Through landmark collaborations with some of the nation’s foremost corporations, APA is striving to boost mental health benefits for thousands of employees, according to APA President Daniel Borenstein, M.D.

At the Opening Session of APA’s 2000 Institute on Psychiatric Services, he reported that APA’s Committee on APA/Business Relationships, chaired by Norman Clemens, M.D., has been in contact with the chief executives and benefits managers of at least a dozen national corporations.

The goal of the contacts is to increase access to mental health benefits for the corporate employees. Borenstein stated that APA has had substantial discussions with Union Pacific Railroad, Hughes Electronics, and Verizon.

"All of the contacts with corporate leaders has been positive," commented Borenstein. "The leaders have been very interested in speaking with us, and hopefully we can work with many of them to establish improved mental health benefits within their companies."

Borenstein noted one corporate leader’s enthusiastic comment—that corporate investment in improving mental health benefits will provide the quickest return on any dollar invested.

"APA has also launched collaborations with 15 allied psychiatric organizations," said Borenstein. "The idea behind the collaborations is to form a more cooperative relationship with these organizations."

Borenstein, who is APA’s 154th president since its founding in 1844, also discussed the significance of the theme of the clinically oriented meeting, "Psychodynamic Psychotherapy."

"Examiners from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology have been concerned about the difficulties many candidates have experienced in formulating appropriate psychotherapy, especially psychodynamic psychotherapy, as part of the treatment plan."

Borenstein reminded attendees that APA’s reorganization from a 501(c)(3) charitable organization to a 501(c)(6) business organization goes into effect in January. The change was approved by APA’s voting members in last year’s election.

"Under the revised structure," said Borenstein, "APA will be able to provide significantly more financial assistance to its state and district branch organizations to enhance advocacy activities."

Reallocation of $2.4 million a year will also fund district branch and state activities, explained Borenstein.

Under the new 501(c)(6) will be three 501(c)(3) organizations, the American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. (APPI), the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education, and the American Psychiatric Foundation. APPI will oversee all the publishing activities of APA and the former American Psychiatric Press Inc., including books and journals, said Borenstein.

Borenstein also discussed the changes in residency requirements that will go into effect in January. Residents in psychiatry will now be required to demonstrate competency in six areas, including patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. Residents will also need to show competence in five types of therapies, including brief, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, supportive, and combined psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, according to the new requirements.

"This is an exciting time for psychiatry, with all of the research advances in neuroscience, molecular genetics, and psychotropic medications," stated Borenstein. All of these topics will be featured at APA’s annual meeting in May, whose theme Borenstein selected: "Mind Meets Brain: Integrating Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Neuroscience."