HIV Treatment Teams Focus of Special Session

Psychiatrists who care for HIV-positive patients are encouraged to have their treatment team attend a special session at APA's 2004 Institute on Psychiatric Services titled, “The Impact of HIV on the Brain and Behavior.” It will be held Friday, October 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Fulton Room of the Hilton Atlanta.

This three-hour program is offered by APA's Office of HIV Psychiatry and is designed for members of a treatment team other than psychiatrists or other physicians.

“It is essential that all mental health professionals working in collaboration with psychiatrists receive specific education in the direct care and support of the HIV positive patient,” said Francine Cournos, M.D., chair of the APA Committee on AIDS.

“Collaboration among a patient's treatment team directly impacts a patient's quality of life,” she continued. “Successful collaboration can lead to more accurate diagnoses, more comprehensive and manageable treatment plans, and most importantly knowledge that the patient is receiving the best possible care.”

All mental health care providers can play an important role in ensuring the best possible care for people living with HIV disease and AIDS by gaining knowledge of the neuropsychiatric dimensions of HIV disease, said Cournos. Nonmedical providers can be instrumental in referring patients for appropriate psychiatric care, helping patients access treatments and resources, helping to identify neuropsychiatric syndromes and neurocognitive disorders, integrating mental health and substance abuse treatment into overall care, teaching patients about neuropsychiatric complications and their impact on overall health, and recognizing potential drug interactions and cumulative toxicities.

More information on this program is available from Candice Peggs by phone at (703) 907-8641 or by e-mail at [email protected]. See box on page 27 for information on how to register for the institute. ▪