Candidates for Area 7 Trustee: William M. Womack M.D.

Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University of Washington School of Medicine, 2004-

Distinguished Life Fellow (Member Since 1966)

Physician Manager, Juvenile Offender Mental Health Services, Child Psychiatry Division, 1996-

APA Assembly: Area 7 Representative, 2003-; Deputy Representative, 1999-2003

Representative, Washington State Psychiatric Association, 1985-99

Member, Psychiatric News Editorial Advisory Board, APA, 2005-

APA Committee on Abuse and Misuse of Psychiatry in U.S.: Member, 1989-92; Chair, 1993-95

I am an academic child psychiatrist on the faculty of the University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child Psychiatry. I have a long history of involvement with our APA at the state and district branch levels, Assembly governance, and the APA component system.

The last six years, during my tenure as both Area 7 deputy representative and Area representative, have been years of significant change for the American Psychiatric Association. These changes have impacted our organization in terms of governance, fiscal stability, and challenges in the area of scope of practice and “Crash Course Prescribing.” Area 7 suddenly became a vulnerable target within the radar sightings for the practice of psychologist prescribing. Our Area was exposed because of its largely rural, small-membership district branch demographics and weakened DB fiscal and organizational infrastructure. These concerns are valid concerns in other Areas of the Assembly with similar demographics, and I have been active in Area 7 creatively thinking about strategies that will make this Area less vulnerable.

Fortunately, the fiscal stability of APA has greatly improved. As the organization moves forward with rebuilding our financial reserves, it is important for the BOT to continue to work toward improving the infrastructure of our small district branches. I have attempted to manage Area 7 financial resources with an eye towards value, and I would hope to bring this perspective as a trustee.

I have long experience in my professional career of working with under-served populations, the public sector, and the juvenile justice system. I will be supportive of those organizational initiatives that encourage inclusiveness, the delivery of services to populations of color, and ensuring that kids and families are included in our priorities.

I have been fortunate in my teaching career to have had the opportunity to develop print, radio, and television media skills because I believe what we do can be understood by nonmedical, lay populations, and the better we become at presenting our medical strategies in a clear and precise way, the more the general public will support us in our efforts to destigmatize mental health issues. I am totally supportive of our recent initiatives to expand our efforts at being more effective with our use of media and to recognize we need to be in this endeavor for the long haul.

My goals as an advocate for Area 7 are to encourage and facilitate the following:

In the Area 7 Council, I have a reputation of keeping the trains running!

I ask for your vote.