Trustees Hear From DB Leaders

Following a tradition in which the APA president invites district branch (DB) presidents to Board of Trustees meetings to address APA leaders, Elizabeth Henderson, M.D., of the Mississippi Psychiatric Association gave an update of DB activities and concerns at last month's meeting in Arlington, Va.

She noted that while membership is stagnant, the DB has finally been able to hire a full-time executive director—the spouse of a member who, she said, agreed to work for a low salary. Henderson also described her members' anxiety over a psychologist-prescribing bill they expect will soon be introduced in the state legislature and how they are gearing up to be proactive with lawmakers on this issue. She lamented that the state mental health department “is not an ally” of psychiatrists on this matter.

She pointed out that in Mississippi, access to mental health care is“ the largest and most important issue” and one that the state is not addressing. The DB's Council is planning to make this issue a priority, she said.

Addressing the Board by speakerphone, Peter Frizzell, M.D., of the Tennessee Psychiatric Association, thanked APA for a grant that helped the DB defeat a psychologist-prescribing bill for the ninth year in a row. He pointed out that the state's “psychologists are getting more sophisticated, so the battles are getting harder.” He added that the state's psychologists have hired the lobbyist who formerly helped the DB defeat psychologist-prescribing bills.