What's your passion? What's your question? What's your experience? What
concerns you about the field? This year's Institute on Psychiatric Services is
offering a new format, "Practical Pearls," that will strike these
interrogative chords. Each session is led by a recognized expert who will
start out with brief remarks about his or her topic, then lead an engaging
discussion that follows the course of audience interest. These were launched
at last year's institute as an experiment and succeeded, receiving high praise
from participants.
"Practical Pearls" are informal, exciting, and designed to
deliver information, knowledge, and practice development. Discussion topics on
this year's agenda include many timely and provocative issues affecting mental
health. For example, Philip Muskin, M.D., will lead the discussion"
Assisted Suicide: Where Are We and Where Should We Be Going?"
Jack Drescher, M.D., will engage participants in a conversation examining
shifting roles of the therapist within the interpersonal therapeutic field:"
Managing Self-Disclosure in Psychotherapy." Areas of clinical
issues among challenging patient populations will be examined too: Carl Cohen,
M.D., on geriatric psychiatry and Richard Rosenthal, M.D., on co-occurring
substance use and mental illness.
The sessions also will accentuate interdisciplinary collaboration and the
role of consumers as active participants. Debbie Dennis, M.A., and Yvonne
Perrett, M.A., M.S.W., will shed light on the federal disability application
process and how psychiatrists can optimize their role. Andrea White, M.S.W.,
will lead an informative discussion on understanding housing options for
people with mental illness. Fred Osher, M.D., will discuss mental illness and
incarceration, focusing on services to keep people out of jail. And Mark
Ragins, M.D., will challenge us all with "Ask Your Doctor About
Recovery."
Other down-to-earth discussions will address challenges in
administration through team building techniques (Joseph Merlino, M.D.),
setting up an ECT Service (Charles Kellner, M.D., Max Fink, M.D., and
colleagues), and how to really balance a varied psychiatric career
and a personal life (Carolyn Robinowitz, M.D.). Clinicians will also value
Joel Feiner, M.D.'s discussion on "Attitudes, Affect, and
Engagement," and Michael Myers, M.D.'s introspective topic, "When
a Physician Is Your Patient."
The "Practical Pearls" format is at the heart of the
institute's philosophy of practicality and professional growth through the
interaction of a community of committed people in the field. This year's
offerings will be compelling and keep you thinking and talking long after the
sessions are over. ▪