With his strong credentials in psychology, law, and education, Bob Woody is dedicated to helping psychologists and other mental health professionals achieve excellence to assure a constructive career and benefit society. He believes that:

• Science, scholarship, and ethics provide the bases for psychological practices;

• All psychological interventions should be empirically based; and

• Professionalism requires putting the needs of others over self-interests.

Bob Woody devotes his capabilities, time, and energy to safeguarding psychologists and other mental health professionals. He recognizes that the increases in governmental regulations (licensing complaints) and legal (malpractice) actions plague the practice of psychology, often to the detriment of society. He is aware that the decrease in publicly funded mental health programs requires that psychologists deal with an escalation of defensiveness and threats from clients, who often wrongly fault the quality of psychological service and may jeopardize the welfare and rights of psychologists and other mental health professionals. Bob Woody seeks to strengthen psychology and psychologists to benefit the profession and society.

Although Bob Woody’s career-long primary commitment has been to university teaching and administration, he gained valuable and unique experiences in a variety of complex organizations (i.e., state regulatory agencies and professional associations). Bob Woody is fascinated with understanding how organizations, institutions, and groups function, and identifying ways to constructively manage and develop them.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: Being an attorney and capitalizing on his background in psychology and health services, Bob Woody has participated in innumerable activities within state agencies relevant to legislation, administrative regulations, and policies reflecting standards and ethics. Suffice it to say, Bob Woody has a grasp on the interface between government, higher education, and health care.

POLICY AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT: In 2001, Bob Woody was President of the 1,600-member Florida Psychological Association (FPA, and from January, 2002, through December, 2007, he served as a Representative on the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) Council of Representatives. The APA now has about 155,000 members; and according to its Handbook, the Council is the “supreme legislative and oversight body" and has "full power and authority over the affairs and funds of the Association." Through his work with the FPA, the APA, and other professional associations, Bob Woody has had integral involvement in complex organizational decision-making and management issues pertaining to planning and budget matters.

CONTINUING AND DISTANCE EDUCATION: Bob Woody has been involved in the planning, implementation, and conducting of dozens of professional seminars in a number of different contexts. Relatedly, for the FPA, Bob Woody served as the Chair of the Education Committee and the Conference Coordinator. Over the years, he has presented many professional development seminars around the United States. Bob Woody has developed a strong knowledge base for continuing education and distance learning.

ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP: As for professional leadership, Bob Woody has served on innumerable committees for national and state organizations, including his being President of two state-level professional associations. Within the APA, his service on committees (often as Chair) led to his being named a Fellow; he holds Fellow status in the Divisions of Clinical Psychology, School Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Psychologists in Public Service, Health Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Psychology and Law, Psychologists in Independent Practice, and Family Psychology. Bob Woody has served three years as a “full voting” member of the APA Ethics Committee, and three-years as Treasurer and a Member of the Board of Directors for Division (12): the Society for Clinical Psychology. He has also been active in committee work with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). For five years, he served as Chair of the AAMFT Judicial Council; and for three years, he was a member of its Finance Committee. He has been President of the Nebraska Chapter of the AAMFT. Throughout his career, Bob Woody has provided leadership to several national professional associations and consistently presented (several times each year) scholarly papers for national and state conferences.

Employment

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA: Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, 1975-79; Professor of Psychology, 1975-Present; Director of the School Psychology Training Program, 1987-2002. Bob Woody teaches law-related and ethics courses (e.g., Forensic Psychology, Social Psychology, Family Interventions, Ethics and Law for Psychologists, and Administration of Psychological Services).

PREVIOUS UNIVERSITY POSITIONS: Earlier in his career, Bob Woody was an Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, and a Professor at the Ohio University.

PRIVATE PRACTICE OF LAW: Since 1981, Bob Woody has engaged in the private practice of law, emphasizing legal consultation: (1) to health care providers relevant to standards, ethics, licensing, and business (contract) issues; and (2) educators pertaining to contractual and liability issues. He has offices in Omaha and Tallahassee.

PRIVATE PRACTICE OF PSYCHOLOGY: Since 1967, Bob Woody has engaged in the private practice of (1) forensic psychology for criminal and civil cases, and (2) clinical/counseling psychology for family, marital, and individual problems. Also, he has consulted with numerous community and governmental agencies.