America’s Think Tank for Mental Health
Pre-Mee ting Fall
Circular Letter #639
October 2016
www.ourgap.org
Message From the President GAP will be meeting in November just after our extraordinary 2016 election. I expect that we will all be recovering from the result and the continuing turmoil in our country regardless of the outcome. We live in extraordinary times challenged by the racial divide, violence against those who look and behave differently, and fear above all fear. GAP as “American’s think tank for mental health” can provide perspective, context and solutions. Our committees should all focus on the relevant issues of the day and produce thoughtful papers and articles that bridge the divides and make psychiatry the most relevant of medical specialties in this turbulent era. Productivity continues. To quote from a recent email from David Adler, “To keep you up on Publications Board activities. The Suicide piece from the Psychopathology Committee with its survey will appear in the September issue of Psych Times as an inaugural column. The Neuropsychiatry Committee’s piece on rare diseases was accepted by Lancet. The Disasters Committee first GAP blog is close to being ready to launch. The Cultural and Family Committee’s next Clinical Psychiatric News column has been approved for publication. The Psychotherapy Committee continues to meet its monthly deadline for Psychiatric News. And it looks like the Committee on Psychiatry and the Law does have a book contract for their wonderful book. All in all our productivity continues.” At the end of the April meeting we held a day long strategic planning retreat that was attended by the leadership board as well as the chairs of the various committees. Total attendance exceeded 50. The major focus was on the present financial crisis as well as the future of GAP with very specific recommendations to reinvigorate our work. While the focus on financial conditions was understandable noting the ten-year erosion in our reserve, the loss of outside support from industry, and the extraordinary steps taken in the last two years to right size the budget, this meeting also looked at ways to increase the contributions and content of our work as well as ways to enhance the personal and professional interactions that take place in the retreat-like environment of the Westchester Hotel. I expect that the November meeting will take up some specific suggestions that emerged from the retreat. Our agenda will include: A review of our dues structure and registration fees and expenses Consideration of a discount for early career psychiatrists (first 5 years out of training) Consideration of an incentive for individuals who are not local to the Northeast A review of the GAP fellowship size and support Implementation of leadership training opportunities for new committee chairs A review of the productivity of committees I look forward to our meeting where we can share our thoughts and feelings about many issues of the day, not the least being the election. AS IN APRIL, THERE WILL BE A $150 MEETING REGISTRATION FEE. YOU MUST HAVE PAID YOUR 2016 DUES IN ORDER TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
Steven S. Sharfstein, M.D. President, GAP P.O. Box 570218 • Dallas, Texas 75357-0218 • 972-613-0985 • Fax: 972-613-5532