Thank You for Sharing Your Voice!

Your feedback shapes OPA’s mission to support psychologists across Oregon. This summary highlights survey insights, priorities, and member suggestions, guiding OPA’s plans for Continuing Education (CE) opportunities, networking events, advocacy, and professional support.

Note on Report Preparation: Parts of this report, including the synthesis and summarization of narrative survey responses, were prepared with assistance from ChatGPT (GPT-5 mini), a large language model developed by OpenAI. ChatGPT was used to help organize, condense, and clarify member feedback; all interpretation and conclusions presented remain the responsibility of the OPA authors.

Survey Overview

Respondents: 75 OPA members
Membership profile: Majority (73%) are mid- to late-career psychologists with 12+ years of licensure.
Response rate: ~10% of total membership, a satisfactory range for online surveys.
Note: Few pre-licensed respondents, so feedback reflects priorities of experienced professionals.

Member Priorities and Values

Top priorities: Practice resources (60%) and professional networking (47%). Members emphasize the importance of peer support, ethics guidance, and practical resources.

Social connection: Important for 32% of respondents, with many noting feelings of isolation in private practice and a desire for regional or topic-specific peer groups, mentorship opportunities, and consultation networks.

Professional identity and focus: Members value OPA’s role in supporting professional practice, ethics, and scientific rigor. Some cautioned that although social and cultural awareness is important, it should not overshadow other core professional priorities.

Additional suggestions:

• More CE training and advanced workshops, particularly in emerging topics like Artificial Intelligence (AI), and integration of cultural issues in the practice of psychology.
• Guidance for retirement planning, supervision, and mentorship opportunities.
• Increased diversity on boards and committees.
• Enhanced transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness, particularly regarding listservs, inquiries, and OPA planning.

Continuing Education (CE) Insights

AI CEs: Members request more training on ethical, legal, and clinical implications of AI in practice.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) CEs: Current offerings are strong, but members want better representation of Oregon psychologists’ diversity and a balance with other professional priorities.

CE preferences: More in-person, full-day, or advanced workshops; informal consultation spaces for seasoned practitioners.

Advanced clinical focus: Members want opportunities for skill-building regarding complex clinical concerns, with access to nationally recognized presenters.

Policy and Structural Feedback

Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT):

• 77% support Oregon joining, with requests for education on legal, financial, and ethical implications.
• Feedback forwarded to OPA’s Legislative Committee and our lobbyists; joining compacts is at the Governor’s discretion.

Post-doctoral residency:

• Opinions are mixed; members suggest flexible supervision models, mentorship options, or reduced hours to accommodate financial and logistical constraints. This information will also be moved forward to our Legislative Committee and lobbyists.

Organizational health:

• Members appreciate OPA leadership, volunteers, Ethics Committee, and Confidential Peer Support programs.
• Suggestions include rotation of committee membership, increased student participation, and maintaining our professional mission through community engagement.

Membership Growth and Engagement

Members suggested ways to enhance OPA value and engagement:

Highlight benefits: Clear communication of CE opportunities, advocacy work, and professional resources.

Networking: Local chapters, in-person events, and consultation groups to reduce isolation.

Affordability: Tiered pricing and loyalty discounts

Communication: Consistent updates

Representation: Increase diversity within committees and include students on committees to build engagement.

Overall Takeaways

OPA is highly valued for leadership, ethics, peer support, and professional advocacy. Members who completed the survey expressed strong desire for:

Connection: Peer networks, mentorship, and consultation groups.

Professional development: Advanced, practical CE opportunities with a focus on clinical skills, AI, and emerging practice issues.

Communication and accessibility: Improved responsiveness, timely updates, and easier resource access.

Focus on professional priorities: Ensuring OPA supports psychologists’ core professional needs while integrating social awareness in balance.

Emerging needs will be addressed in coming months with CE planning, our annual conference, and newsletter submissions. OPA is the professional home for psychologists across Oregon; thank you for bringing your voice to the conversation.

To provide additional feedback or comments, please reach out to OPA at info@opa.org

Now please review the quantitative results.