Psychiatr News July 7, 2006
Volume 41, Number 13, page 31
© 2006 American Psychiatric Association
Trauma, Violence to Get Multidisciplinary Focus
Charles W. Huffine, Jr., M.D.
Charles W. Huffine Jr., M.D., is chair of the Scientific Program
Committee of the Institute on Psychiatric Services.
APA's fall meeting will be held October 5 to 8 in New York. It will focus
on addressing trauma and violence at the community level.
It is dazzling to chair the Institute on Psychiatric Services in the year
that it is being held in New york City. What glory for a Seattle boy who loves
the Big Apple and would have loved to spend a year or two of my life there.
This meeting will be a big one, not only because so many of our
community-practice members live in, or close to, New york City, and not only
because of the city's draw for the rest of us, but because we have a program
that is cutting edge and relevant to your work.
When Pedro Ruiz, M.D., APA's incoming president, and I developed the theme
for the institute, "Trauma and violence in Our Communities," 9/11
was a painful memory no longer needing to be thrashed over once again at our
meetings, and katrina had not yet happened. But the buzz about disasters had
persisted, and we felt that there was a sense of danger in our communities and
in our world. This year's institute captures that concern in a thousand
different ways, as it affects our patients, especially those with severe
psychiatric illness; ourselves; and the population at large. The lineup of
lecturers will touch on aspects of this theme, as will many of the symposia
and workshops. They will be interspersed with solid clinical presentations and
a series of medical updates.
The institute is the home meeting of the American Association of Community
Psychiatrists (AACP). Its program gives us inspiration and ideas that help our
local programs and keeps us going another year. Do note the number of program
items that are jointly sponsored by APA and the AACP.
In the spirit of community practice, APA has made this meeting welcoming to
allied professionals. The American Orthopsychiatric Association will be
offering a program element again this year, as will the Therapeutic Education
Association, a regular at the institute. We are proud of the institute's large
cross-professional attendance.
Recovery is a concept whose value is being increasingly appreciated
throughout the treatment community, given the clear mandate for system
transformation from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.
Many speakers will be focusing on recovery, and we are sure that community
psychiatrists will leave the institute with renewed enthusiasm for the
concept.
Last year, Celebration Recovery, a consumer and family fair and celebration
funded and organized by the Irwin Foundation, held one of its events at the
institute. Many such celebrations have occurred all over the country in parks
and halls in association with chapters of the National Alliance on Mental
Illness or consumer groups. We had no idea how the event would turn out. About
200 psychiatrists came to Celebration Recovery, not having a clue what it was.
It had all the magic of a 1960s "happening" —with a sense of
fun, hopefulness, and creative energy reflected in a remarkable art exhibit,
performances, and speeches. We estimated that nearly 600 consumers and their
families came to Celebration Recovery. The amazement on their faces told the
story of their appreciating what is truly meant by recovery.
Our own Michael Schwartz, M.D., Joan Clayton Ph.D., and their team from the
Irwin Foundation are bringing Celebration Recovery to this year's institute.
It will be bigger and more spectacular—a testament to the healing force
of hope and positive expectations.
So come to this year's institute, go out on the town, and gather with
friends and colleagues. It is often said that the institute is a friendly and
intimate meeting, and that's not surprising—community psychiatrists know
how to have fun. We are very embracing of all our psychiatric colleagues and
will help them find the community psychiatrist within, yearning to be
free!
I want to end by giving special thanks to Dr. Ruiz, who has been an
inspiration to work with; Jay Scully, M.D., our APA medical director, who
values the institute as a critical gathering for APA; and our lead staff
person, Jill Gruber.
More information about this meeting, including the preliminary
program, is posted at
<www.psych.org/edu/ann_mtgs/ips/06/index.cfm>.
The preliminary program may also be obtained by calling (888)
35-PSYCH. 
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