Marvin Margolis, chair, opened the December 15 meeting of the Board on Professional Standards by noting that Board and Council have currently about 50 committees, with approximately 500 members. This large increase of committees within a representative membership has led to an infusion of energy and promising initiatives that are already strengthening the Board's functioning. Addressing the concern voiced by some that the Board's role may be weakened as the Council strengthens its operations, Dr. Margolis expressed the belief that Board and Council have different functions and are essentially non-adversarial. Actually, the strength of one only enhances the effectiveness of the other.
Dr. Margolis reported meeting with other leaders of psychoanalytic organizations to explore the possibility of a consortium which would be engaged in a joint effort to educate public health care policy makers about psychoanalytic psychotherapy and its place in the hierarchy of therapies. These have been preliminary meetings, and the Board was assured that no definitive action would be taken without its full knowledge and consent.
Secretary Owen Renik reported for the Coordinating Committee and announced a number of new committee chairs. He noted also that the number of members applying for certification has remained constant. Before delinkage, the concern was voiced that new members might be content with membership and not seek certification. So far this is a trend that has not materialized. In addition, the number of applicants for candidacy has risen nationally.
On this same topic, Arthur Rosenbaum's report on the Certification Committee evoked considerable response, as the committee has been moving in the direction of examining the current work of applicants, rather than reviewing their training experience. Because reports from institutes and supervisors are no longer sought, some feared a loss of valuable feedback from the certification process to the local bodies. The Board agreed, however, that the advantages of the new approach outweigh the risks, and the actions of the Certification Committee were affirmed. In addition, 21 of 43 applicants were recommended for certification. As is customary, the Board approved.
Jocelyn Malkin reported for the Committee on Child and Adolescent Analysis. Twenty-six institutes now have active or developing programs for training in child and adolescent analysis, a marked increase. Closer collaboration with adult program site visits and earlier eligibility for certification and supervising analyst status are among the reasons given for the rising interest in these programs. Three new child supervising analysts were proposed and approved by BOPS, two from Boston and one from San Francisco.
Larry Chalfin, chair of the Committee on Institutes, reported that COI will have to be expanded if it is to provide adequate site visits to the increased number of approved institutes. In 1993, site visits are planned for the institutes in Cincinnati, New Orleans, Topeka, and Seattle. Ten new training and supervising analysts were announced by the Board: Paula Atkeson (Baltimore), Robert Muellner (Boston), Arthur Schore (Columbia), Rhoda Singer (Denver), Richard H. Baker (Los Angeles), John Crow (New York), J. Samuel Chase (San Fransisco), Edwin Peck (Southern California), Lawerence Kennedy (Topeka), and Stephen Rosenblum (Washington).
The morning program concluded with a report by David Carlson, chair of the Committee on New Training Facilities. He reported on a new workshop for Geographic Rule Training Analysts, and on opportunities for practice and teaching in a number of psychoanalytically underdeveloped areas. Dr. Carlson was pleased to report that classes were held for the first time, this past fall, in Arizona and Miami. He thanked the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute and the Baltimore-Washington Institute for helping to bring these developments to this point
Harry Trosman, retiring chair of CORST, informed the Board that applications are down in number. Two waiver applications were submitted—one from San Diego, the other from the Philadelphia Institute. Both were approved.
Phyllis Tyson, chair of the Committee on Nonmedical Clinical Training, reported improved communications between CNMCT and the institutes. The committee believes the Board should help to develop functional criteria for training, rather than relying too heavily on degree requirements. The committee proposed and received approval for waivers for 6 applicants from 4 institutes.
Sander Abend, reporting for COPE, announced that a study of the educational issues created by the pregnant status of candidates in training is to be undertaken.
Cornelis Heijn, chair of the Board's Committee on Membership, reported a slight decrease in total membership; there are currently 2,392 voting members and 592 affiliate members. Dr. Heijn concluded his term as chair with a quite entertaining spoof of life on the Board as it searches for elusive measures of “quality.”
Morris Peltz reported that the Task Force on Certification has found that 15% of those polled are satisfied with the current certification process, and 19% are clearly dissatisfied or oppose it in principle; 66% registered some dissatisfaction but are in basic agreement with current procedures. The task force has received suggestions that certification be conducted on a regional basis; that all institutes be represented at the deliberations of the Certification Committee; and that the process should measure applicants on their current work rather than on their performance while in training. This last recommendation has already been implemented by the Certification Committee. There was agreement that writing case reports is to be respected as part of the educational process.
Robert Pyles reported, as co-chair of a task force on Board/Council structure and functions, on a review of procedures to be taken when the chair becomes vacant, as happened when Dr. Justin Krent suddenly died. Succession is not clearly spelled out in the bylaws, and the Board requires a legal procedure to follow.
Dr. Margolis discussed plans for a conference for 80 or so members of The American sometime in June. Suggested by President Pacella, it would be the first of a series of such meetings, which would allow decision makers to discuss issues in greater depth than might be possible at regular meetings.
A concluding matter was the presentation by Selma Kramer and Charles Socarides of their views of actions relative to homosexuality taken by the Board and Council at recent meetings.