Components | American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

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Components

Committees

Committee	Chair

Abramson Fund	Robert L. Hendren, D.O.
This committtee administers the Abramson Fund Grants which are available to all AACAP components for special projects. Membership of this committee is limited to the President-Elect, one Councilor at Large and one Assembly Representative of Council.
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Adolescent Psychiatry	Richard Sarles, M.D. Lois T. Flaherty, M.D.
The Adolescent Psychiatry Committee is composed of members with a special interest in working with adolescents. Its function is to ensure that the Academy continues to maintain service to adolescents as one of its central focal points. No time of life is more associated with the emergence of critical psychopathology nor more promising as a time for healing and preventive interventions than adolescence.
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Adoption and Foster Care	George Fouras, M.D.
The Adoption and Foster Care Committee was organized to promote knowledge within the Academy of the experiences and needs of adopted and foster children and their families. Our projects have included the following: Preparing a bibliography on adoption, foster care and related attachment issues. Taking part in preparing AACAP policy statements on adoption and foster care. Taking part in the multi-agency Task Force for Mental Health of Children in Foster Care chaired by Dr. Marilyn Benoit. Preparing a curriculum on adoption, foster care and related attachment issues for use by Academy members involved in training residents. Preparing presentations for the annual AACAP meeting. Responding to questions from AACAP members about specific situations. Responding to media coverage or other public information that seems to require comment - for example, posting on the Web of photographs and information about children who need homes. Administering the biennial Marshall D. Schechter Memorial Lecture on Adoption at the AACAP meeting.
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Art	Stuart Copans, M.D. Charles Joy, M.D.
The Art Committee sponsors the Art and Crafts Show at AACAP's Annual Meetings. The committee also focuses on teaching the role of the arts in working with children and parents, including creative work in the AACAP News and creating venues in which child and adolescent psychiatrists can share their creative activities.
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Autism and Intellectual Disability	Bryan H. King, M.D Edwin Cook. M.D.
This Committee, formerly the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Committee, is composed of Academy members who are especially interested in this broad field both as clinicians and researchers. The Committee studies and promotes the role and contributions of the child and adolescent psychiatrist as it relates to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in this continuously widening field. Members also coordinate information on reasearch, training and innovative service programs for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and disseminate this to members of the AACAP. Committee meetings are held during the Academy meetings, and as needed during the year by phone and/or email. Trainees in child and adolescent psychiatry are urged to join and/or attend the meetings.
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Building	Thomas Walsh, M.D.
The Building Committee oversees the operation and management of the AACAP headquarters including recommending a budget for operations,overseeing contracts for building operations, and reviewing and monitoring the building's business liability and property policies, all in collaboration with the Executive Director.
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Bylaws	Jacqueline Etemad, M.D.
AACAP is a living and growing organization that continues to evolve. The Bylaws Committee is responsible for making sure that AACAP's bylaws accurately reflect changes in the organization as they occur. In addition to reviewing the bylaws on a regular basis, the committee entertains suggestions from staff, leadership, or members regarding needed bylaws revisions. The committee then prepares or reviews proposed new language for submission to Council and the membership. Any member of AACAP is welcome to inform the Chair of the Bylaws committee regarding any bylaws issue he or she feels is in need of review.
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Child Abuse and Neglect	David Corwin, M.D. Judith Ann Cohen, M.D.
The Child Abuse and Neglect Committee's primary goal is to maintain a focus on the problems of child and adolescent abuse and neglect both within the AACAP and by being actively involved in advocacy and policy matters on local and national levels.
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Collaboration with Medical Professions	David DeMaso, M.D. Richard Martini, M.D. L. Read Sulik, M.D.
The Committee on Collaboration with Medical Professions coordinates all AACAP liaison activities with allied professions to insure that AACAP priorities are being advanced. They oversee and encourage maximum benefit from all AACAP liaison activities with allied professions. They also research and develop effective mechanisms to advance AACAP collaborations with allied professions. They enhance the visibility and productivity of child and adolescent psychiatrists involved in consultation psychiatry to pediatricians, family practice physicians, and other allied professions as well as participate in developing models of integrative mental healthcare for children in primary care settings.
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Community Psychiatry	Carlos G. Salguero, M.D., MPH
The Community Psychiatry Committee has the following missions: To advocate for the development and funding of public and community mental health services for children and their families. To advocate for the adoption of the principles of inter-agency community-based systems of care within such services, especially family empowerment, care tailored to the childs' individual needs, and the least restrictive environment for services. To advocate for the role and function of child and adolescent psychiatrists within public and community mental health services for children, both as leaders and team members, as well as their training and preparation for such roles and functions. To promote the adoption of sound evidence-based practices and the highest quality of care within public and community mental health services for chidlren and families.
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Continuing Medical Education	Rachel Fleissner, M.D. Jeff Q. Bostic, M.D.
The Continuing Medical Education Committee is responsible for collaborating with the Program Committee in the review of AACAP sponsored continuing medical education activities, ensuring that all educational programs meet the appropriate standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The Committee is informed and knowledgeable about the standards, requirements, conditions and issues associated with the continuing medical education of child and adolescent psychiatrists on both national and local levels.
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Deaf and Hard of Hearing	Karen A. Goldberg, M.D.
"The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Committee will inform the AACAP membership of the psychiatric, psychological, developmental, educational and remedial needs of deaf and hard of hearing children. These needs include improving accessibility of psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and ongoing treatment, determination of most appropriate educational placement and services, attention to the multiplicity of needs that may occur in this population and family intervention."
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Disaster and Trauma Issues	Stephen J. Cozza, M.D. Nancy Black, M.D.
The Disaster and Trauma Committee promotes appropriate disaster response, outreach and education to members.
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Diversity and Culture	Andres Pumariega, M.D.
The Diversity and Culture Committee focuses on developing mentoring and recruitment for trainees of culturally diverse groups and offers consultation and a curriculum that addresses the special needs of minority children and adolescents.
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eAACAP Advisory Board	Robert L. Hendren, D.O.
The eAACAP Advisory Board supports the programs and products of Dr. Robert Hendren’s presidential initiative
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Ethics	Andrian Sondheimer, M.D.
The Ethics Committee focuses on educating the AACAP membership about ethical issues related to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry through articles in the AACAP News. The committee also provides advice to the AACAP regarding Amicus Brief solicitations.
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Family	Allan Josephson, M.D. Douglas Kramer, M.D.
The family committee is committed to communicating information regarding the role of the family in the diagnosis and treatment of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. This approach includes understanding and facilitating familial strengths and supports. Our emphasis has broadened beyond family therapy to include parenting issues and promoting parent-professional partnerships. A prime responsibility of committee members is to interact and collaborate with other committees in Academy educational efforts.
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Financial Planning	Michael Jellinek, M.D.
The FPC primarily sets investment policy for and manages the Endowment Fund for the Academy. The committee also has a role in overseeing the annual budget and in managing the Academy's other assets, especially the building it owns. As such, participation on the Financial Planning committee provides a very intimate understanding of the work of the Academy.
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Gifts and Endowment Oversight	Owen Lewis, M.D.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) solicits and receives grant support from private and governmental sources on a regular basis. These grants are used to support specific programs and activities integral to the goals of the Academy. The Grants Oversight Committee (GOC) shall provide ongoing consultation about and oversight of the fiscal, administrative and ethical aspects of all AACAP grants and shall serve to resolve issues as grant mechanisms are developed. These guidelines apply to all grants over $50,000.
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Grants Oversight	Richard Cohen, M.D.
The committee reviews the fiscal and administrative operation of all AACAP's externally funded grants to ensure compliance with policies of the granting institution and the AACAP and reports its findings to the AACAP Executive Committee. The committee reviews and approves all grant applications and renewals prior to submission to the granting agency and provides ongoing guidance and consultation to the principal investigators of externally funded grants.
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Healthcare Access and Economics	Michael Houston, M.D.
The Committee on Healthcare Access and Economics assists the AACAP and its members with issues pertaining to access to child and adolescent psychiatric services and reimbursement. The committee is working with the Steering Committee on Workforce Issues to assist them in understanding the economics issues regarding recruitment. The committee also plans on fostering relationships with individuals and organizations in the areas of consumer advocacy, regulatory affairs and the managed care industry.
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History and Archives	David Cline, M.D.
Goals: to develop, collect and preserve historical data about the history of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the history of the child and adolescent psychiatry medical specialty. Functions: sponsor the Joseph Noshpitz Annual History Lecture at the annual meeting, sponsor the web History Book on the Academy Web site, sponsor the audio library, sponsor the audiovisual library, sponsor the historical papers library, and other collections, sponsor other activities that emphasize the history of the child adolescent psychiatry movement such as symposia, lectures, and curricula for Psychiatry Residents.
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HIV Issues	Mark DeAntonio, M.D.
To plan positions for the AACCAP regarding research,education and advocacy pertaining to HIV for children and adolescents. To define and encourage appropriate training experiences concerning HIV for child and adolescent psychiatrists. To promote scholarly presentations in HIV-related issues. To increase AACAP member's awareness of HIV-related issues. To collaborate with compotents within the AACAP about similar or corresponding efforts. To collaborate with organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association about similar or corresponding efforts.
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Infant and Preschool	Joan Luby, M.D.
The Infant and Preschool Committee provides education about psychiatry for children ages birth to five years through events at the Annual Meeting, practice parameters, Facts for Families and other projects.
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Inpatient, Residential and Partial Hospitalization	Erin Malloy, M.D.
We are currently working on issues which are effecting the most appropriate levels of care for kids in general. Included in this (but not limited to) shortage of beds, criteria for admissions, seclusion and restraint, training for residents, differences in levels of care and how decisions are made of these levels and payments.
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International Relations	Myron Belfer, M.D. Shirley Alleyne, M.D.
The International Relations Committee serves as a focal point for Academy international activities. It provides support for members interested in international activities and plans collaborative events with international organizations. Members are active in international activities.
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Juvenile Justice Reform	William Arroyo, M.D. Louis J. Kraus, M.D.
The Juvenile Justice Committee maintains liaison with other organizations like the AAP and the National Commission of Correctional Health Care to promote advocacy for juvenile justice reform. The committee has created an educational monograph and a video entitled "At Risk" and plans to create a Facts for Families and several practice parameters for the purpose of educating the public, mental health professionals and juvenile justice professionals.
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Local Arrangements	Louis J. Kraus, M.D.
The Local Arrangements Committee assists in local preparations for the annual meeting each year.
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Medical Students, Residents, and Early Career Psychiatrists	David Lopez, M.D. Anne Frederickson, M.D.
The Committee on Medical Students, Residents and Early Career Psychiatrists (ECPs) works to increase the involvement of trainees and ECPs in AACAP activities on the local and national level. Our goals include having a representative on every AACAP committee as well as in each regional organization of the AACAP Assembly. We strive to improve communication and understanding between the newer Academy members and the established members. Through our efforts to better the annual meeting for people at all levels of training and in our collaboration with other AACAP Committees and the Assembly, we strive to increase recruitment to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
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Member Benefits	Joseph Jankowski, M.D. John E. Dunne, M.D.
The Member Benefits Committee's main priority is to oversee the AACAP sponsored medical liability insurance program. Other membershp benefits that the AACAP provides are the Journal, CME credits for attending the Annual Meeting, Practice Parameters, Facts for Families, legislative lobbying and an AACAP credit card.
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Membership Credentials	Beverly Sutton, M.D.
The Membership Credentials Committee reviews each application for membership and determines the appropriate category of membership. The committee is also in charge of the membership directory.
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Membership Drive	Martin Drell, M.D.
The Membership Drive Committee (MDC) was revamped earlier this year. It was decided that the MDC needed a greater gamut of representation rather than just that of the Assembly alone. The new MDC consists of members from committees that deal directly with some aspect of membership. Those committees are: Council, the Assembly, Steering Committee on Work Force Issues, Committee on Medical Students, Residents & Early Career Psychiatrists, Work Group on Training and Education, International Relations Committee, Diversity and Culture Committee and Membership Credentials Committee.
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Military Issues	Kris Peterson, M.D.
The Military Issues Committee will work to accomplish the following objectives: The committee will maintain a community liaison and outreach function to all military child and adolescent psychiatrists. The committee will serve as a forum for discussion of issues specific to military child and adolescent psychiatrists. The committee will support the professional development of all military members by developing opportunities within the AACAP through networking and development of professional contacts. The committee will serve as a liaison to AACAP staff as a primary point of contact regarding any questions pertaining to the military or military child and adolescent psychiatric practice.
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Native American Child	Michael Storck, M.D. Eli Breger, M.D.
For more than 25 years, AACAP members have provided national support for serving the child and family mental health needs of more than 500 federally-recognized tribes of American Indian and Alaska Native. The primary mission of the Native American Child Committee is to help inform the AACAP membership of the special strengths, challenges and clinical needs found in Native communities. We have sponsored symposia and/or workshops at the AACAP Annual Meeting for the last ten years. Our committee has a very active liaison with the Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Native American Child Health and participates in yearly health consultation visits to one of the ten regions of the Indian Health Service and yearly information sharing visits to congressional offices in Washington, DC. Many of our committee members are active providers in the Indian Health Service. Several are involved in health system research pertinent to the well-being of Native American children and families.
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Nominating	Richard Sarles, M.D.
The Nominating Committee is responsible for determining a slate of candidates for every AACAP election. There is no open membership to the Nominating Committee; to become a member you must be elected by the membership.
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Physically Ill Child	Margaret Stuber, M.D. Maryland Pao, M.D.
The major goal of this committee is to foster research on the interaction of psychiatric symptoms and disorders in children and adolescents with physical illness. Many of the members of the committee either work in a Children's Hospital or Academic setting on the Consultation/Liason service. In addition to providing a supportive group with which to network, the committee sponsors several annual symposia, as well as mid year workshops on research methodology orgrant funding mechanisms. Many members of the committee have received career development awards for research in areas such as trauma induced by medical illness and related medical procedures, effects of trauma on adherence to medical regimens, the genetic and environmental inputs to health behaviors, behavioral genetic models of comorbidity of asthma and depression, epidemiology of functional abdominal pain in children, family dynamics and psychophysiology in children with asthma, and others. The committee is currently conducting a survey of consultation/liason services in academic and hospital settings, to assess activity and funding, professional make-up, and any ongoing research. Committee meetings are often spent in sharing current research and clinical concerns, networking, and brainstorming about research possibilities.
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Policy Statement Advisory	John Schowalter, M.D.
The goal of the Policy Statement Advisory Committee is to help assure that Academy policy statements are correct in content and style. Following the creation of a new or revised policy draft, this committee reviews it for accuracy and clarity. If there are questions, the draft is returned to its creators, usually another committee, for revision. When the draft is approved by this committee, it is forwarded to the Academy Executive Committee and Council for further review and the final decision on acceptance.
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Prevention	Harry Wright, M.D.	top
The Committee administers the Irving Philips Award for Prevention and educates the AACAP membership about prevention through articles in the AACAP News and the DevelopMentor.
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Program	Neal Ryan, M.D.
The Program Committee develops the annual scientific program of the AACAP as well as other programs throughout the year to meet the standards of and to fulfill continuing education and maintenance of certification requirements for AACAP members. The committee must identify and include important emerging issues, infom AACAP members of opportunities for presentation of their scientific and professional work, plan and approve institute programs and schedule all parts of the annual meeting.
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Psychotherapy	Efrain Bleiberg, M.D. Timothy Dugan, M.D.
The Psychotherapy Committee is charged with both initiation and coordination of the AACAP's efforts to maintain psychotherapy as a core competence of child and adolescent psychiatrists. The committee will prepare psychotherapy offerings for the Annual Meeting and articles for the AACAP News, administer the Rieger Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Award, and work with other AACAP components to foster the development of psychotherapy practice parameters, training and research.
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Religion and Spirituality	Mary Lynn Dell, M.D. David Rube, M.D.
The Committee on Religion and Spirituality focuses on the education of AACAP members and other clinicians working with children and families about the importance of religion and spirituality in clinical understanding and practice.
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Rights and Legal Matters	Christopher Thomas, M.D.
The Rights and Legal Matters Committee of the AACAP serves as a resource to the Academy, its components and its members on matters relating to child and adolescent forensic psychiatry. This includes the role and contribution of child and adolescent psychiatry in legal matters and how the legal system affects the practice of child and adolescent psychiatry. The Committee promotes awareness and better understanding of the relationship between child and adolescent psychiatry and the law. The Committee serves as a liaison for the Academy to other professional organizations and agencies concerning child and adolescent psychiatry and the law, such as AAPL, advises the Executive Committee on requests to the Academy to join as amicus curiae, fosters educational programs regarding legal issues in child psychiatry at the Annual Meeting, assists the Work Group on Quality Issues in the development of Practice Parameters concerning issues in child and adolescent forensic psychiatry, works with other components on issues relating to the law, such as the Juvenile Justice Committee and assists the AACAP Government Affairs Department in its work on legal matters relating to child and adolescent psychiatry.
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Rural Psychiatry	Glenn Kashurba, M.D. Stuart Copans, M.D.
The Rural Psychiatry Committee focuses, collects information and educates the membership on the following issues: the need for institutional support for child and adolescent psychiatry services in rural areas; the psychosocial experience of rural child and adolescent psychiatrists; the need to expose child and adolescent psychiatry residents to the joys and tribulations of rural psychiatry and to develop programs at the AACAP meetings.
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Schools	Steven Adelsheim, M.D. Richard Mattison, M.D.
The Schools Committee addresses the psychiatric needs of children in schools, advocates for services to these children and helps educators increase their understanding of the needs of the population of children in schools suffering from complex psychological and behavioral problems.
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Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues	Richard Pleak, M.D.
The charge of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues Committee is to serve in an educational and research advisory capacity to the AACAP membership concerning issues involving gay, lesbian and transgender children and adolescents and their families; serve in an advisory capacity to the AACAP concerning professional issues for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender child psychiatry residents and members and to promote the development of the database and educational curricula in the area of gay, lesbian and transgender concerns in child and adolescent psychiatry.
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Substance Abuse and Addiction	Himanshu P. Upadhyaya, M.D.
The Substance Abuse Committee provides a forum for the discussion of issues related to the diagnosis and psychiatric treatment of children and adolescents suffering from substance abuse. Additionally, the committee keeps the membership abreast of research developments, etiology, course and treatment of substance abuse and prepares recommendations about policy issues and treatment interventions.
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Task Force on Strategic Planning in Substance Abuse Education and Research	Timothy Wilens, M.D.
The Task Force on Strategic Planning in Substance Abuse Education and Research is charged with developing a five-year plan for the AACAP to better educate child and adolescent psychiatrists on substance abuse issues.
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Telepsychiatry	Joseph Horrigan, M.D. Kathleen Myers, M.D.
The Telepsychiatry Committee was initiated in 2002. As a young and forward-looking Committee, we are actively soliciting involvement from medical students and residents with an interest in the potential of telemedicine as a consultative, diagnostic and therapeutic modality. The Committee is particularly interested in assisting AACAP members to develop knowledge, experience and competency in telemedicine in an effort to meet the psychiatric needs of all of this nation's children. The Committee is developing a list of core competencies related to telemedicine in the service of this population. We are sponsoring a symposium at the upcoming Annual Meeting in October that will explore the various applications of telemedicine in child psychiatry with an emphasis on practical pearls that will allow the clinician/consultant to be successful in this endeavor.
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Television and the Media	Michael Brody, M.D.
The Television and Media Committee's function is to assess the impact of media on children and disseminate this information to our membership. Our goals include the monitoring of children's media for positive education, commercialism, violence, and over all developmental appropriateness. We consult and advocate with Journalists and government staffers (FCC, FTC and Congress) to foster a more child sensitive media. We also liaison with AAP's Committee on Public Education. We evaluate media content and write reviews(on AACAP's web site) to help guide parents.
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Workforce Issues	Thomas F. Anders, M.D.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is committed to increasing the child and adolescent psychiatry workforce as its primary priority over the next 10 years. The Steering Committee on Workforce Issues will increase recruitment to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry by 10% per year over the next ten years starting in 2004. The Committee will utilize the following strategies: Establish partnerships with appropriate societies/organizations, (e.g. SRCAP, ADPERT, Division 53 of the APA) Develop a Strategic Plan of Action by October 2002 Obtain Funding to support Action Plan by October 2003
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Work Group	Chair

Work Group on Community-Based Systems of Care	Nancy Winters, M.D. Mark Chenven, M.D.
The WG on Systems of Care focuses on the mental health service needs of children within the context of the numerous public sector service agencies wherein they may present with difficulties and/or challenges. The WG seeks to advance the integration of mental health advocacy, service delivery and research within school, social service, juvenile justice, developmental, healthcare and early childcare settings, with specific attention to the need for family oriented, culturally competent, multidisciplinary, community-based service delivery systems. The WG's active work projects include efforts to develop training guidelines for professionals, engage and suppport family advocacy organizations, develop level of care needs assessment tools, and organize trainings and consultations on system of care principles and practices.
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Work Group on Consumer Issues	Cathryn Galanter, M.D. Glenn Kashurba, M.D.
The Work Group on Consumer Issues is a major component of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The Work Group on Consumer Issues primary focus is developing useful and relevant information and products about children and adolescents for two consumer groups-AACAP members and parents/families (general public. Annually, the group provides a written summary of all its activities, initiatives and products developed during this year to AACAP Council. AACAP Facts for Families remains a centerpiece of the Work Group's continuing efforts and can be viewed and downloaded from AACAP's website (www.aacap.org).
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Work Group on Maintenance of Certification	Sandra Sexson, M.D. Andrew Russell, M.D.
The Work Group on Maintenance of Certification?s primary focus is to assist AACAP members with the ABPN?s maintenance of certification requirements, including lifelong learning and self assessment components. The Work Group produces the MOC modules, published each year, which fulfill both of these components. The Work Group also plans two Institutes a year focused on the module journal articles, presented by experts in the field. In addition, AACAP has a staff expert in the MOC requirements to help members navigate through the MOC program.
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Work Group on Quality Issues	Oscar Bukstein, M.D. Heather Walter, M.D.
The Work Group on Quality Issues develops practice parameters that present the best methods for evaluating and treating children and adolescents who have psychiatric disorders. The primary purpose for these practice parameters is to help child and adolescent psychiatrists provide better care for their patients. We base these practice parameters on the best available scientific understanding, as expressed in contemporary research as well as accumulated clinical experience. This work group meets at least twice a year and also holds frequent conference calls to discuss practice parameters that are in development.
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Work Group on Research	David Shaffer, F.R.C.P., F.R.C.Psych.
The Work Group on Research is responsible for all issues and matters concerning outcomes research and serves as an advisory group for the Department of Research, Training and Education and AACAP sponsored research training programs.
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Work Group on Training and Education	Dorothy Stubbe, M.D. Jeffrey Hunt, M.D.
The Training and Education Committee addresses the issues of child and adolescent psychiatry training by providing resources for new training directors, providing recommendations to other training organizations such as the RRC and AADPRT. The committee is also charged with working with training directors to educate residents about AACAP membership.
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