IPS Responds to Challenge

APA’s 2001 Institute on Psychiatric Services in Orlando, Fla., turned out to be, sadly enough, auspiciously timed—only weeks after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and at the start of the anthrax scares. At the meeting’s Opening Session, organizers asked attendees how the program could be altered to help them deal with the events and the many individuals who are suffering from trauma (see page 9). Many psychiatrists who were already scheduled to present at the meeting were able to change gears quickly and respond to what was needed of them. The rest of the program continued the institute's long tradition of providing a range of sessions related to hospital and community psychiatry and the latest information on clinical topics. The theme of this year’s institute was “Multidisciplinary Roles in the 21st Century.”

Despite fears about air travel and congregating in well-known entertainment centers, few people who had already registered for the meeting before September 11 canceled their plans and failed to attend the institute. About 1,500 people attended this year’s institute.