In This Issue:
President's Message – Stephen (Larry) Mecham, DO
Mission Statement and Vision Statement Update
From Executive Director, Ashley Schnock
Arizona Advocacy News – Physician Wellness Legislation Takes Effect; Update on Psychologist Prescribing
Ad: American Professional Agency, Inc.
APA Advocacy News—CareDash Cease and Desist; Parity Enforcement; Expanding Care to Rural Communities
ArMA Legislative Advocacy 101
APA Assembly – Area 7 Report from August Meeting
Ad: Professional Risk Management Services (PRMS)
ARMA Fall Conference on Social Determinants of Health – Discount Available to APS Members
Save the Date – 9-8-8 Webinar: 11-1-2022
New ICD-10 Codes Effective October 1
Ad: Janssen Neuroscience – Depression Looks Like Me
Invitation to Partner on Perinatal Initiative Funded by CDC Foundation
Events and Education: APA Course of the Month; UACOM Phoenix Grand Rounds; UACOM
Tucson Grand Rounds; Addiction Medicine Grand Rounds Sunday Webinar Series: “You’re a Doctor. . . Now What?”
Ad: Redemption Psychiatry
Remembering Dr. John Racy
MOORE Equity: Community Grants Deadline 10-14
ICYMI: Seven Years of Stepping Up Celebration—A Justice Briefing Event On Demand
Animated Explainer Videos on Common Disorders (English and Spanish) Available
Members Published: Dr. Ranjbar
Thank you for your Membership!
|
|
Stephen (Larry) Mecham, DO
President
Arizona Psychiatric Society
Every day, I see the many ways that psychiatry is essential to connecting and supporting our community. As the Society works collaboratively with other crisis response organizations around 988, and a webinar to help our members and other care providers direct their patients and interact with the Arizona crisis systems of care most effectively, the ripples of the impact we can make reach far and wide. Working with leadership from the Town of Gilbert on helping provide insights to a community of interfaith leaders on teen mental health and responding to youth in crisis, reinforces what I see daily—that the need for psychiatry is tremendous and the difference we can make is essential.
The Society strives to help us maximize the impact of our connection to each other, our profession, our patients, and our community. To help build our relationship with our members that reside outside of the larger metropolitan areas, we are looking for local champions to help us organize some networking events in your city, designed to bring psychiatric physicians both from within and outside of your city together.
In every community we are a part of, there is a need for psychiatry. And in the practice of psychiatry, there is a need for community. I look forward to working with you in the year ahead to help support our professionals and our communities. Please reach out to me or Membership Chair, Dr. Nicholas Ahrendt, if you are interested in serving as a local champion for the Society.
|
|
Mission Statement and Vision Statement Update |
|
In reviewing the strategic goals for the Arizona Psychiatric Society, which continue to focus on (i) communication, messaging, and advocacy; (ii) membership; (iii) parity; and (iv) financial strength, the 2022-2023 executive leadership updated the Mission Statement of the Arizona Psychiatric Society and adopted a Vision Statement. With the support of your membership, the Society strives to meet the goals of the Mission and Vision Statement.
Mission Statement
“Promoting the Highest Quality of Mental Health Care through Education, Advocacy, and Advancing and Representing the Profession of Psychiatry”
Vision Statement
“All individuals in Arizona will have access to quality psychiatric care and prevention through the successful advocacy and physician leadership of the Arizona Psychiatric Society.”
|
|
Greetings from Executive Director Ashley Schnock |
Hi all! I am honored to be working with the Arizona Psychiatric Society. I have only been in the role for a short time but I do bring over 15 years of business and leadership experience to the table. I have already met so many wonderful members and I can't wait to put more faces to the names. I look forward to our continued growth together. Please feel free to reach out at any time, as I am always here to help! My email is aschnock@azmed.org
|
|
|
Arizona Advocacy News: Physician Wellness Legislation; Update on RxP |
|
Physician Wellness Confidentiality Law in Effect and Support Available. On September 24, 2022, the well-being of Arizona physicians became safeguarded by the enforcement of HB2429 (health professional wellness programs; confidentiality), the Arizona Medical Association signature legislation sponsored by Representative Amish Shah, MD, and supported by the Arizona Psychiatric Society. This landmark bill, receiving nearly unanimous support during Arizona’s 2022 Legislative Session, allows for the establishment of confidential wellness programs for the state’s health care professionals. By creating legal protection for physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals who wish to receive mental health care in complete confidence, HB2429 removes an often-cited barrier: the fear of professional repercussion for seeking help.
Support is available through DOC2DOCAZ, made possible by a partnership with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and the ArMA. DOC2DOCAZ is available to Arizona’s physicians, resident physicians, fellows, and medical students, pairing participants with a trained peer coach who can provide the guidance and support needed to achieve well-being and life balance.
Psychologists’ Prescribing Update. In the 2022 legislative session, the Society through its Lobbyist and leadership worked diligently at the Capitol to prevent the introduction of the Arizona Psychological Association's proposed scope of practice bill. Post-session, a stakeholder meeting was coordinated through the lobbyist for the Arizona Psychological Association relating to developing potential legislation from the Sunrise Application made in 2021. In Arizona, Sunrise Applications are in effect for up to five years. In preparation for the possible introduction of legislation seeking prescribing privileges for psychologists in 2022-2023, the APS Lobbyist and leadership continue to work internally and with the APA on strategy and the metrics to address the critical problems created by this potential legislation and concerns regarding patient safety. If you would like to contribute to the work of the Government Affairs Committee on this and other important issues impacting psychiatry and your patients, please contact Ashley.
|
|
2022-2023 Corporate Sponsor |
|
APA Sends Cease and Desist Letter to CareDash - APA has sent a letter to CareDash, a health care provider review and referral website, demanding that they remove from their platform all profiles of psychiatrists who have not provided consent to display their profile due to member concerns that the company's business practices were deceptive and misleading. APA Members listed on CareDash without their consent are encouraged to consider taking action by filing individual complaints with (1) the Federal Trade Commission; the Arizona Office of the Attorney General; and/or (3) the Better Business Bureau (by selecting “File a Complaint”). Members can contact practicemanagement@psych.org with any additional questions.
APA President Rebecca Brendel Discusses Mental Health with Secretary of Labor - APA President Rebecca Brendel met for a roundtable with Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Acting Assistant Secretary Ali Khawar to discuss what areas need focused parity enforcement and how to address workforce shortages and employee/workplace mental health.
APA Supports Efforts to Expand Access to Care to Rural Communities - On August 31, APA responded to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Proposed Rule on Conditions of Participation (COP) for Rural Emergency Hospitals and Critical Access Hospital COP Updates.
APA Supports Bill to Issue Civil Monetary Penalties for Mental Health Parity Violations - On September 8, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced legislation that would allow the Secretary of the Department of Labor to issue civil monetary penalties against insurers and health plans who are not in compliance with mental health parity laws.
For the Full Advocacy Update, CLICK HERE. To sign-up for the Advocacy Updates, contribute to the APA Political Action Campaign, or join the Congressional Advocacy Network, the grassroots advocacy group for the APA, CLICK HERE.
|
|
ArMA Legislative Advocacy 101 |
|
Who will advocate for the next generation of physicians?
The Arizona Medical Association (ArMA) is hosting a virtual discussion to answer just that in its upcoming event, "Legislative Advocacy 101," is bringing physician leaders, advocates, and the next generation of medicine together on Thursday, October 6, from 6 to 8PM, to provide an educational and informational resource on physician advocacy. Learn how to effectively communicate the scope of your profession in ways that are beneficial to your patients and the future of health policy. Your voice is your tool, and together we can speak up to protect the practice of medicine.
Open to members of the Arizona Medical Association. For information on joining, CLICK HERE. Residents, Fellows, and Medical Students may join ArMA for free. Legislative Advocacy 101 is an opportunity to interact and engage with those actively involved in physician advocacy. Connect with ArMA members and learn not only why advocacy is essential but how to get involved effectively.
|
|
Report from Area 7 Assembly Meeting |
|
Arizona was well represented at the Area 7 Summer/Fall Meeting, which was held in-person (with a virtual option for those not able to travel) on September 22-23, 2022. The first in-person Area meeting since Fall of 2021, made possible by special grant funding, the meeting was held in Hawaii to help support and engage the Hawaii District Branch. In attendance from Arizona were all of its APA Assembly Representatives, Drs. Jasleen Chhatwal, Jason Curry, and Payam Sadr, together with Dr. Magnolia Swanson, APA RFM Deputy Representative from UACOM, Tucson. Area 7 leadership discussed the challenges and opportunities facing District Branches, with a common thread of concerns over patient safety and scope of practice, membership recruitment and retention, diversity and equity, and organizational matters. The APA full Assembly in November will be held virtually. |
|
|
2022-2023 Corporate Sponsor |
|
ARMA Fall Conference on Social Determinants of Health – Discount Available to APS Members |
|
Join ArMA’s First-Ever Fall Conference!
After 130 years of empowering physicians, moving medicine, and shaping care, ArMA is hosting its first-ever fall conference! Taking place on Friday, October 14, and Saturday, October 15, this inaugural event will be hosted at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in Chandler, Arizona. ArMA’s two-day conference is packed with educational opportunities on timely topics regarding social determinants of health, community-building events, professional development, and a Friday evening keynote address from healthcare policy aficionado, Heather Carter, EdD.
The in-person medical education series addresses what healthcare professionals need to know regarding healthcare delivery, the five major determinants of death, ethics, and the policy changes needed to impact underserved communities in Arizona. You will have the opportunity to hear insights from experts affiliated with healthcare organizations found all around the state and earn continuing medical education (CME) credits! The best part? As a member of the Arizona Psychiatric Society, you’re eligible for an exclusive discount when you register for both days of the conference! Use the promo code FRIENDOFARMA to save $50 (cannot be combined with other offers). Join ArMA in making history by registering today. |
|
SAVE THE DATE - 988: 11-1-2022 Webinar |
|
Save the Date: Please plan to join the Arizona Psychiatric Society for a free webinar on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, from 6 to 7:30 pm, with an educational update on “988 and How to Access the Arizona Crisis System.” Watch for registration to open soon.
A Note Regarding 988 Roll-Out: The new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 across the US via phone, text, and chat (988lifeline.org) and will connect you to a trained crisis counselor. However, you may not get a local 988 center that can connect to local resources like mobile crisis, especially if you’re calling from a cell phone with a non-Arizona area code. It is recommended to contact your local crisis line directly if you need local resources.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, call your local crisis line (Phoenix 602-222-9444 / Tucson 520-622-6000 / Northern AZ 1-877-756-4090) for crisis counseling and connection to local resources like mobile crisis. Call 911 for police, fire, or ambulance response if the situation is a life-threatening emergency. Tell them you are experiencing a mental health crisis and ask for a CIT-trained officer if police are necessary. (CIT = Crisis Intervention Training).
If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, call your local crisis line (Phoenix 602-222-9444 / Tucson 520-622-6000 / Northern AZ 1-877-756-4090) for crisis counseling and connection to local resources like mobile crisis.
|
|
New ICD-10 Codes Effective October 1 |
|
Janssen Neuroscience Launches Depression Looks Like Me (LGTBQ+ Resource) |
|
Janssen Neuroscience recently launched Depression Looks Like Me, a campaign aimed at normalizing the conversation about depression in the LGBTQ+ community and empowering people to seek the mental health care they may need.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately affected by depression, with research showing that LGBTQ+ adults are three times as likely to have mental health conditions as heterosexual adults and 2.5 times more likely to use mental health services than cisgender heterosexual adults.
In partnership with prominent LGBTQ+ voices and leading mental health and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, this campaign offers a safe space to read personal stories from community members with lived experiences with depression, provides culturally competent resources, and highlights the different facets of depression, all in one place. The digital community we are seeking to help build will empower others to connect through shared experiences and underscore that those living with hard-to-treat depression are not alone.
To ensure the broad spectrum of the community’s needs are represented in this campaign, we are working with the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health, Mental Health America (MHA), SAGE, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), TransLatin@ Coalition, and Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) to share and extend the reach of resources that address the diverse needs of the community.
We believe everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and to feel empowered to ask for help. Together, we can show others what depression truly looks like. That depression looks like you, and depression looks like me.
|
|
2022-2023 Corporate Sponsor |
|
Invitation to Partner on Perinatal Initiative Funded by CDC Corporation |
|
To address training and knowledge gaps regarding untreated perinatal mental illness, it is important to understand providers’ perspectives about pregnant persons with mental health illnesses during and after pregnancy. APA has been awarded a grant from the CDC Foundation to conduct a needs assessment of these gaps. APA is seeking 400 providers to take a 30-minute survey and 16 providers to participate in a two-hour focus group. Survey respondents will receive a $30 Amazon gift card, and focus participants will receive a $450 honorarium. CLICK HERE for a downloadable flyer. To Register, visit: https://redcap.link/panpbhp_register
|
|
 |
The October Course of the Month is "A Paradigm Shift: Recovery Education for Adults Experiencing Homelessness.” Recovery Education Centers (REC) offer a new model of providing recovery support using emancipatory adult education and recovery-oriented service principles. This course will describe the findings of the first REC in Canada and one of the few worldwide specifically supporting people transitioning out of homelessness, increasing provider understanding and awareness of recovery education and consider the impact of a recovery model in a marginalized population.
|
|
|
|
The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds are held from 12 to 1 pm. Visit the topic below for more information, including the Zoom or streaming link, for attending. Presentations qualify for CME credit. To obtain your CME credit, you will need to use the CAMS system and are requested to complete the evaluation survey.
Watch previous Grand Rounds here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
To obtain your CME credit, you will need to use the CAMS system and are requested to complete the evaluation survey.
|
|
|
|
Get a crash course in employment contracts by joining part 2 of the National Medical Health Collaborative (NMHC) six-part webinar series, You're a Doctor... Now What? Aimed at providing guidance for medical students, resident physicians, fellows, and early career physicians, this series will cover everything from managing student debt to choosing a specialty. Tune in every Sunday evening at 7 PM CT through November 6!
Physician burnout can be caused by various factors including the loss of autonomy and control of your career. Those problems often start by signing an unfair employment agreement. This webinar will discuss the most problematic issues in physician contracts, including: compensation, call coverage, maternity leave, non-competes, side gigs, intellectual property, private equity buy-outs, and more.
Get a crash course in employment contracts by joining NMHC on Sunday, October 9, at 7PM CT. Register today »
For information on the complete webinar series, CLICK HERE. This series is hosted by the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA), the Missouri State Medical Association (MSMA), and the Wisconsin Medical Society (WMS). |
|
REMEMBERING DR. JOHN RACY |
|
|
|
The Society remembers today John Cecil Racy, MD, DLFAPA, who passed away on September 14, 2022. His remarkable career included touching many lives through his thoughtful care, mentoring of residents and medical students, and passion for education, which was celebrated by the Society by awarding Dr. Racy with its Career Achievement in Psychiatry Award in 2020 and the Howard E. Wulsin Excellence in Education Award in 2007. Reflecting on his warmth and wisdom, we invite you to read the article penned by Dr. Jason Curry from our Spring 2021 Newsletter at: https://conta.cc/3mAvP2h. |
|
|
APA MOORE EQUITY IN MENTAL HEALTH FUNDRAISING: COMMUNITY GRANTS DEADLINE OCTOBER 14, 2022
Thank you to all who supported the Arizona Psychiatric Society Moore Equity 5K Team, which raised $1,250 and was in the top five District Branches in the APA. All funds raised through the 5K support the APAF Moore Equity in Mental Health Community Grants Program, and the community organizations that have undertaken innovative awareness programs and/or provide services to improve the mental health of young people of color.
Help identify a worthy organization in Arizona! Applications are open and will close on October 14, 2022. For eligibility requirements, please click here.
|
|
|
|
ICYMI: SEVEN YEARS OF STEPPING UP CELEBRATION—A JUSTICE BRIEFING EVENT ON DEMAN
Communities across the country are reducing overincarceration of people with mental illnesses as part of the national Stepping Up initiative. The Seven Years of Stepping Up Justice Briefing Live event, held on September 8, 2022, highlighted counties’ achievements over the past seven years, explored emerging trends in the field, and charted a path forward for the movement and is available for you to view on demand.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance, Stepping Up continues to be a partnership between The Council of State Governments Justice Center, the National Association of Counties (NACo), and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation.
WATCH NOW
|
|
|
|
|
|
ANIMATED EXPLAINER VIDEOS ON COMMON DISORDERS (AVAILABLE IN SPANISH) |
APA has developed a series of animated explainer videos on commonly searched mental disorders and other conditions related to mental health. The videos cover topics including OCD, Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Climate Change, among others. You can see all of the videos in English here, and in Spanish here. Be sure to subscribe to APA’s YouTube Channel as new videos on other topics and disorders are added on a regular basis.
|
|
|
|
Members Published : Dr. Noshene Ranjbar
|
|
Simkin D, Swick S, Taneja K, and Ranjbar N, (In Press). “Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Anxiety in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults,” Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Elsevier.
|
|
Thank you for your Membership! |
|
Membership Renewal Invoices for 2023 will arrive soon. Please help us continue to make a difference for psychiatry, you, and your patients by continuing your membership. If you have any questions regarding your membership, please contact Ashley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
