Dismissal of the President of the Order of Psychologists/ The 20 alleged complaints are clarified

2024-01-27 18:43:00, Aktualitet CNA

Dismissal of the President of the Order of Psychologists/ The 20 alleged

The General Assembly dismissed the President of the Order of Psychologists, Valbona Treska, with 204 votes in favor and one against.

In the extraordinary meeting, the 20 complaints that psychologists in Albania have ascertained from President Treska were discussed.

Journalist Klodiana Lala, in addition to publishing 20 concerns of Treska, writes that institutions cannot be held hostage.

The psychologists' complaints included the fact that there was a lack of transparency and a delay in the publication of decisions by this institution.

Also, another point of concern was the increase in fees by over 30% when there was no increase in financial income for all psychologists.

When the Order of Psychologists is taken hostage!

Read carefully below what happens!

Tirana on 27.01.2024

The opening speech of the Extraordinary Assembly of UP

Dear ladies and gentlemen, fellow psychologists, under unusual conditions, I declare the assembly open.

Thanking all those who are present but also those who found it impossible to be, without wasting time I am starting with some of the points that lead us to the calling of the extraordinary assembly.

From the communication made during these weeks, psychologists from different fields have brought in writing not only their dissatisfactions, concerns, but also creative proposals, corrections, ideas on how UP can be restructured.

The first reactions started after the arrival of the announcement about the increase in fees and were expressed by means of a request addressed to UP where the signatories were about 290 school psychologists, most of them working throughout the Republic of Albania, and then this reaction spread throughout the whole the areas where psychologists practice their profession.

In principle, but also in practice, UP is the umbrella where everyone is equal, the common interest is protected, everyone's voice is heard and it matters. The main word is We.

I am conveying to you some of the concerns that have shaken the foundations of UP transparency and democracy.

1. Lack of transparency in decision-making and delayed publication of decisions.

2. Delayed responses to concerns, often acute, from UP leaders even though there are 2 lawyers, secretaries, Secretary General, administration employees.

3. Non-consultation with the members of the Assembly in advance when the technology of several years already simplifies the communication.

4. Expensive trainings, the payment of which is disproportionate to the salaries we receive.

5. The trainings provided by members of the Council conflict with their interests and thus violate the ethics of the profession. If Council members wish to share their knowledge and experience with us, they can do so free of charge.

6. Lack of alternatives to choose trainings according to the needs of the field and the trainings done so far do not challenge the knowledge of the relevant fields of psychology.

7. Increase in fees by over 30% when there was no increase in financial income for all psychologists.

8. Mismanagement of the Ethics Commission by taking extreme administrative measures without implementing the escalating hierarchy of measures.

9. Non-response and silence when official documents are requested, non-filing due to loss of documentation, invoices and others. There is evidence when psychologists had to pay twice the licensing fee.

10. Unannounced inspections at the place of work of psychologists even without reason.

11. Conflict of interest of the member of the National Council who also plays the role of General Secretary.

12. Unnecessary scrolling. Errors of form and content in the documentation and non-responsibility for them. Lack of communication ethics by the UP administration and leaders.

13. Not promoting the profession of psychologists, members of the National Council or talented psychologists, at a time when mental health is still stigmatized and Albanian society is in great need.

14. The annual issuance of membership cards leads to confusion and unnecessary expenses. when the cards can be divided once every 5 years. It is not even ecological;

15. Not establishing official relations with ASCK and public institutions in order to strengthen the network of psychologists through qualifications.

16. Workshops, exchanges of experiences of school psychologists that translate into credits are surprisingly paid even when these are developed within the professional network. In recent years, school psychologists have been forced to receive only the trainings determined by the leaders of UP, which has monopolized the market of qualifications whose payments are not in fair proportion to our salaries.

17. There is no clear and correct definition of the relationship between the UP and the interns, who, in addition to the payment, also pay insurance. The leaders of UP have not shown concrete commitment in building cooperation with public institutions where internships are offered to interns and this is converted into practical knowledge before licensing.

18. As psychologists, we have been faced with a rejecting approach from the leaders of UP.

19. Improper and imprecise treatment of psychologists, e.g. the non-appearance of the UP expert in a training followed with the repetition of the training, causing loss of time and financial damage.

20. Legal psychologists pay the UP the highest rate of all other psychologists, this is a differentiated rate. The Commissioner against Discrimination by means of a decision called this quota discriminatory. Another disturbing phenomenon is that even though legal psychologists have completed the necessary training, they are not called to assist in the courts.