News and Notes for APA District Branches/State Associations
July 2022
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What’s New at the APA
- APA released a statement expressing disappointment in the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a decision that overturns Roe v. Wade and effectively restricts an individual’s right to obtain an abortion. The decision dismantles decades of legal precedent and jeopardizes the mental and physical health of millions of American women. You can read APA’s full statement on the overturning of Roe v. Wade here.
- APA released a statement applauding the first meaningful action on gun reform in decades after congress passed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act. In addition to gun-violence prevention programs, the law includes significant support for mental health programs. You can read the full statement and more about the law here.
- Americans expressed anxiety over current events and pressure to lose weight according to APA’s latest Health Minds Monthly public opinion poll. 79% of those polled expressed anxiety about inflation, 68% about gun violence, and 63% about the war in Ukraine. Around 45% of those polled also expressed feeling some pressure to lose weight or change their bodies. You can read more about the Healthy Minds Monthly poll and see the full results here.
Key Dates and Observances
APA Communications staff maintains a calendar of key dates, observances and events at APA and in the world of mental health in general. The calendar is kept up to date a few months in advance. You can view the calendar and keep track of important mental health dates and observances here.
Social Media Assets
APA is sharing infographics on disorders and its Healthy Minds Monthly polls for distribution on social media. Take a look at what’s available here.
July Course of the Month – Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD: Theory, Technique and Context
Psychedelics have long been employed by traditional healers to promote physical and mental recovery. This course will review the pharmacological and psychological evidence base for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, describe its clinical application and consider the role which altered states have played over the centuries in clinical and cultural efforts to transcend psychological trauma.
Click here to access the Course of the Month and sign up for updates about this free member benefit.
Nominations Invited for APA Board of Trustees and For APA Components (Councils & Committees)
The APA Nominating Committee is seeking recommendations for potential candidates to serve in APA national offices beginning in May 2023. All members are invited to recommend individuals you believe possess the qualities needed to lead APA in the future and advance psychiatry together. Nominate yourself or a colleague by September 1, 2022. Learn more
Are You Willing to Share Your Expertise on an APA Council or Committee?
APA President-Elect, Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., invites members to serve on an APA Council or Committee for service beginning in May 2023. APA Councils and Committees provide expertise in the development of policy and resources for our membership and the profession. If you have expertise in the content areas of the 13 councils, we strongly encourage you to submit your name and ensure the breadth of diversity within the membership is reflected. Learn more about eligibility and nominate yourself or a colleague by August 15, 2022. Learn more.
Save the Date: Moore Equity in Mental Health 5K: Run, Walk, or Roll on July 9th
Save the date and get involved as we work to address mental health inequities facing young people of color, while honoring mental health advocate Bebe Moore Campbell. Participate in the 5K in Washington, D.C on Saturday, July 9, 2022, when APA will host an in-person 5K run, walk, and roll at Anacostia Park, or join us virtually! More information is coming soon.
https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/diversity/moore-equity-in-mental-health-5k
Other Moore Equity Mental Health Events:
- Roundtable Conversation Future Focused: Today’s Advocacy Paving a Path for a Brighter Future:
- Panelists: Linda Wharton Boyd, Ph.D., DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority, Mandar Jadhav, M.D., APAF Jeanne Spurlock Congressional Fellow, Kathy Orellana, APA Government Relations
Zoom Webinar 12:00-1:00pm EDT July 14th
- Mental Health Community Fair
- In Partnership with Howard University Hospital
10:00am-2:00pm EDT July 23rd
- Roundtable Conversation Community-Based Mental Health Programs for Youth of Color
- Panelists: Kelly N. Graves, Ph.D., Kellin Foundation, Alan T. Rodriguez Penney, M.D., Crear Con Salud, Kayla Bell-Consolver, LMHC, Drake University
Zoom Webinar 12:00pm-1:00pm EDT July 28th
Another Annual Meeting in the Works Already! Submissions Portal Now Open
Join us next year in San Francisco, May 20 to 24, 2023, for a meeting around the theme “Innovate, Collaborate, Motivate: Charting the Future of Mental Health.” Submit your ideas for general sessions, courses, and posters through APA’s online abstract submission system. Learn More.
‘Pages to Practice’ Podcast Explores Burnout
Courtney von Hippel, Ph.D., an associate professor of health and behavioral sciences at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, joins Psychiatric Services Editor Lisa Dixon, M.D., M.P.H., and Podcast Editor and co-host Josh Berezin, M.D., M.S., to discuss burnout and negative job attitudes. They also discuss how lived experience might help provide a buffer for mental health workers. Listen now