District Branch/State Association Leaders Sharpen Advocacy Skills

In early August, APA held its State Advocacy Conference outside Park City, Utah, for the leaders of APA’s district branches and state associations. Nearly 100 psychiatrists and executive directors from around the country attended sessions on a wide range of topics, including parity enforcement, scope of practice legislation, coalition building, media training, and how to connect with lawmakers in their home districts. Attendees also met with their regional directors in APA’s Division of Government Relations (DGR) during breakout sessions and had the opportunity to hear a political update from Tim Storey, the director of state services at the National Council of State Legislatures.

DGR is planning to offer periodic webinars on advocacy topics, so APA members can learn and share with their colleagues about important legislative issues before another state advocacy conference takes place. More information on the webinars will appear in future issues of Psychiatric News. ■