Schwartz Leads Summit on Interprofessional Collaboration to Improve Access to Care

Glenn Cook

Representatives of 10 mental health organizations met at APA headquarters in January at the invitation of APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D. (front row, third from left), to produce joint principles regarding how they can work together to improve access to care for patients with serious mental illness (SMI). The meeting was convened as a part of Schwartz’s presidential initiative to promote interprofessional collaboration.

In addition to APA, the participating organizations were the American Academy of Physician Assistants, American Mental Health Counselors Association, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, American Psychological Association, College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, International Association of Peer Supporters, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Social Workers, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Each organization sent an elected member of its leadership to participate in the summit.

To lead the interprofessional initiative, Schwartz appointed the Multiorganizational Task Force on Interprofessional Collaboration, chaired by APA Secretary Sandra DeJong, M.D. (front row, third from right). In addition to Schwartz and DeJong, the other task force members are Lisa Dixon, M.D., Rana Elmaghraby, M.D., Theresa Miskimen, M.D., Patrick Runnels, M.D., Bob Trestman, M.D., and Glenda Wrenn, M.D. Staffing the task force are Kristin Kroeger, chief of APA’s Division of Policy, Programs, and Partnerships, and Agathe Farrage, the division’s manager.

“The representatives of the organizations that participated in the meeting all recognize the importance of collaboration to treat people with SMI, and they engaged in productive discussions of how we can make collaboration effective and expand access to care,” said Schwartz after the meeting. “The group identified key principles and strategies to promote interprofessional collaboration, which resulted in a draft of joint principles. These principles are being shared with each organization for their respective endorsement.”

More information on the principles will be published in Psychiatric News after their adoption by the organizations. ■