Why Should I Attend IPS? I’m Just a Resident

As a resident, and now a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow, it was hard to imagine what I would gain from attending a “smaller” conference like IPS. In fact, I remember as a first-year resident that I didn’t even know what “IPS” stood for.

This all changed when I attended IPS last year in Chicago. I enjoyed the various interactive sessions and connecting with the presenters. I was inspired to see such a dedicated group of professionals committed to providing excellent mental health care. I learned different ways to handle challenges that come up frequently in community-based settings such as overcoming mental health stigma, working with limited resources, and increasing access to care.

For the record, “IPS” stands for Institute on Psychiatric Services, and it was founded 71 years ago. Today, IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference is specifically designed for community-based mental health professionals. This year it will take place October 3 through 6 in the Big Apple.

Each year, the APA president chooses a theme for IPS. For IPS 2019, APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D., has selected “Improving Access Through Innovation and Collaboration.” This theme is of particular value to residents and fellows given the rapid rise in innovative approaches to patient care, such as telepsychiatry and collaborative care models.

This year’s meeting will feature over 80 sessions covering topics ranging from community psychiatry, collaborative and interdisciplinary care, addiction psychiatry, and diversity and health equity. Some sessions are designed specifically for residents and fellows. These include poster sessions on the effect of education in inpatient settings, ethics training in residency, and the trend of osteopathic medicine students matching into psychiatry, just to name a few. There are also general sessions and learning labs to explore topics of diversity and inclusion.

Here are several more reasons why I encourage residents and fellows to attend IPS:

Additionally, APA, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have partnered with PEPPNET, the Psychosis-Risk and Early Psychosis Program Network, to host the Second National Conference on Advancing Early Psychosis Care (see here). This one-day, pre-conference event will feature sessions on innovative care for individuals at clinical high-risk for early psychosis presented by experts in the field.

I look forward to meeting all the residents and fellows attending IPS 2019 “Improving Access Through Innovation and Collaboration” from October 3 to 6 in New York City. ■

Information on registration, housing, the full scientific program, and the Early Psychosis Pre-Conference can be accessed here. Residents and fellows can register now at the advance registration rate of only $100.