Gun violence to be discussed by APA

Mental illness and mental health have been in the headlines and in the legislative discussions across the country over the past few months. For good or bad, the Newtown massacre has resulted in focused national discussions on three topics: access to firearms, schools, and mental illness.

In Maryland, our annual 90-day legislative session just ended, during which we saw the highest number of mental health-related bills in 8 years, and double the number from last year. The number of gun-related bills more than doubled. Most states are seeing the same patterns in their deliberative bodies.

The annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association is next month in San Francisco, and the APA’s own deliberative body, the Assembly, will be meeting for three days starting May 17. It also will be discussing numerous bills, called “Action Papers,” about gun violence.

There are 29 Action Papers this session: seven on guns/violence; four each on membership/finances and public health issues; three on elections/governance; two each on health IT, maintenance of certification, the health care system, and training; and one each on the DSM, awards, and reinstating an expired position paper. Five of the Action Papers on guns and violence came from the Connecticut Psychiatric Society. One proposes that the APA oppose laws mandating that mental health professionals formally report patients who are a danger to themselves or others, using clinical discretion instead.

Another proposes that the APA oppose laws that prohibit physicians from asking patients about access to firearms, as six states are either considering or have already passed such a law. One echoes Dr. Paul Appelbaum’s call for a Presidential Commission to develop a vision for mental health care, also calling for steps toward early intervention, a system for responding to key mental health issues, and approaches to sensible firearm regulation. Another Action Paper supports the statements of APA President Dilip Jeste, M.D., to the U.S. Congress educating them that violence is not an inherent characteristic of people with mental illness. Another calls for support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute of Medicine to address research and education on gun violence. A final one proposes an ad hoc work group on gun violence (which already has begun meeting).

There is an Action Paper calling for access to DSM-5 teaching materials for District Branches; one that adds voluntary contributions to the dues statements; and another that would change the process for APA members to vote on a referendum. Another one (mine) calls for changes that would permit candidates for APA office to hold town hall-style discussions on the electronic communication platforms (listservs, Google Groups, message boards, etc.) used by District Branches. The current rules do not allow local discussions like this, only on the Member-to-Member (M2M) listserv.

Several other Action Papers address issues that impact the organization and its members. One calls for significantly increased funding and reorganization of APA components to enhance communication and public relations. Another calls for advocating that all Health Insurance Exchanges must include all CPT codes and must use Medicare’s RVU system as a basis of determining allowable fees. Other papers address human trafficking, polypharmacy, self-defense training for members-in-training (MITs), MOC, HL7 health IT standards, United Nations participation, and an Early Career Psychiatrist (ECP) track at the Annual Meeting.

APA members are encouraged to share their thoughts on these topics with their elected Assembly Representative or Deputy Representative prior to the meeting next month.

The Assembly meets twice annually and is comprised of representatives from each of its 75 district branches in Canada and the United States, as well as members who represent minority/underrepresented groups, MITs, ECPs, allied organizations, and from each of the seven Areas. All 231 Assembly Representatives are elected by their constituents, and District Branches that have more APA members have more elected Representatives.

—Steven Roy Daviss, M.D., DFAPA

Dr. Daviss is president of Fuse Health Strategies, chair of the department of psychiatry at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center, policy wonk for the Maryland Psychiatric Society, chair of the APA Committee on Electronic Health Records, and co-author of Shrink Rap: Three Psychiatrists Explain Their Work, published by Johns Hopkins University Press. In addition to @HITshrink on Twitter, he can be found at drdavissATgmail.com and on the My Three Shrinks podcast.

Mental illness and mental health have been in the headlines and in the legislative discussions across the country over the past few months. For good or bad, the Newtown massacre has resulted in focused national discussions on three topics: access to firearms, schools, and mental illness.

In Maryland, our annual 90-day legislative session just ended, during which we saw the highest number of mental health-related bills in 8 years, and double the number from last year. The number of gun-related bills more than doubled. Most states are seeing the same patterns in their deliberative bodies.

The annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association is next month in San Francisco, and the APA’s own deliberative body, the Assembly, will be meeting for three days starting May 17. It also will be discussing numerous bills, called “Action Papers,” about gun violence.

There are 29 Action Papers this session: seven on guns/violence; four each on membership/finances and public health issues; three on elections/governance; two each on health IT, maintenance of certification, the health care system, and training; and one each on the DSM, awards, and reinstating an expired position paper. Five of the Action Papers on guns and violence came from the Connecticut Psychiatric Society. One proposes that the APA oppose laws mandating that mental health professionals formally report patients who are a danger to themselves or others, using clinical discretion instead.

Another proposes that the APA oppose laws that prohibit physicians from asking patients about access to firearms, as six states are either considering or have already passed such a law. One echoes Dr. Paul Appelbaum’s call for a Presidential Commission to develop a vision for mental health care, also calling for steps toward early intervention, a system for responding to key mental health issues, and approaches to sensible firearm regulation. Another Action Paper supports the statements of APA President Dilip Jeste, M.D., to the U.S. Congress educating them that violence is not an inherent characteristic of people with mental illness. Another calls for support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute of Medicine to address research and education on gun violence. A final one proposes an ad hoc work group on gun violence (which already has begun meeting).

There is an Action Paper calling for access to DSM-5 teaching materials for District Branches; one that adds voluntary contributions to the dues statements; and another that would change the process for APA members to vote on a referendum. Another one (mine) calls for changes that would permit candidates for APA office to hold town hall-style discussions on the electronic communication platforms (listservs, Google Groups, message boards, etc.) used by District Branches. The current rules do not allow local discussions like this, only on the Member-to-Member (M2M) listserv.

Several other Action Papers address issues that impact the organization and its members. One calls for significantly increased funding and reorganization of APA components to enhance communication and public relations. Another calls for advocating that all Health Insurance Exchanges must include all CPT codes and must use Medicare’s RVU system as a basis of determining allowable fees. Other papers address human trafficking, polypharmacy, self-defense training for members-in-training (MITs), MOC, HL7 health IT standards, United Nations participation, and an Early Career Psychiatrist (ECP) track at the Annual Meeting.

APA members are encouraged to share their thoughts on these topics with their elected Assembly Representative or Deputy Representative prior to the meeting next month.

The Assembly meets twice annually and is comprised of representatives from each of its 75 district branches in Canada and the United States, as well as members who represent minority/underrepresented groups, MITs, ECPs, allied organizations, and from each of the seven Areas. All 231 Assembly Representatives are elected by their constituents, and District Branches that have more APA members have more elected Representatives.

—Steven Roy Daviss, M.D., DFAPA

Dr. Daviss is president of Fuse Health Strategies, chair of the department of psychiatry at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center, policy wonk for the Maryland Psychiatric Society, chair of the APA Committee on Electronic Health Records, and co-author of Shrink Rap: Three Psychiatrists Explain Their Work, published by Johns Hopkins University Press. In addition to @HITshrink on Twitter, he can be found at drdavissATgmail.com and on the My Three Shrinks podcast.

Mental illness and mental health have been in the headlines and in the legislative discussions across the country over the past few months. For good or bad, the Newtown massacre has resulted in focused national discussions on three topics: access to firearms, schools, and mental illness.

In Maryland, our annual 90-day legislative session just ended, during which we saw the highest number of mental health-related bills in 8 years, and double the number from last year. The number of gun-related bills more than doubled. Most states are seeing the same patterns in their deliberative bodies.

The annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association is next month in San Francisco, and the APA’s own deliberative body, the Assembly, will be meeting for three days starting May 17. It also will be discussing numerous bills, called “Action Papers,” about gun violence.

There are 29 Action Papers this session: seven on guns/violence; four each on membership/finances and public health issues; three on elections/governance; two each on health IT, maintenance of certification, the health care system, and training; and one each on the DSM, awards, and reinstating an expired position paper. Five of the Action Papers on guns and violence came from the Connecticut Psychiatric Society. One proposes that the APA oppose laws mandating that mental health professionals formally report patients who are a danger to themselves or others, using clinical discretion instead.

Another proposes that the APA oppose laws that prohibit physicians from asking patients about access to firearms, as six states are either considering or have already passed such a law. One echoes Dr. Paul Appelbaum’s call for a Presidential Commission to develop a vision for mental health care, also calling for steps toward early intervention, a system for responding to key mental health issues, and approaches to sensible firearm regulation. Another Action Paper supports the statements of APA President Dilip Jeste, M.D., to the U.S. Congress educating them that violence is not an inherent characteristic of people with mental illness. Another calls for support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute of Medicine to address research and education on gun violence. A final one proposes an ad hoc work group on gun violence (which already has begun meeting).

There is an Action Paper calling for access to DSM-5 teaching materials for District Branches; one that adds voluntary contributions to the dues statements; and another that would change the process for APA members to vote on a referendum. Another one (mine) calls for changes that would permit candidates for APA office to hold town hall-style discussions on the electronic communication platforms (listservs, Google Groups, message boards, etc.) used by District Branches. The current rules do not allow local discussions like this, only on the Member-to-Member (M2M) listserv.

Several other Action Papers address issues that impact the organization and its members. One calls for significantly increased funding and reorganization of APA components to enhance communication and public relations. Another calls for advocating that all Health Insurance Exchanges must include all CPT codes and must use Medicare’s RVU system as a basis of determining allowable fees. Other papers address human trafficking, polypharmacy, self-defense training for members-in-training (MITs), MOC, HL7 health IT standards, United Nations participation, and an Early Career Psychiatrist (ECP) track at the Annual Meeting.

APA members are encouraged to share their thoughts on these topics with their elected Assembly Representative or Deputy Representative prior to the meeting next month.

The Assembly meets twice annually and is comprised of representatives from each of its 75 district branches in Canada and the United States, as well as members who represent minority/underrepresented groups, MITs, ECPs, allied organizations, and from each of the seven Areas. All 231 Assembly Representatives are elected by their constituents, and District Branches that have more APA members have more elected Representatives.

—Steven Roy Daviss, M.D., DFAPA

Dr. Daviss is president of Fuse Health Strategies, chair of the department of psychiatry at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center, policy wonk for the Maryland Psychiatric Society, chair of the APA Committee on Electronic Health Records, and co-author of Shrink Rap: Three Psychiatrists Explain Their Work, published by Johns Hopkins University Press. In addition to @HITshrink on Twitter, he can be found at drdavissATgmail.com and on the My Three Shrinks podcast.