Laura A. Shaffer

Romantic Partners, Friends, Friends with Benefits, and Casual Acquaintances as Sexual Partners

The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed examination of sexual behavior with different types of partners. A sample of 163 young adults reported on their light nongenital, heavy nongenital, and genital sexual activity with romantic partners, friends, and casual acquaintances. They described their sexual activity with “friends with benefits,” as well as with friends in general. Young adults were most likely to engage in sexual behavior with romantic partners, but sexual behavior also often occurred with some type of nonromantic partner. More young adults engaged in some form of sexual behavior with casual acquaintances than with friends with benefits. The frequencies of sexual behavior, however, were greater with friends with benefits than with friends or casual acquaintances. Interview and questionnaire data revealed that friends with benefits were typically friends, but not necessarily. Nonsexual activities were also less common with friends with benefits than other friends. Taken together, the findings illustrate the value of differentiating among different types of nonromantic partners and different levels of sexual behavior.

Recommendations for psychologists in Stage III pediatric obesity program

ABSTRACT The Children’s Hospital Association formed a national interprofessional workgroup to develop recommendations for the assessment and treatment of pediatric obesity. A subcommittee of psychologists created practice recommendations defining the role of psychologists in Stage III interprofessional pediatric obesity treatment teams. The committee carefully defined key issues for a psychological diagnostic interview assessment and treatment strategies within a Stage III obesity treatment center. Psychologist’s assessment and treatment within the interprofessional specialty care setting addresses the psychosocial needs of the youth and provides the additional support for behavioral change to achieve the overall treatment team goals.

Introduction to the Second Section of the Special Issue: Invited Papers from the 2015 APAHC Conference.

This issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings includes a continuation of the special issue of Invited Papers based on presentations at the 2015 conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC). The first installment of this special issue was published in December 2015. APAHC is an organization devoted to representing the interests and providing professional support and networking for psychologists working in Academic Health Centers (AHCs). Our biennial conference highlights the multiple aspects of our work in AHCs including clinical service, teaching, and research, as well as matters concerning the business of practice and professional identity for psychologists in these settings. The 2015 conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia in February with the theme, ‘‘Academic Health Centers in the Era of Interprofessionalism: Multifaceted Contributions of Psychology.’’ A complete overview of the conference is available in the introduction to the December special issue of JCPMS (Shaffer & Shahane, 2015). Because the APAHC conference tends to be fairly small relative to the estimated nearly 5000 psychologists practicing in academic health centers across the United States (Robiner, Dixon, Miner, & Hong, 2014), we followed the conference with these special issues of JCPMS to disseminate this highly pertinent information more broadly. Manuscripts published in the two sections of the special issue reflect themes related to expanding psychologists’ work through telehealth; capturing the value of psychologists’ clinical, administrative, and educational work; patient centered medical homes and integrated care; and professional development. The December 2015 section of the special issue included five manuscripts addressing psychologists’ roles in patient centered medical homes, measuring clinical and administrative outcomes, transformational leadership, and psychology licensure implications of telehealth. The current section has three manuscripts, one of which gives a broad overview of professional development issues and the other two of which address more specific administrative issues. In their article titled ‘‘Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Being, Visible, Relevant, and Integral,’’ Barry Hong and William Robiner discuss how early and mid-career psychologist can thrive in AHCs. Eugene D’Angelo and Katie Gallagher’s article, ‘‘Capturing Psychologists’ Work in Academic Health Settings: The Role of the Educational Value Unit (EVU),’’ reviews how psychologists have been historically compensated, as well as alternative models that incorporate the many facets of psychologists’ work pertaining to education in AHCs. Last, Samuel Hubley and Benjamin Miller discuss the ‘‘Implications of Healthcare Payment Reform for Clinical Psychologists in Medical Settings’’ and give an overview of promising alternative payment models in integrated care. As the 2015 conference co-chairs and guest editors of the corresponding special issue of JCPMS, we are keenly aware of the power of the APAHC community and grateful to our many colleagues who had hands in the success of these ventures. First, we would like to thank our esteemed colleagues who contributed doubly by presenting in Atlanta and writing manuscripts for the special issue. & Laura A. Shaffer laura.shaffer@virginia.edu

Academic Health Center Psychology Representation to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)

This paper outlines the perspectives of the two currently appointed representatives of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The authors focus on why it is important for psychologists, especially those in academic health centers (AHCs), to be part of CFAS. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how involvement in organizations like the AAMC helps AHC psychologists serve as ambassadors for psychology in AHCs and assists AHC psychologists in staying fluent regarding hot topics within academic medicine. The first author is a more senior member of APAHC, and so reflects the perspective of long-serving APAHC members; the second author reflects the perspectives of newer generations of APAHC members, those who have been active in APAHC for 10 years or less. The authors discuss their experiences being at national CFAS meetings. They describe meeting events including presentations such as those by national policy experts and scholars; and speed mentoring with medical residents from the AAMC Organization of Resident Representatives. Of special importance has been their opportunities for informal conversations with the AAMC’s President and CEO, Board Chair, and Chief Public Policy Officer. They also have participated in networking functions that encourage interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and relationship building.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Invited Papers from the 2015 APAHC Conference

The 7th biennial National Conference of APAHC, the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers, was held in Atlanta, Georgia, February 5–7, 2015. Speakers were invited to contribute manuscripts based on their conference presentations, and many submitted manuscripts for this special edition of the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. Some papers will appear in the December 2015 issue of JCPMS; others will appear in the March 2016 issue. All papers have undergone a rigorous peer review process. The Conference Co-Chairs, Drs. Laura Shaffer and Amit Shahane, are Guest Editors for the special issue. In this article, they provide an overview of the conference’s major themes, and also discuss some aspects of conference planning.

Pediatric Psychologists’ Collaboration in a National Pediatric Obesity Initiative: A Case Study in Interprofessional Collaboration

Health Care reform calls for collaborative team-based care; psychologists must therefore strengthen their competencies for work in interprofessional clinical care settings. Toward that end, a group of psychologists participated with physicians, dieticians, physical activity specialists, nurses, and others in a national interprofessional workgroup focused on pediatric obesity. The interprofessional group was designed to identify areas in need of national advocacy, key assessment and treatment concerns, and gaps in internal policies and procedures in children’s hospitals. This article provides a case report of psychologists’ roles and experience in this workgroup, and focuses on factors that underlie successful collaboration among diverse health professionals, as well as potential barriers to success. The participating psychologists developed a working model for collaboration with other disciplines. Additionally, they formed a Psychology Subcommittee to identify and address discipline-specific issues regarding collaborative practice in pediatric psychology. Lessons learned in this interprofessional collaborative undertaking have relevance for future collaborative endeavors.

Community Healthcare and Technology to Enhance Communication in Pediatric Obesity Care

Childhood obesity continues to be a critical healthcare issue and a paradigm of a pervasive chronic disease affecting even our youngest children. When considered within the context of the socioecological model, the factors that influence weight status, including the social determinants of health, limit the impact of multidisciplinary care that occurs solely within the medical setting. Coordinated care that incorporates communication between the healthcare and community sectors is necessary to more effectively prevent and treat obesity. In this article, the Expert Exchange authors, with input from providers convened at an international pediatric meeting, provide recommendations to address this critical issue. These recommendations draw upon examples from the management of other chronic conditions that might be applied to the treatment of obesity, such as the use of care plans and health assessment forms to allow weight management specialists and community personnel (e.g., school counselors) to communicate about treatment recommendations and responses. To facilitate communication across the healthcare and community sectors, practical considerations regarding the development and/or evaluation of communication tools are presented. In addition, the use of technology to enhance healthcare-community communication is explored as a means to decrease the barriers to collaboration and to create a web of connection between the community and healthcare providers that promote wellness and a healthy weight status.