At its meeting last month in Washington, D.C., the Asembly voted to establish an ad hoc group of Trustees and Assembly members to consider whether APA's elected officials are adequately compensated financially for their expenses and loss of income in service to APA.

The Assembly also voted that the group should report back to the Assembly in May 1998 with recommendations for what would be "reasonable" compensation.

Currently APA's president, president-elect, speaker of the Assembly, and speaker-elect receive a per diem of $750 for time spent on Association business.

"APA and Assembly officers have had to accept an increasing financial burden, as their official duties have expanded over time," according to the action paper submitted by Edward Gordon, M.D., of the New York State Psychiatric Association. "The job of APA president has become nearly a full-time job, requires extensive travel from home and office, and severely reduces income from practice. The president-elect position similarly requires substantial time and presents a severe financial burden. The Assembly speaker and speaker-elect each require approximately 45 days of APA dedicated time on the road. Some of their hardship on behalf of APA ought to be borne by APA."

Gordon told Assembly representatives during the meeting that he believes some psychiatrists, especially those in private practice, are reluctant to run for office because of the financial burden.

He said he believes there should be a review of compensation to "ensure that people in private practice are not precluded from serving the Assembly and APA."

When asked whether he believed a salary should replace the current per diem payment, Gordon responded that he was seeking only a review of the current policy.

Jeremy Lazarus, M.D., chair of the Assembly's Budget Committee, told the Assembly that the issue of compensation for elected officers had been exhaustively discussed by APA's Budget Committee and by the Board of Trustees.

Several representatives expressed the opinion that the Assembly had not been adequately involved in the discussion about compensation.

(Psychiatric News, December 6, 1996)