CANDIDATES FOR SPEAKER-ELECT

Biographical Statement

Currently I am professor of psychiatry (emeritus) at the University of Michigan and very active. I am director of forensic psychiatry. Most of my professional life has been spent in academia; it has been a base from which I branched out in many directions. I am a distinguished life fellow of APA and a diplomate of ABPN.

I started out in hospital psychiatry; I was analyzed, did dynamic outpatient psychotherapy, and still do psychotherapy with and without medications. I became director of a community mental health center and took a sabbatical to be a consultant to the Peace Corps. I am a firm believer in the integration of psychiatry with the rest of medicine, have been president of the county medical society, and have done considerable consultation/liaison work. As concurrent chair of the legislative committees of the Michigan Psychiatric Society (MPS) and Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS), I have lobbied for mental health throughout Michigan.

Within the broad base of forensic psychiatry, I have become very interested in ethics and in workplace issues, which center around returning to work as well as disability issues. I have been a consultant to the Powertrain Division of General Motors since 1972. I was one of the founders and first chair of the U-M Hospital Ethics Committee and am still on the committee. I was appointed to the Michigan State Board of Medicine, was a member for eight years, including chair for two years. I am chair of the Licensing and Discipline Committee of the MSMS.

I have spent half of the last 23 years as a Michigan Assembly representative, have been on the Board of Trustees, did a stint as secretary, and have been on many APA components. I am on the Audit Committee and a consultant to the Membership Committee.

Candidacy Statement

I am a candidate for speaker-elect of the Assembly. I did not seek the nomination, but I was honored to be asked, and, if elected, I will be honored to serve.

In the Assembly recently, I have been instrumental in writing and successfully supporting a number of action papers dealing with retention and recruitment of members, which represent a streamlining of the membership process (automatic upgrades, transfers, and graduated dues). As chair of the Membership Committee of the MPS, I am striving to make the process more personal—to forgive, to recommend amnesty, to respect the member, sometimes to meet with him/her in person.

The work of the Assembly affects patients and psychiatrists of all ages. I am especially committed to the residents and ECPs who are the real future of MPS-APA, the source of our potential strength, our future leaders. I am on the reference committee that discusses and evaluates action papers around education/training/career development. I am chair of the Lifers' caucus in the Assembly and a past president of the Lifers. I believe we can be helpful around mentoring and bringing a sense of history, of “memory” to APA.

The work of the Assembly embodies a continuing array of new and old ideas, topics, and problems demanding thoughtful deliberation, debate, and (hopefully) resolution. A sampling of “cutting-edge” issues requiring the attention of the speaker-elect et al.: Facilitating access to mental health services. How do we cast our relationship with Big Pharma? Psychologist prescribing and other scope-of-practice concerns. What do we do with sexual offenders? Is civil commitment a feasible option? A new look at district branch-APA relationships; another look at single-payer health insurance.

Why vote for me? I bring a diversity of experience, knowledge, and understanding born of longstanding service and a dedication, commitment, and passion in regard to APA and, more specifically to the Assembly. Like the Assembly, I am an advocate for our patients and for psychiatry; an advocate for all seven Areas; everyone has his/her own (local) needs. The Areas are perhaps dissenting, but together in spirit, intent, and basic goals. The Assembly is an idea factory for the Board; it is also a counterbalancer and acts as advisor/consultant. We constantly need to cultivate and strengthen the Assembly's liaison with the Board. It may be useful to have more Assembly representation on the Board.

My style is that of a mediator, a negotiator, an integrator. It is a personal style, of people to people; it is relating, often on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. I strive to be a consensus-gathering person. I am eclectic; I am utilitarian; I am accessible and approachable. Finally, I think a sense of fairness is a critical aspect of the speaker of the Assembly. I strive to be fair—I listen; I hear all sides. I believe in transparency, in open participation. Finally, I am a manager who is comfortable in a leadership role, who balances firmness with a sense of humor. You can trust me.

Thank you for your consideration!