Assembly Speaker Dale Walker, M.D., has made it a priority of his term as leader of APA's 238-member representative body to improve communication with members and district branches, and enhance the participation of APA members.

"It is the role of the leadership to assist the Assembly in formulating a direction that represents the broad views of our membership," Walker has said. "Current social, political, and economic forces pull at our organization, reducing our effectiveness and resolve. Many psychiatrists feel underrepresented by APA and are angry. Stronger ties with our membership are crucial to avoid splitting the organization.

"The Assembly can lessen this problem by promoting internal debate on the issues and ensuring communication and increased interaction with the membership," he added.

Walker noted that many of the most important developments for medicine and psychiatry--in managed care and in legislative efforts at reform of the health system--are taking place at the state level. It is at this level that the district branches can have as potent an influence as does APA at the national level.

Walker has cited the development of practice guidelines as especially important to the future of psychiatry, and he noted the crucial importance of the Assembly in serving as the liaison to the grass-roots membership.

"No other component of APA has greater responsibility for taking these models back to the state level than does the Assembly," Walker said. "It is critical that the Assembly encourage greater membership participation at the state level. That is where the decisions will be made."

(Psychiatric News, September 20, 1996)