIT), and Court-Appointed Behavioral Intervention (COBI). Participants will analyze professional boundaries, role clarity, and ethical risks when working under court authority while maintaining clinical integrity. Special focus will be given to consent, confidentiality, testimonial roles, and the common pitfalls clinicians face when navigating requests for opinion, records, and testimony. The session draws from real case scenarios and updated Arizona statutes and case law, offering actionable tools to minimize liability and remain grounded in best practices.
Program Level: Introductory
Learning Objectives:

1. Define at least two limitations of forensic roles such as TI, COBI, and FIT within family court proceedings.
2. Identify at least three ethical risks common to therapists involved in court-ordered services, including testimony, dual roles, and documentation practices.
3. Describe two strategies to navigate conflicting directives between court orders and clinical ethics, especially regarding confidentiality and informed consent.
   
   

Extreme Heat and Emotional Distress: Options for Protective Legislation
Heather A. Okvat, PhD 
1 CE credit 
Extreme heat has been linked to emotional distress and behavioral disturbance. This includes sleep disruption, depression, anxiety and panic, cognitive and performance impairment, anger and hostility, intimate partner violence, psychosis, and suicidality. Emergency room visits for mental health issues and psychiatric hospitalizations increase in extreme heat. Especially vulnerable to these effects are older adults, people taking psychotropic medications due to their impact on thermoregulation, people with a serious mental illness or substance abuse disorder, and those coping with a low socioeconomic status. Psychologists can take action at the policy level to increase resilience to extreme heat among the communities we serve. In particular, we will discuss opportunities to advocate for legislation to reduce the incidence of extreme heat events and to bolster resilience in the face of this increasingly threatening issue. These efforts can influence lawmakers to take appropriate action to protect people from extreme heat.

Program Level: Introductory

Learning Objectives:

1. Define “extreme heat”.
2. Describe 3 impacts of extreme heat on behavioral health.
   
3. Identify 3 policies that could reduce the incidence of extreme heat events or enhance mental health resilience to extreme heat events.

4.5 CE credits will be available for attendance.