Directors will enhance, explore, provide, determine, deepen, educate, invest, collaborate
The Academy’s Board of Directors have set strategic priorities for the next five years which will be fleshed out over coming months to create operational plans.
The Board undertook a strategic planning process and session—led by an outside consultant who coordinated the pre-work for the session and guided the Board in development of the plan—at its meeting in Washington, DC.
“This work sets the course for Board and Academy priorities in coming years and beyond,” says ACLP president Rebecca Weintraub Brendel, MD, JD, FACLP.
“I’d like to share a high-level view of the four core strategic priorities developed through the planning process, which included two-dozen interviews with Academy members, leaders (past and present), and outside stakeholders.
“In coming months, the Board will work to prioritize specific action items in each of the core strategic areas as the plan is implemented. Many are already underway in various stages.”
The four strategic priorities and a brief description of each are:
1. Inspire, develop, educate, and nurture/support the C-L Psychiatry community. Items of attention relevant to this strategic aim include “nailing” the annual meeting in terms of content, delivery, and structure, considering educational offerings outside of the annual meeting, exploring and establishing new mechanisms for networking and collaboration, providing research support and mentoring, and defining the future direction and leadership of the Academy journal Psychosomatics.
2. Advocate for the field of C-L Psychiatry and the patients we care for. This strategic priority will lead to initiatives and action items to deepen relationships with the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and other subspecialty groups—continuing work to create a vibrant and sufficient workforce in C-L Psychiatry, educating colleagues about both the needs of patients with comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions, and the role and value of C-L Psychiatry in meeting patient needs and the aims of health care, and support for a research that underpins our education, workforce and advocacy agenda.
3. Educate, train and partner to promote the optimal care of patients with comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions. Through attention to this initiative, ACLP will ensure that all psychiatrists and care teams are better prepared to serve the needs of patients with comorbid medical and psychiatric illness through education, service, advocacy, and partnerships with other professional organizations.
4. Optimize the organizational structure to support anticipated growth and achieve strategic priorities. ACLP is growing in size and impact. The Board will focus attention on the structure and function of the Board, committees, SIGs, and annual meeting leadership to optimize function and potential for growth and impact into the future.