APA Council Reports

Frances R. Levin, M.D., Chairperson

The Council on Addiction Psychiatry is committed to providing psychiatric leadership in the study, prevention, and treatment of substance use disorders. The component provides recommendations to the APA on research, training, treatment, and public policy.

To facilitate effective collaboration and communication, the Council invites representatives of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to participate in its meetings. Physician training on treatment of substance use disorders (SUD), prescription drug monitoring programs, accessibility and availability of services, budgetary challenges, research priorities, and opportunities for APA to contribute meaningfully to important government initiatives are among the issues addressed by the group.

The national epidemic of prescription drug and heroin abuse remains a major area of focus. Through its collaboration with APA’s Division of Government Relations, the Council remains abreast of policy proposals and informs the Association’s advocacy efforts. Additionally, it offers a variety of training opportunities for psychiatrists and other interested clinicians. Waiver-eligible courses on office-based treatment of opioid use disorder with buprenorphine are offered at APA’s Annual Meeting and the Institute on Psychiatric Services, and an on-line course is available at www.APAeducation.org. The courses are augmented by a monthly webinar series that is conducted by the Association as a partner organization in the SAMHSA-funded Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment (PCSS-MAT). The highly evaluated webinars offer free continuing medical education credit and attract large audiences. A clinical mentoring system further enhances training by providing opportunities for psychiatrists and other physicians to consult with members who have recognized expertise in evidence-based medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder. The mentoring system can be accessed from the program’s dedicated website, www.pcssmat.org.

The Council chair and vice chair represent the APA and actively participate in an AMA-convened Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse, which is comprised of representatives of state medical associations and medical specialty societies. The member organizations recognize that to address the epidemic of prescription drug abuse effectively, physicians should develop and implement strategies to reduce the harm caused by over-prescribing of opioids and utilize evidence-based practices in treating pain and substance use disorders. Led by Dr. Patrice Harris, AMA Chair-Elect and a former member of APA’s Board of Trustees, the Task Force is undertaking initiatives to 1) address substance use disorder as a medical condition; 2) enhance physician training on evidence-based treatment of pain and addiction; 3) increase physicians’ use of prescription drug monitoring programs and provide guidance to policymakers about program features that will ensure provision of clinically significant information; 4) reduce the stigma of substance use disorders; and 5) address overdose prevention through advocacy for increased access to naloxone.

An additional area of Council focus is tobacco use, which is a serious public health problem that disproportionately affects individuals with psychiatric illness. People with mental illness consume nearly half of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. and carry a disproportionate share of the medical burden. A Workgroup on Tobacco Use Disorder was established and includes clinical experts and representatives of integrated care, public and community psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and residency education.

The Workgroup’s vision is that mental health and addiction treatment should include treating tobacco use disorder with the impact being improved mental health and addiction recovery, improved wellness, reduced health disparities, and substantial reduction in tobacco use disorder rates by individuals with psychiatric disorders. In the future, the APA will be a leader in providing education and leadership not only to help psychiatrists develop the skills and knowledge to identify and treat tobacco use disorder but also work with other health care and public health organizations to eradicate tobacco use disorder.

In early 2015, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC) awarded APA a grant to support the Workgroup’s initial projects. Meeting monthly, the group produced a strategic plan for the APA to address psychiatrists’ educational needs regarding tobacco use disorder and improve psychiatric practice by integrating evidence-based approaches for assessment and treatment of tobacco use disorder. Additionally, it developed an APA position statement on tobacco use disorder, conducted a workshop at the Annual Meeting that introduced a training curriculum for clinicians, presented a webinar on treatment approaches, and fielded a pilot survey to examine APA members’ current tobacco use assessment and management practice patterns. In the future, the Workgroup intends to compile a wide variety of educational, clinical, and patient resources that will be accessible on APA’s website. Additionally, the Workgroup plans to increase the number and quality of APA-sponsored educational and training activities on tobacco use disorder, as well as engage key clinical leaders in APA’s District Branches and State Associations to mentor, train, and coach other psychiatrists into becoming opinion leaders around the country and in various health care systems.

Members of the Council also reviewed and undertook revisions to several existing APA position statements. The Position Statement on Residency Training Needs in Addiction Psychiatry for the General Psychiatrist and an accompanying resource document were approved by the Board of Trustees in November 2014. Statements currently in the approval process address Tobacco Use Disorder, Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults, and Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution, which is a joint statement of the APA and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Barry Perlman, M.D., Chairperson

The Council on Advocacy and Government Relations was established in May 2009 as part of the reorganization of APA councils and components. The Council was consolidated to include the charges of the Council on Advocacy and Public Policy, the Committee on Government Relations, and the Committee on Mental Health Care for Veterans and Military Personnel and their Families. The Council also absorbed some of the charges of the former Council on Social Issues and Public Psychiatry. The Committee on Advocacy and Litigation Funding was retained as a corresponding committee.

The Council continues to serve as the APA’s member-led coordinating body for advocacy activities involving federal and state government. Its responsibilities include analyzing problems and opportunities, anticipating needs for advocacy policies, planning government relations strategies, collaborating with district branches/state associations on state matters affecting individuals with mental illness and the profession, providing expert input to APA Administration staff, and actively collaborating with allied groups with shared goals to improve access to quality mental health care.

High-profile events and the continued challenges of access to psychiatric care have fostered intense interest in these issues on the Hill, within the Obama Administration, and in state governments. The Council remained active helping to advance a number of APA advocacy priorities and guiding APA lobbying activities.

Joseph Penn, M.D., Chairperson

The work of the Council is directed toward maximizing the effectiveness of APA in addressing the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and their families. Its charge is primarily carried out through workshops, position statements, and liaison with allied children and adolescent organizations.

Following are highlights of Council activities in 2015:

Arshya Vahabzadeh, M.D., Chairperson

The Council of Communications is dedicated to educating and informing the public about the importance of psychiatry and the leadership role psychiatrists play in mental health and overall health care. The Council is also active in increasing effective communications among members of the American Psychiatric Association with the aim of engaging them in the outreach efforts of the APA.

Under the supervision of the Council, the findings and recommendation of the Porter Novelli communications audit were fully implemented in the second half of 2014, creating an integrated Communications Division, with overall responsibility for communications, public affairs, integrated marketing, the APA brand, member communication, and Psychiatric News. The combined team has been staffed up and is working collaboratively and cross-functionally to achieve “One Clear Voice” for the APA on key issues of member and public concern. An organization-wide 6-month editorial calendar is in place so that, three months out, the full team is aware of the communications needs and work of the organization and can deliver the organization’s products and messages in a coordinated, high-impact way. And design services have been brought in house, saving APA money and supporting the effort to consistently brand APA.

Over the past several months, APA staffers under the guidance of the Council and the Foundation have worked together to lay the groundwork for APA President Renee Binder’s vision of an annual premier mental health event in DC. The event, titled the American Psychiatric EXcellence (APEX) Awards, will take place in April 2016, in conjunction with a summit on the criminalization of people with mental illness. Dr. Steven Sharfstein has been selected as a cochair of the APEX Awards Host Committee, and the Mayflower Hotel has been secured as the site. Sufficient funds have been raised to assure that the event will at least break even.

On May 17, 2015, the new brand of the APA was launched at the opening session of the Annual Meeting in Toronto. APA staffers gave a presentation on the new brand to the Council prior to the overall launch. The brand was developed between December 2014 and March 2015, relying on extensive research among the Council members, APA leadership, membership, the Administration, district branches, and the public. The Board’s goal in adopting the new brand was to demonstrate a consistent look and clear value to members about all that APA does and to curb the competing marks, fonts, and colors evident in APA’s then-current approach to branding. As of this writing, the brand is almost fully implemented, now appearing on our journals, letterhead, business cards, some facilities, and most of our business units, like Publishing and the PAC.

Council members have shared much insight with APA staffers on improving APA’s news media function. We can report that the news media function has improved dramatically, earning APA a share of voice on key issues like veterans’ mental health, interrogation and torture, and LGBT issues (including, for example, the mental health effects of marriage equality and our stance against conversion therapy). News releases are now issued quickly after the precipitating event; as one example, APA President Renee Binder was widely quoted following the Obergefell Supreme Court case, where we were able to issue our release 39 minutes after the court’s decision was announced.

Using in-house expertise and talent, APA produced a parity rights poster to inform patients of their rights under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. The poster is written in clear, easy-to-understand (9th-grade reading level) language and notes the steps to take when violations are suspected. The poster has been distributed nearly 200,000 times, and many psychiatrists have downloaded the poster for display in their offices, clinics, and hospitals. APA also had the poster professionally translated into Spanish and is now distributing that version as well. Several district branches have also cobranded the poster, and some have built coalitions of support to distribute the poster, such as with their state hospital association or with patient advocacy groups.

Robert Paul Roca, M.D., M.P.H., Chairperson

The Council on Geriatric Psychiatry provides leadership in the field of geriatric psychiatry and serves as an expert resource to the APA in issues pertaining to the mental health care of older adults. In order to fulfill this responsibility, the Council creates position statements and resource documents, organizes and presents programs at the Annual meetings, creates educational material, assists the APA in its advocacy efforts at the state and federal level, works to raise the level of interest of medical students and residents in the field of geriatric psychiatry, selects and recommends honorees for APA awards in geriatric psychiatry, and serves as a point of contact between the APA and other subspecialty organizations interested in the care of older adults.

Substance use disorders are increasingly prevalent among older adults and are currently underdiagnosed and undertreated. Last year, the Joint Reference Committee (JRC) asked the Council to work with the Council on Addictions to develop a position statement on “Substance Use in the Elderly.” A workgroup consisting of volunteers from both councils worked on the request and submitted a final product to the JRC for approval and referral to the Assembly. The Council was also charged with reviewing existing APA position statements on the “Quality of Mental Health Care in U.S. Nursing Homes,” on “The Role of Psychiatrists in Assessing Driving Ability,” and on “The Role of Psychiatrists in End-of-Life Care.” The last of these takes on special significance in light of recent legislative activity around the country on the topic of “death with dignity” and related debates on the appropriateness of physicians providing the means for patients to end their lives under certain circumstances. The Council is working closely with other components, most notably the Council on Psychiatry and Law, to develop materials that will assist the APA and its members in understanding and responding to this timely and complex issue. The Council is also in the final stages of revising a position statement on Use of Antipsychotics for the Treatment of Behavioral Disturbances in Persons with Dementia. This is occurring as the Practice Guidelines Committee is receiving public comment on a new Practice Guideline on the Use of Antipsychotic Medications for the Treatment of Agitation and Psychosis in Dementia. It will be of critical importance that the practice guideline and position statement be harmonious. Members of the Council felt that the statement should acknowledge the reality that these medications—despite the controversies surrounding their use—are often needed in the treatment of the severely symptomatic patients referred to psychiatrists for care.

Since the Council regularly collaborates with the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatrists (AAGP) on various projects that are of common interest to the members of both organizations, the President-Elect and the Executive Director of the AAGP regularly attend and provide reports to the Council meetings in May and September. At the last meeting, the Council and the AAGP president-elect discussed various ways to improve AAGP and APA interactions. The Council members agreed that greater AAGP and geriatric psychiatry presence at the APA Annual Meeting would benefit the recruitment efforts to the field and would provide valuable educational opportunities for psychiatrists. Several strategies were discussed, including having a booth at the Annual Meeting promoting AAGP and encouraging general psychiatrists to attend the AAGP Annual Meeting. AAGP may consider offering a special discount to APA members who attend the AAGP Meeting for the first time.

At the time of writing this report, the Council is preparing its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ comprehensive overhaul of long-term care facility requirements. This is the first amendment of its scale and scope in nearly 20 years, and the proposed regulations outline new quality and ethics rules for facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid program. Among many other provisions, the proposed rule touches on staffing adequacy and training, psychotropic medication administration and oversight, the discharge process, and a variety of lifestyle issues.

The Council is also charged with recommending honorees for APA Geriatric Awards: the Jack Weinberg Award in Geriatric Psychiatry and Hartford-Jeste Award for Future Leaders in Geriatric psychiatry. The Jack Weinberg Award recognizes psychiatrists who have made noteworthy contributions to geriatric psychiatry as researchers, mentors, leaders, and clinicians over a course of their careers. The 2015 award recipient was Dr. Robert G. Robinson. The recently established Hartford Jeste Award recognizes an early-career geriatric psychiatrist who has made significant contributions to the field of geriatric psychiatry through excellence in research, teaching, clinical practice, and community service and has demonstrated the potential to develop into a future leader in the field. The 2015 awardee was Dr. Michelle Conroy.

Harsh K. Trivedi, M.D., Chairperson

The Council on Healthcare Systems and Financing continued its efforts to monitor and provide analysis for a number of significant issues that have an impact on the financing and delivery of, and access to, psychiatric care, including outreach to decision makers in the public and private sectors.

Mental health parity continues to be a prominent concern. Despite the passage of MHPAEA, the ACA provisions, and the recent CMS proposed rule implementing parity in Medicaid managed plans, enforcement remains a critical issue. Work has been done to provide the Department of Labor, which is charged with enforcing parity, with an understanding of the importance of full disclosure of plan policies pertaining to both mental health and medical/surgical care to enable legitimate enforcement of parity. There have also been continuing discussions with MCOs and state enforcement agencies.

The Council is also actively involved in an exploration of alternative payment models, which will enable the provision of collaborative care. This includes review of a background paper on Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and how they related to psychiatry prepared by OHSF staff.

In an effort to fulfill the duties laid out in the Council’s charge, the Council maintained the following issue-specific workgroups: the Ad Hoc Work Group on APA Health Care Reform; the Workgroup on the Seriously Mentally Ill; and the Workgroup on Integrated Care.

The Ad Hoc Work Group on APA Health Care Reform issued its report in March 2015 with a number of recommendations to the APA BOT that relate to the work of the Council and the APA as a whole. These include recommendations in the following categories: Financing—establishing an advocacy and communications strategy supporting the value of psychiatry; Integrated Care—designing a plan of action to define and advocating for sustainable integrated care payment models with CMS; Quality—defining quality measures for psychiatric care; Research—influencing the national research agenda for behavioral health services and related sciences; Health Information Technology—levering the APA’s position to stimulate advances in technology that will allow for the creation of EMRs and apps that better support the needs of psychiatrists; and Workforce and Education—developing a national strategy that highlights the role of psychiatrists in organized systems of care and included behavioral health and allied professionals.

The Workgroup on the Seriously Mentally Ill, chaired by Grant Mitchell, M.D., was established in May 2015, replacing the former Work Group on Medicaid/State Mental Health Programs, has begun reviewing and promoting new program and payment models that can support services that have not traditionally been funded, such as housing, transportation, and respite care. It is coordinating its work with the Assembly Committee on Public and Community Psychiatry.

The Workgroup on Integrated Care, chaired by Lori Rainey, M.D., is continuing its leadership role within the APA and with other stakeholders in encouraging psychiatrists to become part of providing integrated patient-centered care. Emphasis has been on the evidence-based Collaborative Care Model developed in Washington state. Largely through the efforts of the APA, this model was singled out in the 2016 Proposed Rule on the Medicare Fee Schedule as something that CMS deems worthy of support. APA will be providing comments in support of its adoption by CMS, noting the necessity for alternative payment models that can support this kind of care.

The Committee on Reimbursement for Psychiatric Care, Bruce Schwartz, M.D., Chairperson, continues to monitor the federally mandated Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient and partial hospitalization psychiatric care. Key issues of concern include the expansion of performance-based approaches for the payment of treatment tied that are based on quality indicators. Ongoing liaison continues with key stakeholder organizations, e.g., the American Hospital Association, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which recently heard a report on how the PPS is working for psychiatry.

The Committee on RBRVS, Codes, and Reimbursements, Gregory Harris, M.D., Chairperson, continues its work with the AMA CPT Editorial Panel and the AMA RVS Update Committee (RUC). While representing the APA on the CPT Editorial Panel and at the RUC in discussions of other coding changes that may influence the way psychiatry is practiced in the future, committee members also have continued to provide one-on-one assistance to APA members on coding and documentation through the APA’s CPT Coding Network, which is maintained through the Practice Management HelpLine. The committee has also provided expertise on ongoing issues that have arisen with numerous payers.

Michelle Riba, M.D., Chairperson

The Council on International Psychiatry is focused on generating opportunities to enhance education and training on global mental health and international psychiatry and developing strategies for international membership growth. Council members are experts with experience in global mental health and are broadly representative (geographically and culturally) of the APA international body.

Richard Summers, M.D., Chairperson

The Council on Medical Education and Lifelong Learning is responsible for the entire spectrum of medical education from medical students to residents and fellows to continuing medical education (CME) for all psychiatrists. The Council works to provide resources and programs for psychiatric education at every level in the United States, as well as globally. It includes premedical education, medical education, and graduate medical education for residents in psychiatry (both basic education and subspecialty areas, including, but not limited to, child and adolescent psychiatry, psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, psychoanalysis, administrative psychiatry, public health, epidemiology and community psychiatry, psychotherapy, and pharmacotherapy), as well as psychiatric aspects of graduate medical education for other medical specialists and postgraduate CME and lifelong learning. The Council is also concerned with issues of workforce and personnel development as they relate to education, as well as the education of other physicians and medical personnel in psychiatry. The Council is a convening body for the allied educational organizations, including PsychSIGN, AADPRT, ADMSEP, AAP and ABPN.

The Council firmly believes that the APA, as a professional association, values the highest standards of clinical practice and lifelong professional development. As psychiatric educators, the Council on Medical Education and Lifelong Learning believes that the APA has an obligation to support the lifelong learning of its members. The Council’s major initiatives and activities are as follows:

Christina Mangurian, M.D., Chairperson

The Council has the responsibility for the representation of and advocacy for both minority and underserved populations and psychiatrists from minority and underrepresented groups. The Council seeks to reduce mental health disparities in clinical services and research, which disproportionately affect women and minority populations. The Council aims to increase awareness and understanding of cultural diversity and to foster the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills in the areas of cultural competence through consultation, education, and advocacy within both the APA and the field of psychiatry and public policy. The Council aims to promote the recruitment into the profession and into the APA and retention/leadership development of psychiatrists from minority and underrepresented groups both within the profession and in the APA.

In 2015:

The Caucus of Religion, Spirituality and Psychiatry, chaired by John Peteet, M.D., falls under the purview of the Council. Of the seven scientific sessions at the May 2015 Annual Meeting on the subject of religion and psychiatry, the Caucus presented three sessions, including a symposium on the Integration of Spirituality in Health Care: Research and Clinical Reports.

Five of the seven award lectures under the Council’s purview also occurred at the Annual Meeting:

The 2015 Oskar Pfister Award Lecture (Religion and Psychiatry) will be delivered by Allan Josephson, M.D., at the October 2015 IPS meeting. Actress Laverne Cox was selected as the 2015 John Fryer Awardee for her activism on behalf of transgender people.

Also at its May meeting, Council members bid farewell to outgoing resident fellows assigned to the Council from the various APA resident fellowship programs. These residents were acknowledged for their active support and participation in Council deliberations and projects.

Steven Kenny Hoge, M.D., Chairperson

Debra Pinals, M.D., Vice Chairperson

The Council on Psychiatry and the Law has continued its work evaluating legal developments of national significance, proposed legislation, regulations, and other government intervention that affect the practice of psychiatry, including the subspecialty of forensic psychiatry. The Council focuses on legislation, regulation, and case law that has the potential to influence the provision, quality, or availability of mental health care and services, alter the psychiatrist-patient relationship, affect confidentiality or the rights of patients, or that will otherwise regulate the practice of psychiatry in the public or private sector. This past year, the Council has been heavily involved in a wide range of topics, including assisted outpatient treatment position paper and resource document, psychiatric boarding, death with dignity, civil commitment hearings, and college mental health, to name a few.

At the September 2014 Components meeting, the Council on Psychiatry and the Law had a joint meeting with the Committee on Judicial Action on “The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and the Department of Justice Investigations as Tools to Reform State Mental Health Services.” Dr. Robert Bernstein, from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and Dr. Ezra Griffith, APA Member, both gave presentations. The Council had a lively discussion that involved areas where it may be useful for APA involvement with CRIPA/Olmstead Litigation cases along with discussing how the APA overall can focus on care delivery and treatment.

The Council on Psychiatry and the Law worked closely with the Council on Geriatric Psychiatry on the Clinical Guidelines for Interacting with Caregivers. The document can be found on the APA website (http://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/search-directories-databases/library-and-archive/resource-documents). Additionally, the Council also tackled the issue of gun control by reviewing current APA documents and developing a new position statement and resource document. Both were passed in 2014 and are available at www.psychiatry.org. The Workgroup on Persons with Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System, as a subset workgroup of the Council, has worked with American Psychiatric Association Publishing to have the updated “APA Guidelines Psychiatric Services in Correctional Facilities” printed. The book is now available for purchase through American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

The Committee on Judicial Action, a component of the Council on Psychiatry and the Law, has overseen APA consideration of involvement as a friend of the court in many cases at every level of the judicial system. The committee continues to review cases and to recommend to the APA Board of Trustees APA involvement in a number of cases that cover a range of topics. In addition, the committee works with district branches to provide guidance and input, and in some cases recommends financial support for amicus briefs held at the state level. The Isaac Ray Committee also reports to the Council on Psychiatry and the Law. The committee met at the Annual Meeting in May to select a recipient for the 2016 award.

David Gitlin, M.D., Chairperson

The Council focuses on psychiatric care of persons who are medically ill and thus stands at the interface of psychiatry with other medical specialties. It recognizes that integration of biopsychosocial care is vital to the well-being of patients and that full membership in the house of medicine is essential to the wellbeing of our profession. The Council’s major priority areas include:

The Council continues to cultivate a strong partnership with the Academy on Psychosomatic Medicine. In this vein, the Council and the Academy created the APA-APM Joint Workgroup on the Dissemination of Integrated Care. Starting in February 2015, the Council convened a series of productive conference calls resulting in an outline of a report, a review of literature for integrated care models, and a draft of the report to be submitted to the Council for its approval in September 2015. At the conclusion of the first workgroup meeting, there was considerable interest to produce a report that highlighted the importance of primary care integration through traditional collaborative care models, while also identifying for further study an adoption of best practices in the field of “reverse integration.” The report was discussed at the September Components Meeting and will be forwarded to other APA governing bodies for review, and it is expected that the report will include a roadmap to implementation for APM and APA. It is anticipated that the workgroup may conclude its activities by winter 2015.

The Council on Psychosomatic Medicine recently added APA HIV/AIDS activities under its charge and is closely working with the APA’s Steering Committee on HIV. The APA Steering Committee reported back to the Council at the meeting this past May that it is looking to compile previous position statements to make a comprehensive position statement related to HIV. The APA Steering Committee on HIV also partnered with the Council on drafting a letter to the White House Office of National AIDS Policy regarding possible revisions to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which resulted in a substantial increase in focus on mental health issues in the Policy, formally unveiled in July 2015.

The Council has rapidly responded to several health care policy initiatives or papers around integrated care. These papers include several policy papers from various medical associations focused on primary care and family medicine. The Council also submitted feedback to NIDA’s Strategic Plan, which was available for public comment. In its comments, the Council encouraged NIDA to increase its focus on the comorbidity of substance use disorders, medical illnesses, and trauma and urged NIDA to support collaborative research between psychiatry and medicine addressing comorbidities and the development of effective interventions.

The Council was also referred an action paper by the Joint Reference Committee (JRC) to develop a position statement on the elimination of the conditions contributing to emergency department boarding of individuals with psychiatric disorders. In drafting the position statement, the Council sought input from the Council on Advocacy and Government Relations and the Council on Psychiatry and the Law before creating a finalized position statement. The Council will be forwarding the position statement to the JRC for its review in October 2015. In addition to this position statement, the Council on Psychosomatic Medicine is creating a resource document on the psychiatric implications of bariatric surgery.

Joel Yager, M.D., Chairperson (2013–2015)

Grayson Norquist, M.D., Chairperson (2015–2017)

The Council on Quality Care monitors developments and carries out activities to ensure that the promotion and maintenance of the highest standards of care remain integral parts of the APA mission. This includes but is not limited to monitoring and participating in initiatives and disseminating information in the following areas: clinical practice guidelines; quality indicators; development and implementation of patient registries; standards and survey procedures; mental health information technology; and patient safety. The Council collaborates with the Council on Research to respond to topics of mutual concern, such as patient outcomes.

Dwight Evans, M.D., Chairperson

The Council on Research carries out activities to ensure that the substance and significance of research on mental health/illness remain integral parts of the APA mission and in the forefront of the national health agenda. The Council embodies the Association’s commitment to advance psychiatric knowledge through the conduct of research by physician scientists across a broad range of research fields and issues: basic science, clinical diagnosis and assessment, treatment research, epidemiology, health services, prevention research, and research training. These areas are represented by the committees and task forces under the Council’s jurisdiction.

The following is a brief report of the May 2015 meeting of the Council on Research.