The health threat posed by the novel coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic has particular implications for people with disabilities, including vulnerability to exposure and complications, and concerns about the role of ableism in access to treatment and medical rationing decisions. Shortages of necessary medical equipment to treat COVID-19 have prompted triage guidelines outlining the ways in which lifesaving equipment, such as mechanical ventilators and intensive care unit beds, may need to be rationed among affected individuals. In this article, we explore the realities of medical rationing, and various approaches to triage and prioritization. We discuss the psychology of ableism, perceptions about quality of life, social determinants of health, and how attitudes toward disability can affect rationing decisions and access to care. In addition to the grassroots advocacy and activism undertaken by the disability community, psychology is rich in its contributions to the role of attitudes, prejudice, and discriminatory behavior on the social fabric of society. We call on psychologists to advocate for social justice in pandemic preparedness, promote disability justice in health care settings, call for transparency and accountability in rationing approaches, and support policy changes for macro- and microallocation strategies to proactively reduce the need for rationing.

Collaborative on Countering the US Opioid Epidemic [8] has been focusing on comprehensive and collaborative efforts to fundamentally address the opioid epidemic crisis. All of these major initiatives emphasize pain education as a key component in the fight against the dual crises of chronic pain and the opioid epidemic. I am honored to represent the AAPM on the HHS Pain Management Task Force and the NAM Action Collaborative and contribute to these important initiatives of our nation on your behalf.

This article reflects the discussion and conclusions of the Marketplace and Workforce subgroup of the Summit on Master's Training in Psychological Practice with some data and history added by the authors. When considering the development of a recognized role for master's degree professionals trained in psychology programs, marketplace and workforce considerations need to inform any decision. As 1 of the 4 subgroups of the Summit, Marketplace and Workforce participants considered master's-level practice in the context of the entire health care professional landscape, projected directions of change, the current and future roles needed to meet patient needs, and the economic impact and value proposition of psychological services. Questions that emerged for the group when contemplating this change are also presented. Public Significance StatementThe American Psychological Association's decision to consider accrediting master's-level practice in health service psychology has tremendous marketplace and workforce implications for the field. On the positive side, this decision can result in greater access to behavioral health care and a more diverse health service psychology workforce, in keeping with the projected need for behavioral health providers and psychologists projected in the next decade. However, it can also lead to a situation in which populations are being served by less qualified psychological practitioners, perceived confusion about levels of credentialing for psychological practitioners, and, perhaps, lower perceived value of psychologists overall. Thus, quality of training for independent practice and the value added by the doctoral degree need to be carefully delineated as APA moves forward in this arena.

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Psychologists have the potential to improve the quality of life of chronic pain patients by intervening not only through direct services but also by using their training for promoting proactive leadership in multidisciplinary teams and in the larger health care environment. To significantly impact pain management, psychologists must not only deliver state-of-the-art care but also take an active role in directing the design, implementation, and evaluation of these programs.