This is my last column as president. My term of office ends on Friday, May 20, immediately after the Meeting of Members. I have mixed feelings about this, but I am sure I will miss the close working relationship I have enjoyed with the other officers of The American, and the stimulating contact with its committees and the membership. However, I am sure I will also heave a strong sigh of relief as I shed the burdens of office. Judith Schachter, who will assume the presidency with her usual vigor and vitality, will, I am certain, apply her good sense and wisdom to the problems ahead. She is fortunate to have Marvin Margolis serving as president-elect during her tenure.
I have learned a great deal about the machinery of The American, having served on the Executive Committee for over eleven years, including three terms as treasurer, two years as president-elect, and two as president. In that time I have developed a strong sense of respect for the membership, and even a feeling of awe over the dedication, integrity, and scholarly pursuits of our members.
In reflecting on the many issues that have confronted the organization during the past twelve years, two perhaps stand out: the lawsuit filed by psychologists against The American in order to open our institutes to qualified nonmedical applicants, and, more recently, the potential impact of the Clinton health care reforms on the practice of psychoanalysis.
Regarding the latter, the Coalition for Patients' Rights (CPR), an alliance between certain members of the Association, mental health workers not necessarily affiliated with The American, and interested lay persons, some of them patients or former patients, has put forward a platform stressing the necessity, in any health plan that is adopted, of maintaining the proper environment for the treatment of patients in long-term intensive psychoanalysis. This requires adherence to the requirements of complete confidentiality and the right of therapists to contract with patients privately, outside of regulated health systems. Another group, the Southern California Psychoanalytic Society, one of our largest affiliates, has circulated its views to the membership, expressing similar ideas but stressing primarily that The American should disengage from the government health plans and remain completely outside the system if private contracting with patients is not permitted. This contractual relation between therapist and patient would eliminate the need for peer review while maintaining the right of confidentiality and preserving the proper environment for the psychoanalytic situation.
Unfortunately these two groups, in circulating their views to the membership, have created the impression, inadvertently I am sure, that the Executive Committee is divided in its official position, and that The American has taken positions not consonant with the recommendations of CPR and the Southern California Society. This is not true. Misunderstandings and misconceptions have, however, proliferated, despite the fact that the official position has been discussed at every recent meeting of The American and that these discussions have been circulated to all of the societies and institutes. I wish to emphasize that I welcome the interest and energy of CPR and the Southern California Society and would hope that we can all collaborate in pursuing common goals.
In this issue of TAP, Norman Clemens, chair of the Committee on Government Relations and Insurance, which has been carefully monitoring the national health care reforms, provides a very clear description of The American's position, as approved by the Executive Committee and the Executive Council by a very substantial margin. I recommend to all of you his very cogent article.
I would like to close these comments on national health care issues with the following quote from the Sunday New York Times of March 13: “health care is what has truly taken over the culture of the capital in the past few weeks, as bills begin moving in Congress and all the carefully laid plans to sway or woo or frighten 534 lawmakers come into play.” Despite this, however, it is the opinion of many well-informed persons that it will take months, if not years, before House and Senate pass a health reform bill. We do have time for adequate discussion of the different opinions that have been expressed, but despite these differences we are aiming to arrive at a consensus so that our committees that deal with practice issues can be guided by the full membership. I have asked the Committee on Societies to disseminate to societies and institutes all the information we have available to us, so that everyone will have an opportunity to discuss the entire range of practice issues. In this way we can develop an informed consensus as to our best course of action. It is true that differences of opinion will arise from time to time as to how we should proceed tactically in defending our right to conduct analytic treatments in accordance with our standards, but we must all understand that we are of one mind with regard to what those standards are and the need to preserve them.
During my terms as president-elect and president, The American has progressed through exciting, creative, and turbulent times. I believe that this constructive development, initiated under Mike Allison as president and Marvin Margolis as chair
of BOPS, has increased its pace over the past two years, as task forces have submitted recommendations on the structure and function of our organization and suggested steps to encourage harmony, scientific exchange, and greater interest among the membership, including candidates.
In an infrastructural move designed to facilitate these improvements, the Central Office, I am pleased to report, has now become fully computerized in its basic functions. This completes Phase I of our plans; refinements in certain kinds of operations and intercommunications will now begin as Phase II. Much of the credit for this achievement should go to Paul Mosher, Judy Schachter, and Mel Mandel. Helen Fischer and her staff also deserve our thanks for their dedicated participation in this venture.
In order to develop greater cohesiveness among the committees of Council, a Steering Committee has been established consisting of chairs of those committees and of joint task forces and committees of Board and Council. So far this Steering Committee has met twice, at national meetings of the Association. It was extremely gratifying to witness the great surge of intense interest in the multifaceted activities of The American as each committee presented its report. I believe the committee represents a new and very dynamic force in the operations of The American.
Another new committee, the Committee on Bylaws and Procedures, with Tony Kris as chair and Bob Wallerstein as deputy chair, is a “blue ribbon” panel consisting of seasoned members with experience and wisdom in procedural and organizational questions. They have already submitted a detailed report, substantially inspired by the Task Force on Strategic Planning, chaired by Richard Fox, and the Task Force on Board-Council Structure and Functions, co-chaired by Carl Davis and Robert Pyles. These task forces, created as ad hoc think tanks with a limited life, have been
superseded by the new committee, which will crystallize and implement their recommendations. The proposed restructuring of The American suggested by the task forces, and worked through and perhaps modified by the Bylaws Committee, is of considerable importance for us, and will be submitted in orderly fashion by the Committee on Societies, co-chaired by Ralph Engle and Allan Rosenblatt, to the societies and institutes of The American for study and discussion. Each society and institute, we hope, will earnestly study these recommendations and refer its opinions and decisions back to the committee for discussion by the Executive Committee, the Executive Council, and the entire membership. These recommendations, if acted on, will effect a major and long overdue change in our organizational structure. As with all new plans for restructuring an organization, the initial reaction is to stay with the old structure, despite any problems it creates. This was my first reaction. After some discussion and rethinking, however, the proposed changes seemed more and more obvious and necessary.
I would also like to report that a subcommittee of the joint Board and Council Committee on Ethics has been appointed by Dr. Margolis and myself; chaired by Ralph Engle, the subcommittee will review and update our procedures. In particular, it will review the ethical rules and procedures of our affiliate societies and institutes in order to determine that no significant incompatibilities exist between The American and its components in this regard.
In other developments, plans for the 1995 May meeting in Chicago are under way, and it promises to be unusually fascinating and productive, despite the fact that in deference to the IPA Congress no scientific program will be offered. The Executive Committee and the Executive Council will meet, in addition to committees of Board and Council; additionally, a social program is being arranged that will add considerably to the spirit of the meeting.
We hope that our new format for the Meeting of Members will continue to improve attendance at what should be the “main event” at The American's semiannual meetings. We will again dispense with the routine reports of officers (the reports of Secretary, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Board will be posted in the meeting rooms), reserving time only for a few important announcements and comments. The major part of the meeting will be devoted to a number of pressing issues that require discussion by the membership. I look forward to seeing all of you there, and please do not hesitate to pat me on the back (not too hard!) and say hello.
I wish to express my profound admiration and thanks to the many committees, who work so hard to carry out their missions, and to express my heartfelt appreciation to Helen Fischer, Doris Eder, and the Central Office staff for their tireless efforts on behalf of the Association. Thanks also to the Executive Councilors and other members who have helped me carry the burdens of office, and particularly to my fellow officers, who have been extremely helpful and supportive in developing the many new initiatives now under way, in resolving the many issues and problems we have had to deal with, and in maintaining the preeminence of The American as a major force in the world of psychoanalysis.