The LACPA Listserv is an easy way for LACPA members to connect with other LACPA Listserv members via email. 
Our Listserv is monitored so please, read the
Rules and Standards regarding what can and cannot be posted.


Contact the LACPA office ([email protected]to be listed on the LACPA Listserv
or to receive the Listserv email address.


 

LACPA Listserv Rules and Standards
Updated 2/20/2020

 
General Etiquette
 
The primary purpose of the listserv is the exchange of professional information and clinical matters. Posts that do not relate to the profession of psychology are not permitted. In addition to the rules and standards as set forth below, participants agree to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the laws and ethical guidelines of our profession as well as the following general listserv etiquette:
 
1. When you first join the listserv, please send a message to the listserv and introduce yourself. Try to keep messages brief. For your introduction, you might note your name, professional affiliation, where you live, and any request or question you might have. For example, new members may note that they would like to collaborate with colleagues who are interested in certain issues.
 
2. Please sign each of your messages, including your email address, so you can be reached via backchannel.
 
3. Please keep messages constructive, courteous, and brief. Please be supportive of fellow listserv members and show mutual respect.
 
4. If your post includes (and you utilize) an option that repeats the message to which you are responding, please do not repeat any part of the message that is not essential. This will save considerable space (bandwidth) for everyone who receives your message.
 
5. Think globally. Though most of our members are from the US, some listserv members may not be as familiar with American culture as US members. Thus, try to avoid the use of American idioms that may not be well known internationally, or long and complicated sentences.
 
6. Submitted posts may not be longer than 250 words excluding signature.
 
Listserv Rules
 
Subscribers and participants agree to abide by the following rules adapted from the APA Practice Organization.  This listserv is moderated. Each post is reviewed and may be denied if it does not meet the APAPO/LACPA rules and standards outlined in this document.
 
Rule 1:  Do not use the listserv for illegal purposes, including but not limited to defamation, violation of intellectual property laws, violation of antitrust or unfair competition laws, or violation of criminal laws.
 
a. Antitrust Concerns - The APA Practice Organization by its nature is subject to antitrust issues, as the Practice Organization is almost by definition a group of competitors coming together to pursue common interests. Listservs provide a written record of statements that can create an antitrust risk even when there is no anti-competitive intent. Thus, discussions about rates charged and efforts to exert collective pressure on insurance companies or other payors are all generally prohibited.
 
Fee Discussions:
1. There should be no discussion of:  a) the fees set by psychologists; b) actual or implied agreements between psychologists on setting fees; or c) psychologists’ individual fee negotiations with an insurance company or other third party payor.
 
2. Note that generally applicable fees and contract terms set and announced by insurers or other third-party payors may be discussed—but only as long as the discussion is not accompanied by any commentary stating or implying: (a) that other psychologists should not accept the rate or should not deal with the payor (see also section on boycotts) or (b) what the rate should be.
 
3. There should be no discussion suggesting that a psychological association can or should negotiate fees on behalf of members.
 
4. There should be no discussion of specific economic factors that would allow psychologists to ascertain rates charged by competing psychologists or agree on staff wages or salaries they will pay. It is appropriate, however, to discuss methods of operation and similar matters that may assist psychologists in practicing more efficiently and effectively.
 
 
Boycotts:
There should be no discussions that state or imply that psychologists should boycott or otherwise agree or act together to not participate with a particular insurer or other third party payor. This rule applies even if the boycott is based on factors other than fees.
 
Competition:
It is a violation of antitrust laws to agree not to compete. Thus, discussions of division of territories or customers, or limitations on the nature of business carried on or services provided are not permitted. For more information on antitrust policy, see the Practice Update article, “Avoiding antitrust issues on Listservs” and the APA and Practice Organization Antitrust Policy.
 
b. Copyright - Referring to an article or news item with typical reference citations, providing a brief quote, or offering a link to legitimate online published content is permissible; listserv members should not post a full-text version of published material to the listserv. Not infrequently a listserv member wants to tell others about an article or news item related to the issues discussed on the listserv. However, sending the entire article to the listserv, without the permission of the author or publisher, results in a prima facie case of copyright violation. While there can be defenses to a claim of copyright infringement where the purpose of copying is clearly not for commercial purposes (e.g. “fair use” or academic teaching exceptions), those defenses are complicated, have been construed differently in different jurisdictions, and are not necessarily applicable to listserv distribution.
 
c. Defamation and Libel - In exchanges on the listserv and when referring to others, avoid personal attacks and characterizations that question a person’s or entity’s motives, qualifications, or actions. Sometimes a robust debate about ideas spills over into attacks on the proponents or opponents of the ideas. Listserv members need to be reminded that a false statement that harms someone's reputation can be actionable as libel. There is a substantial difference between disagreeing with how someone did their research or treated a patient and accusing the person of fraud or incompetence. Because negative statements that impugn someone's professional qualifications can cause substantial economic and emotional harm, this is an area for careful scrutiny. Keeping criticism on an objective basis that is factually verifiable and skipping personal commentary about character, competence, or motive minimizes legal risk.
 
Rule 2: Do not intentionally interfere with or disrupt other listserv members, network services, or network equipment. This includes distribution of unsolicited advertisements or chain letters, propagation of computer worms and viruses, or use of the network to make unauthorized entry to any other machine accessible via the listserv.
 
Rule 3: Do not use the listserv for commercial purposes. "Commercial," as used for purposes of evaluating listserv messages, means communications whose primary purpose is to advance the business or financial interests of any person or entity, or otherwise to promote a financial transaction for the benefit of the author, directly or indirectly. Examples of prohibited communications include advertisements for products or services, notices regarding rental of office space, or direct solicitations of listserv members to purchase products or services.
 
Examples of messages that may be of financial benefit to listserv members but are not prohibited because they do not inure to the financial benefit of the author include news of job listings or position openings or discussion of professionally-related products or services where the listserv member conveying the information is not in the business of selling the products or services. Announcements that provide useful professional information to listserv members but may also have some incidental commercial benefit to the sender (e.g. an author who is a listserv member merely advising the listserv of publication of a professional book) typically would not be "commercial" for purposes of this restriction.
 
Rule 4: Listserv Owners and listserv subscribers are required to comply with all relevant federal Internal Revenue Service and Federal Election Committee laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures, and engage only in legally appropriate communications regarding political activity (activity related to elections and candidates).
 
This listserv can be used to openly discuss all legislative (policy-related) activities germane to APAPO and CPA. This listserv can also be used to discuss some general political activities related to elections and the APAPO or CPA PACs but this list cannot be used to advocate for a particular candidate or to raise money for a particular candidate or Political Action Committee (PAC).
 
Certain information about the Practice Organization’s APAPO-PAC is permitted on the listserv. It is permitted to:
 
  1. Provide basic accurate factual information about a PAC
  2. Provide information about the amount of money the PAC has raised, and from whom
  3. Provide factual information about which candidates have been supported by the PAC
  4. For example, a communication on the listserv can:
    1. Announce the existence of a candidate or the existence of a PAC and explain the laws and regulations that govern its activities
    2. Provide information about how much money a candidate has raised, or how much money a PAC has raised, the number of contributors, and/or the number of candidates supported
    3. Identify federal candidates who have been supported by a PAC, as long as the message does not suggest that financial contributions to the PAC would help elect or defeat those candidates.
 
What Is a Not Permitted on the Listserv
 
  1. Statements of advocacy or support on behalf of a particular candidate other than information about the PAC as detailed above.
  2. Any request for financial contributions to a candidate or PAC.
  3. Providing information about a candidate or PAC that:
    1. Publicizes the candidate or PAC in a way that encourages contributions to the candidate or PAC;
    2. Provides information on how to contribute to the candidate or PAC; or encourages financial support for the candidate or PAC.
 
       4.      The term “Action Alert”, when used in listserv postings, is reserved for official advocacy communications originating with either the California Psychological Association (CPA) or the American Psychological Association (APA). Any posting using such term or suggesting organizationally sanctioned advocacy from other than the LACPA Local Advocacy Network (LAN), APA, or CPA will not be posted. Members with questions regarding this policy may be referred to the Local Advocacy Chair.
 
For example, a message on the listserv that commends individuals who have contributed to a specific candidate or PAC is not allowed because it encourages financial support.
 
5.     Please refrain from posting information that could reasonably lead to the identification of clients (e.g., exact age, specific history). Although some general details about clients may be necessary, emphasize aspects of potential treating psychologists (e.g., specialty, location) rather than client details when seeking referrals. If a high level of detail about a client is required for your purpose, a more discrete mode of communication should be used.
 
The following are examples of appropriate and inappropriate referral requests:
 
Appropriate
 
Subject: Addiction Treatment in Santa Monica
 
Looking for a therapist in Santa Monica (or surrounding areas) with experience treating addiction on an outpatient basis. Therapist accepting Blue Shield is a plus but not required.
 
Inappropriate
 
Subject: Therapist for 31-Year-Old Alcoholic
 
A 31-year-old woman living in Santa Monica is in need of outpatient treatment for alcoholism. Her drinking has worsened since losing her job two months ago. Client has Blue Shield PPO, but her family is well off and can also afford private pay.
 
 
DISCLAIMER: The information presented and viewed on this listserv may be selective, rather than exhaustive for some subscribers (depending which messages are actually viewed). Additionally, medical and psychological information is constantly changing. Listserv members’ views regarding appropriate or proposed care or treatment are not those of LACPA; LACPA cannot guarantee the accuracy of information posted to this listserv or that it is the “last word” on any particular subject. You also should keep in mind that, due to your ability to select various messages for review, you may be accessing only a small portion of the relevant information about a particular topic. Thus, you should exercise particular care in forming conclusions based on what you read here. For all of these reasons, LACPA MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY ABOUT THE COMPLETENESS, RELIABILITY, OR ACCURACY OF INFORMATION THAT YOU OBTAIN FROM THIS LISTSERV. THE PRACTICE ORGANIZATION ALSO WILL NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY ARISING FROM ANY ERROR OR OMISSION OR FROM THE USE OF ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THIS LISTSERV. ALL CONTENT ON THIS LISTSERV IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES.
 
Because of potential liability risk issues for the various parties involved, caution should be exercised when posting, responding to or otherwise making use of listserv messages pertaining to diagnosing, recommending treatment or providing referrals. Messages on this listserv may contain links to Internet sites that are not maintained by LACPA. LACPA is not responsible for the content of those sites and shall not be liable for any damages or injury arising from that content. Any links to other sites are intended as a convenience to the users of this listserv and do not imply LACPA’s endorsement of the linked site; nor does the omission of particular links indicate disapproval by LACPA. Please save and/or print this message for future reference, particularly if you are new to the listserv.
 
These rules are subject to periodic review and modification by the LACPA Board of Directors (BOD).   Modifications of the listserv rules and standards are approved by the LACPA BOD.  LACPA members will be notified of changes to the LACPA listserv rules and standards in a timely manner and will be announced on the listserv. The LACPA President and Executive Committee of the Board of Directors serve as the review/appeals committee in the case of listserv posts that are denied.
 
LISTSERV FAQ
 
What events can be posted on the listserv?
 
Only events hosted by APA affiliated organizations (e.g., APA, CPA, LACPA, SGVPA, etc.) may be posted on the listserv.
 
Can messages for non-members be posted?
 
Only job postings or messages looking for a therapist for non-members are permissible. No other messages for non-members may be posted.
 
What kind of messages can graduate students post?
 
Student members may post about the following: assistance on their dissertation, looking for supervision hours, or looking for a pre-doctoral or postdoctoral opportunity. Postings seeking a psychological assistant position, advertising jobs, etc., may only be posted once every three months.
 
Can I advertise to sublet office space?
No. Members may post listings in search of a sublet/office space but may not post an advertisement to sublet or rent office space.
 
Revised 2/20/2020