Laura Jensen, the outgoing president of the Affiliate Council, reported that the Affiliate Council is developing a blog site that will increase the dialogue among candidates. It will allow for posting photos of meetings as well as polling and informing candidates about important issues facing the Association. The site will be available to all candidates, including those who are not yet members, thus encouraging Affiliate membership. This was Jensen's last report as Affiliate Council president. Jensen was thanked with a standing ovation.
Paul Holinger, chair of the Certification Examination Committee (CEC), reported that new applicants for certification are now assigned a writing mentor for the purpose of making the certification process a better learning experience. If applicants are better prepared and know more about what to expect when they enter the interview, the encounter stands a better chance of becoming a rewarding and educative experience. An exit survey and interview are underway in order to gain valuable feedback for the CEC to evaluate the usefulness of their methods and procedures.
In recognition of the vision of Stuart Hauser and with thanks to others, Linda Mayes presented a formal proposal to the Executive Council for a separate but affiliated research society. PPRS will be a not-for-profit membership corporation with APsaA as the sole member. PPRS will provide a home for investigators who are not eligible to become members of APsaA or IPA. APsaA meetings will be enriched since PPRS will hold its meetings simultaneously, allowing the researchers to meet and form an identity with APsaA and its members.
PIPE has been focusing on the immersion standard for training analyst (TA) appointment. This standard needs to be updated because many analysts today have fewer patients in analysis and some institutes have an urgent need for training analysts. The current standard is four patients seen four or five times a week over five years or 3600 hours, with a minimum of two cases for a period of time longer than five years. However, this seems unreasonable given today's practice climate. Therefore, if an analyst is well thought of in his/her institute and is five years out, the members of PIPE recommend a lower requirement of 2700 hours over the five-year period post graduation, with the expectation that these hours will contain significant experience begun after graduation. With a minimum of two cases seen four times a week, the requirement could be attained in just over seven years. In the evaluation of TA applicants, institutes are encouraged not to focus on the hours alone but on the overall quality of the work. If a talented analyst achieves the required hours in just four years, a waiver of the five-year requirement would be considered. PIPE also envisions a waiver system, with a subcommittee of the Committee on Institutes administering waivers. The subcommittee would also handle other matters of development and continuing education of training analysts such as oversight of the evaluation of training analysts. In addition, the committee could study the TA system with an intent to publish its findings. Such a subcommittee would guarantee both the institute and the committee a fair process and a chance to learn from each other. The members of PIPE anticipate that the subcommittee will operate in good faith and the institutes will know they have some leeway, fostering trust between the institute and the organization.
Another focus of the PIPE committee is on TA qualifications. Training analysts are expected, at all times, to be as qualified as they were when they were appointed. Therefore PIPE recommends a culture of development at all levels which will provide avenues for development prior to and after being appointed TA. This development might include attendance at required study groups on the institute level or workshops, either local or national. Encouragement of consultation among peers would also contribute to a spirit of collegiality, tolerance, and overall career enrichment.
The Executive Council unanimously approved the following position statement presented by Ethan Grumbach, chair of the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues:
The American Psychoanalytic Association opposes the military policy mandated by Title 10 of the United States Code (Section 654) which prohibits an individual's service in the military on the basis of sexual orientation. Section 654 bans openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals from serving in the military. APsaA strongly advocates that the United States Government overturn the current policy.
The Council also unanimously approved a position statement presented by Mark Smaller, chair of the Committee on Social Issues, entitled “Inner Wars Come Home: The Traumatic Impact on Families and Children When Our Veterans Return.” The statement includes the following actions:
Jane Walvoord, L.C.S.W., is a TAP senior correspondent and a faculty member of the Oregon Psychoanalytic Center.
Greater public and private access to and support for mental health services to veterans, their families, and children.
Guaranteed privacy, a foundation of effective treatment and patient rights, with release of information only with the patient's permission or legal compulsion.
Preventive support services for children and families when a family member is deployed.
Education of mental health students and professionals about the long-term effect of parental trauma on children.
Support for public awareness and education through the media about the impact of depression, PTSD, and brain injuries not only on the veteran but also on his or her family and children.
Advocacy for any legislation that will support diagnosis, immediate, and longer term care for veterans, their children, and families.