Innovative Features to Debut at APA Fall Institute

As chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the 2009 Institute on Psychiatric Services, I take special pleasure in inviting you to join us in New York from October 8 to 11. The institute is, without question, my favorite psychiatric meeting, and New York is both my hometown and a center not only of entertainment and excitement, but of academic psychiatry as well.

This year's institute will, without a doubt, be one of the most innovative, exciting, and fulfilling professional activities of your year. The diversity of educational offerings, the extraordinary array of talented teachers and researchers, and new program features added in response to member feedback should make this a “must do” on your calendar.

This year's institute will continue its longstanding tradition of relevant, user-friendly clinical, administrative, and practice-oriented learning opportunities. As a new feature, a variety of novel and valuable opportunities will be presented in addition to the many workshops, symposia, and small-group sessions that are the meeting's hallmark. A series of full- and half-day Immersion Courses (see Full- and Half-Day Immersion Courses-Most Are Free!) will provide an opportunity to master clinically relevant, up-to-the-minute material in depth. (Attendance is free except for course 7.) Among them are a buprenorphine training course (leading to certification), as well as full-day, all-star reviews and advances in psychopharmacology, cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychosis, and administrative psychiatry. Lecturers include Otto Kernberg, M.D., Alan Schatzberg, M.D., Robert Michels, M.D., and Paul Appelbaum, M.D., as well as many other leaders in our field.

Continuing the multidisciplinary tradition of the meeting, we will be offering a full-day course on psychopharmacology for the nonphysician, as well as a full-day course on working with homeless mentally ill individuals. Please invite your nonpsychiatrist colleagues to join us at the institute, both at sessions like these and at the myriad other offerings reflecting current multidisciplinary practice.

The Scientific Program Committee has continued to pay special attention to the needs of psychiatry residents and other trainees, providing many venues in which they can consult with senior clinicians and leaders, chair important sessions, and spend time together in social settings.

Join members of the panel titled “Minds on the Edge” to discuss a TV show prior to its national release on PBS later in the month. This hour-long TV program, produced by Fred Friendly Seminars, brings together a panel of experts including psychiatrists, judges, lawyers, and parents. Through role-playing and roundtable discussions, the panelists explore how mental health issues affect individuals, families, and communities.

Also at the institute, you'll be able to catch late-breaking information on the swine flu epidemic from nationally recognized experts. Hear reports on new and innovative programs from around the country. And, of course, enjoy New York City!

Come join us in what is sure to become one of your favorite meetings as well. ▪