|
|
In this edition of the Pennsylvania Psychiatrist you will find:
- Message from the PaPS President, Dr. Fischer
- Executive Committee and PaPS Council
- Upcoming PaPS Events
- Update: Government Relations
- Why I Got Involved In The APA
- Members Corner
- Industry News and Other Resources
- APA Updates
| | |
Kavita Fischer, MD, DFAPA
PAPS President
Dear Members,
Last month, I introduced the acronym CREATE, a concept shaped by your valuable input on how we can continue to strengthen our society. As summer winds down and our youth return to school, we find ourselves in a season of renewal—a time to build new relationships, set fresh goals, and create meaningful opportunities for connection. In that spirit, I’d like to highlight the “C” in CREATE: Cohesion, Communication, Collegiality, Community, and Connection. As our committees begin their work for the year, these principles are already coming to life within our leadership. Through thoughtful dialogue, collaborative initiatives, and mutual support, our committee members are actively embodying the spirit of CREATE in ways that inspire and uplift.
| | |
Kavita Fischer, MD, DFAPA
President
| |  | |
Mark Matta, DO, DFAPA
President Elect
| | | |
Indranil Chakrabarti, MD, FAPA
Vice President
| | | Aileen Oandasan, MD, FAPA Treasurer | | | Christine Marchionni, MD, DFAPA Secretary | | | |
Irakli Mania, MD, DFAPA
Immediate Past President
| | | |
The 2025-2026 District Executive Council was installed during the June 7, 2025 Annual Business Meeting. Congratulations to all PAPS' newly elected leadership! Click here for the Executive Council's abbreviated bios.
Click here for the full list of 2025-26 PaPS Council members
| | |
Kenneth Certa, MD, DLFAPA
Legislative update
I have waited and waited to write this, hoping that the legislature will get its act together and pass a budget; still nothing. Those of us in southeastern PA are watching the crumbling of SEPTA as it waits in vain for the development of a stable funding stream, and anyone hoping to get money from the state treasury to run programs is now having to borrow money to keep those programs going. I have served on the boards of institutions which face unexpected need to tap into lines of credit when such things happen; the cost of this borrowing is not easily made up.
What I can report, happily, is that the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, has decided to scrap the current efforts to change the Mental Health Procedures Act regulations that had been announced earlier this year, and put on hold until August 27. There is an awareness, sparked by many of our members and communications from PaPS, that it is a complex problem with many players who need to be involved (hospitals, payers, court systems, and county offices of mental health to start) before the reform measures that most of us are in agreement need to happen. We are told to expect something by the end of the year, with listening session(s) before. Thanks to everyone who had a hand in this.
| | Aileen Oandasan, MD, FAPA
Dr. Oandasan currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Nulton Diagnostics and Treatment Center, Medical Director at Jefferson Counseling Center and the Medical Director of The Chill Project through Allegheny Health Network. She is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who resides in Laughlintown near Ligonier. Dr. Oandasan currently serves as our District Branch (PaPS) Treasurer. | | | |
I’ve shared this story many times throughout the years. I never tire of sharing it because it reminds me of “Why I got Involved.”
Spring 2018. Monday morning. My telepsychiatry day was just starting when I received news that fills all psychiatrists with shock, sadness and fear. A college aged patient of mine had taken their life over the weekend. Even now, many years later, I feel a swell of tears as I think about their suffering and what might have been.
With emotions running high, I made one of the most challenging phone calls of my life - to speak to the parent of my former patient.
| | |
Autism and American Policing: A Call for Awareness
By Kenneth J. Weiss, MD, and the Committee on Arts & Humanities of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry
| | | |
This article was originally written by member Kenneth J. Weiss, MD, DLFAPA for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP); it was published in GAP's blog in Psychology Today online. It is reprinted with permission. Dr. Weiss, immediate past president of the PaPS Philadelphia Chapter, is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and in the private practice of forensic psychiatry in Bala Cynwyd, PA. Dr. Weiss is well-known as a master educator in UPenn’s Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. Dr. Weiss is past recipient of the PaPS Presidential Award.
Key Points:
- Behavioral crises of teens and adults with autism in the community are different from other domestic emergencies.
- Police responders to crisis calls in the community need to be more knowledgeable about autism.
- Emergency dispatchers can gather information that might reduce the use of lethal force by responding officers.
Keywords: police, autism, crisis intervention, community safety.
On April 5, 2025, police officers shot 17-year-old Victor Perez in the front yard of his Pocatello, Idaho home while his family watched. Victor, who was non-verbal, autistic, and born with cerebral palsy, died in the hospital.
Officers were responding to a 911 call from Victor’s neighbor about a disturbance at the home. Victor’s neuromuscular differences caused a staggering gait which was misconstrued by the caller as intoxication.
Victor held a knife when the police arrived but was separated from the officers by a chain-link-fence. A nine-minute video released by police and a legal filing give clues to the dynamics of the situation. These materials are open to interpretation and will likely be evidence in court proceedings.
Per the legal filings, the responding police made no inquiries about Victor, did not speak with his family who were present, and used no de-escalation techniques. Instead, from the street-side of the fence they screamed at him to drop the knife. Seconds later, as Victor walked forward, they shot him nine times.
| | Other Notable Member Achievements | | | | |
Pennsylvania Medical Society
July 18
Ever wonder how your voice shapes PAMED policy?
In our latest feature, Nathan Hoff, MD, MPH, former chair of PAMED’s Reference Committee, pulls back the curtain on how member testimony becomes powerful HOD resolutions. He’s a passionate advocate for participation—written or oral—because every voice matters.
Dr. Hoff also serves on our PaPS Government Relations Committee, truly a member in action.
| | Industry News and Other Resources | | |
Tired of shifting through dozens of industry leaders' emails? PaPS offers all of the latest Industry news from various outlets all in one place just for you!
Check Out the Latest News HERE
| SAMHSA Provides Tool Kit for Suicide Awareness Month | |
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to remember those we have lost to suicide, acknowledge the millions more who have experienced suicidal thoughts, and support the families and communities that have been affected by suicide. It is also a time to uplift the voices of those with lived experience and provide resources and information to help prevent suicide.
Did You Know?
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) offers valuable resources. Learn more. We invite you to visit our toolkit and help spread messages of hope and support, along with resources that might help to educate and empower others. No one has to struggle alone. Hope is real, and help is available.
What’s in the Toolkit?
Download the 2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Toolkit and share resources with your communities and networks. The toolkit includes:
- Key Messages and Weekly Themes to help you create impactful content for various audiences.
- Social Media Shareables—engaging posts, graphics, and animations you can share on your social media platforms.
- Digital Stickers, Digital Frames, and Email Signatures to show your commitment to suicide prevention.
- Virtual Backgrounds to personalize and brand your online meetings.
- Hashtags, such as #SuicidePrevention, #SPM25, and #YouAreNotAlone to highlight Suicide Prevention Awareness Month on social media.
Suicide touches every community. But so can hope. Download the 2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Toolkit now.
| | |
OCT 6-7: 2025 Federal Advocacy Conference in Washington DC
More Info Here: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/advocacy/federal-affairs/federal-advocacy-conference
Sign Up for APA Advocacy Alerts and Monthly Advocacy Update
Advocacy Alerts give members the opportunity to contact members of Congress to strengthen the voice of psychiatry when critical policy issues arise. Stay up to date on current issues and APA initiatives on Capitol Hill, the Administration, and at the state level with our monthly Advocacy Update Newsletter.
Sign Up for APA Advocacy Alerts Here
Check Out the APA Action Center
Find the latest updates on APA’s activities to support psychiatry and mental health care, as well as opportunities for members to advocate.
This page features active advocacy initiatives, statements from APA leadership, and recent news coverage. As a member, you can engage directly with policymakers through action alerts, ensuring that your voice is heard on issues that matter most to the profession and your patients. Stay informed, get involved, and help shape the future of psychiatry and mental health care in America.
Check Out the APA Action Center
APA Newsroom
APA Polling Shows Half of Adults Have Cut Back on Social Media Usage in 2025
According to new polling from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Americans’ relationship with technology is complicated: even as 62% of adults get anxious without access to their phone, two in five are cutting back on phone time overall. Meanwhile, 50% have actively limited their social media usage in 2025.
August Issues of APA Journals Feature New Research on Psychiatric Genetics, Telehealth Prescribing of Controlled Substances, Mental Health Advocacy, and More
The latest issues of three American Psychiatric Association journals (The American Journal of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Services, and Focus) are now available online. The August issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry brings together research on psychiatric genetics and telehealth prescribing of controlled substances.
| | Join the PaPS Member Facebook Group | | |
The PaPS Social Media and Communications Committee is reaching out to invite you to join our private Facebook group, Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society, a professional online community created exclusively for Pennsylvania psychiatrists. The group is designed to facilitate the exchange of clinical insights, discuss the latest developments in psychiatry, and support peer-to-peer collaboration in a respectful and enriching environment.
If you’re interested in connecting with fellow psychiatrists, sharing knowledge, and staying up to date on relevant discussions and resources, we would be delighted to have you join us.
To join the group:
Click the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/papsmembers or you can search for the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society group in the Facebook search. You can also use the QR code below to be directed to the group.
Participation is entirely voluntary and the group is moderated to ensure it remains a constructive and professional space.
| Please feel free to reach out to Cathy Thompson at cthompson@nextwavegroup.net if you have any questions.
We look forward to welcoming you to the community. | | |
|
Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society
574E Richie Highway, #271, Severna Park, MD 21146
Phone: 800-422-2900 | Fax: 410-544- 4640
|
| | | |
