At the Meeitng of the Board on Professional Standards, the following major topics were presented and discussed:
The Report of the Task Force on Confidentiality and Informed Consent in Psychoanalytic Education was discussed, and its approach and suggestions approved. The report has been circulated to all institutes.
The role of the Membership Committee of the Board on Professional Standards was discussed fully. The necessity of maintaining a membership of certified analysts was affirmed both as a requirement to safeguard the value of certification, and ultimately, to keep membership itself meaningful. It was reiterated that membership in the American Psychoanalytic Association is based on educational criteria.
The Coordinating Committee and the Board discussed ways of curbing the ethically and legally questionable practice, apparently engaged in by some members, of exploiting credentials as faculty members of an approved institute of the American in order to be wanted, (and possibly unwittingly exploited), to give training as individuals in schools which advertise that they can train practitioners in psychoanalysis. (This violated the adopted Standards for Training in Psychoanalysis.)
The Coordinating Committee and Board discussed ways of making the extensive and worthwhile involvement and participation of psychoanalysts as “analysts” in teaching in university, medical school and psychiatric training settings more “visible.”
The status of the Ad Hoc Committee on Prerequisites for Training was reviewed. The consensus was that all groups and individuals should seriously consider the rationales for a program of accepting a few specially selected nonmedical people for clinical training on an experimental basis. To further this study, an ad hoc committee will be created to work out recommendations for developing organizational guidelines and appropriate procedures for any specific programs deemed feasible.
The Ad Hoc Committee of the Committee on Institutes reported on its visit to Washington, April 7th to 9th, 1978. This report noted a sincere desire to improve the educational program, some constructive changes, and a favorable response to earlier suggestions for a long-term self-appraisal of training analyses. The Ad Hoc Committee suggested that the ongoing moratorium on the appointment of new Training and Supervising Analysts and Child Supervising Analysts should be continued for the present. The Board approved this suggestion which was also one of the recommendations of the Committee on Institutes. The Committee did not recommend the approval of any activity directed toward the creation of a new institute now, and the Committee on Institutes concurred in this recommendation. They emphasized, and this was reaffirmed by the Committee on Institutes and the Board, that the next period will be one of continuing evaluation, consultation and help by the Board on Professional Standards, especially through the Ad Hoc Committee, to the program and faculty of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute. The Board voted to approve the request by the WAPE group for referral to the Committee on New Training Facilities.
The Advisory Committee for Los Angeles recommended that its designation should be changed to “The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for Los Angeles”—to reflect progress in the Institute's internal organization. The administration of the Los Angeles Institute will be fully responsible for selection, progression, and graduation of its candidates. The Ad Hoc Committee in its present phase of continuing work will stress observation of and consultation on supervision, and will continue to help in the formulation of criteria and procedures for the appointments of new Training and Supervising Analysts. The moratorium on these appointments will continue. The Board approved these measures and the change in designation, with the understanding that there will be continued regular reports to the Board through the Committee on Institutes.
In 1979, there will be site visits to the Baltimore-D.C. Psychoanalytic Institute, the Cleveland Psychoanalytic Institute, the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research and the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis.
The Committee on New Training Facilities is reviewing selection criteria and means of assisting sponsoring institutes in their centrifugal development through the appointment of and work with Geographic Rule Training Analysts. The Committee on New Training Facilities expressed hope for a successful outcome to the continuing work of a Consultation Committee with the Cincinnati Provisional Institute.
Dr. Hall clarified that there are two approved Geographic Rule Training Analysts of the New York Psychoanalytic Institute in Westchester County, but there is not a new training facility of the American Psychoanalytic Association. The Westchester Program is under the authority of the Educational Committee of the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.
Dr. Justin Kent, Chairman of the Committee on Certification, reported that twenty-four applicants were reviewed; fourteen were recommended for certification and were approved by the Board. The Committee on Certification is reviewing its methods of evaluating applicants, and is working on a possible pilot study of an oral examination, to be used in addition to what is, in fact, a form of written examination of an applicant's ability to apply psychoanalytic theories and principles to the psychoanalytic treatment of appropriately selected patients.
The revised Training Standards in Child Analysis as developed by the Committee on Child. Analysis were approved by the Board.
The Board on Professional Standards approved the waiver applications for full clinical training submitted by three institutes for three research candidates.
Dr. Samuel Abrams reported that the Committee on Psychoanalytic Education is studying the Tripartite Division in Psychoanalytic Training, the Natural History of Institutes (and why they split and why they do not split), and the life history of child analysts and their diminishing analytic work with children with advancing age. COPE will be studying the educational implications of the Survey of Psychoanalytic Practice.
Dr. Leonard Shengold, Chairman of the Committee on Membership, stated that by December this committee will have evolved specific proposals by which individuals may request waivers from the Board to obtain a continuing Associate Membership. This would be applicable to a few otherwise qualified people whose present personal or professional lives prevent them from completing requirements for certification. The Membership Committee will not extend Associate Membership beyond this year to those who have received several such extensions unless they demonstrate a serious and reasonable intent to apply for certification.
The reconstituted Joint Standing Committee on Associate and Affiliate Membership is formulating long-range goals to serve the special scientific and personal needs of these groups and to help foster their identifications with the American Psychoanalytic Association. The Committee recognizes the importance of providing a voice for non-CAPE members, as well as the need to work constructively with CAPE.
Dr. Ruth Aaron reintroduced a discussion of a legal situation at the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute concerning a lawsuit initiated by a discharged student. Thus far, judicial opinions have been favorable to the viewpoint that academic institutions have the right and ability to decide on retaining and discharging their students. However, the lawsuit so far has cost the Institute $13,000.00. Dr. Aaron requested a statement of support from the Board and a circularizing of this statement to the Institutes which might then volunteer financial contributions as well. The Board on Professional Standards approved the proposal that the Officers of the Board and the Coordinating Committee will, in the near future, draft a suitable statement of the problem and an endorsement of the appeal by the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute. This statement will be circulated to all approved Institutes.
The Fellows of the Board on Professional Standards elected Dr. Laurence B. Hall its next Chairman of the Board. He will be Chairman-Elect until he assumes his new position after the Annual Meeting in the Spring of 1979.