APA has merged three of its departments into the new Division of Advocacy in a reorganization it hopes will enhance collaboration and maximize the effectiveness of its key initiatives in the public arena.
On March 1, the Department of Government Relations (DGR), Office of Healthcare Systems and Financing (OHSF), and Office of Communications became part of the new division.
APA Medical Director James H. Scully Jr., M.D. (center), recently announced that he appointed Eugene Cassel, J.D. (left), as head of the new Division of Advocacy and Nicholas Meyers as director of the Department of Government Relations.APA Medical Director James H. Scully Jr., M.D., appointed Eugene Cassel, J.D., director of the Division of Advocacy. Cassel, who joined DGR’s staff in 1986, has been DGR’s acting director for the last 14 months, following the retirement of Jay Cutler.
Scully also promoted DGR’s deputy director, Nicholas Meyers, to the DGR director’s post. Meyers, a member of the DGR staff since 1990, had been the department’s deputy director for federal relations.
The OHSF is headed by Sam Muzynski, J.D., and Amy Levey is acting director of the Office of Communications.
Explaining his decision to merge the three departments into the new division, Scully said, “I believe the profession of psychiatry and our patients will be well served by our strategic move to increase coordination between these important work areas and amplify APA’s message.”
He added that the new division will ensure that APA’s initiatives in the legislative and regulatory realms on issues related to the economics of psychiatric practice and its outreach to businesses are synchronized and publicized in a coordinated fashion.
Cassel and Meyers, he noted, “bring a wealth of organizational and advocacy experience to their new roles and are uniquely prepared to have an immediate and significant impact on our advocacy efforts, which our members routinely identify as their top priority.”
Cassel said he plans to “integrate and sharpen the focus” of the three offices primarily “through information sharing and coordination. For example,” he explained, “when DGR or OHSF is facilitating APA testimony or other interactions with the government, the communications office will make sure that the world knows about it. In that way, the communications office will amplify and maximize the advocacy team’s efforts.”
He emphasized that “the policy agendas of the organization will remain the same as they are, but the way we will go about achieving them is what will be different in the future. . . . Our success will show in the outcomes—how well psychiatry and patients are faring and the level of member satisfaction with APA.”
Meyers pointed out that DGR’s priorities remain the securing of final passage of the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act now awaiting Senate consideration, urging increased support for federal research funding, overhauling Medicare’s “antiquated coverage” of and copayments for psychiatric services, preserving patients’ access to medications and psychiatric services under Medicaid, and “addressing troubling challenges to the privacy of patient psychiatric and other medical records.”
“My goal,” Meyers added, “is to identify areas in which DGR can become even more proactive in its support of member interests.” ▪
APA creates a new division designed to enhance the effectiveness and increase the visibility of its efforts in areas of advocacy, health care financing, and public affairs.
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.
To download the citation to this article, select your reference manager software.
There are no citations for this item
View Options
View options
Get Access
Login options
Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to retrieve your username
Create a new account
Change Password
Password Changed Successfully
Your password has been changed
Login
Reset password
Can't sign in? Forgot your password?
Enter your email address below and we will send you the reset instructions
If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password.
Change Password
Congrats!
Your Phone has been verified
×
As described within the American Psychiatric Association (APA)'s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences. Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.