The actions of Board and Council reflect the sweep of current concerns about membership, about education, and about structural changes in The American. The Association is in a period of transition and in the process of adapting to the changing composition of its membership. One committee is investigating continuing education accreditation for psychologists; another is exploring the options for external credentialing both of psychologists and of medical psychoanalysts. In addition, at the meetings discussion was invited on a variety of innovative proposals that will again be considered at the winter meetings: proposals to foster interest in psychoanalysis among medical and graduate students, to attract and train academic and research candidates who have special training needs, and to extend eligibility for training to gifted nonmedical applicants who have not yet demonstrated clinical excellence.
The Board Committee on Non-Medical Clinical Training (CNMCT), which was established in 1986 to implement the Gaskill Report, noted that a portion of its current function will be superseded by the by-laws change. Since eligibility will be extended automatically to most applicants who must currently be waivered, the work of the CNMCT will primarily concern MSW social workers and others who do not hold the specified clinical doctoral degrees. John MacLeod, Chairman of the Committee, invited discussion of a proposal that The American work toward a new program whereby young, gifted people who do not yet have clinical competence, but have “excellence in aptitude,” could be approved for training. Such a program would constitute an expansion of the Gaskill mandate and would challenge The American to address a number of vital issues, for instance, the definition of the profession. In addition to his Committee's mandated research and evaluation of nonmedical waivered candidates, MacLeod also proposed a study of the progress and sucess of the nonmedical candidates who will be admitted without CNMCT review.
The Board Committee on Membership reported that the total membership in The American remains constant. There is, however, shift toward the older end of the spectrum. Compared with totals from five years ago, life members have increased by 32%, associate members by 14%, and extended members by 20%. In contrast, total active members and affiliate members have decreased by 12% and 10%, respectively. Cornelis Heijn, Chairman, proposed that, to stimulate an early interest in psychoanalysis, a new Student Member category be created for medical students and graduate students.
President George Allison noted that these statistics point up a twofold problem: not only must The American attract significant numbers of young members if it is to maintain its health, vigor, and viability as an organization, but the disproportionate growth of the Life Member category has financial consequences for the Association, since these members do not pay dues. Furthermore, membership statistics also suggest important political realities: at present, 40% of the graduate, dues-paying members of the Association are not eligible to vote, whereas more than one-third of those who are eligible to vote do not pay dues. These issues are being addressed by a variety of committees.
On October 15, 1989, the Executive Committee endorsed the American Psychiatric Associations 1973 Position Statement on Homosexuality and Civil Rights deploring “public and private dicrimination against homosexuals” and “urging the enactment of civil rights legislation at the local, state and federal levels that would offer homosexual citizens the same protection now guaranteed to others on the basis of race, creed, color, etc” This statement was endorsed by the Executive Council on December 6, 1990.
Both Harry Trosman, Chairman of the Board Committee on Research and Special Taining (CORST), and Arnold Cooper, Chairman of the Joint Committee on University and Medical Education, spoke of the difficulties, economic and otherwise, academics and researchers face in receiving clinical training. Experience has been that many of these candidates drop out of training after their second supervised case. Cooper proposed, as an experiment, the development of an academic and research track in institute training to encourage candidates who desire a level of training intermediate between full clinical training and formal partial training. The track would be designed to suit the individual needs and interests of such people as psychiatric researchers/teachers who do not desire full training. Graduates completing such training would be eligible for the Academic Associate category of membership.
In keeping with the efforts of The American to strengthen and enhance certification, Dan Buie and Morris Peltz are heading a Board Task Force that will assist the Committee on Certification by collecting data and synthesizing information on certification issues. Specifically to be addressed are the functions that certification should serve and the means by which certification should be conducted. As a part of its initial effort, the Task Force is engaged in a survey of all institute graduates and candidates. It is hoped that the Task Force will develop improved methods of education that will better prepare candidates for certification.
The Council selected the following people as nominees for officers of The American: for President-Elect, Sander Abend and Judith Schachter; for Councilors-at-Large, Dan Buie, Richard Fox, Henri Parens, and Ralph Roughton. Edith Sabshin, Richard Fox, and Ralph Engle were appointed to the Nominating Subcommittee. Elected to the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association were Glen Gabbard, Robert Galatzer-Levy, Jon Meyer, Donald Meyers, Robert Michels, and Gertrude Ticho.
Among Board actions, 12 candidates were certified (4 of 8 new applications, 7 of 11 continued applications, and 1 of 2 appeals). Five new training and supervising analysts were appointed, and one received an appointment by waiver. CORST recommended two research applicants for waiver, and the CNMCT approved 7 of 11 nonmedical applicants for waiver.
The Joint Committee on University and Medical Education reported that the first six Fellowships in Psychoanalysis, from 36 applications, had been awarded to residents in psychiatry. Dr. Cooper expects that the applications will double next year and recommends that the number of awards be increased to ten. This committee is also engaged in a review of psychiatry textbooks and the preparation of a text on dynamic psychiatry. Morton Reiser, who chairs the Board Committee on Psychoanalytic Education (COPE), announced that Ellen Rowntree will replace Stanley Weiss as editor of the COPE Newsletter, which will now be distributed to all institute faculty members. COPE has also instituted two new study groups, one on termination and one on supervision.
Homer Curtis reported that three Soviet applicants have been accepted for training in the United States, and a fourth application is pending. Stuart Hauser reported that the Fund for Psychoanalytic Research has recommended funding for 4 of 12 research proposals. The statement on homosexuality, a reaffirmation and clarification of The Americans previous antidiscrimination stand, was approved.
The Psychoanalytic Society of New England East was approved as a new affiliate society. Sylvia Brody and Lawrence Friedman were named Honorary Members of the Association. Dr. Brody was honored for her scientific contributions and Dr. Friedman for his scientific achievements. In recognition of her support of psychoanalysis, Lucy Daniels Inman was named a Distinguished Friend.