Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society
Accomplishments & Major Initiatives
June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT
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Launched a modern monthly e-newsletter with a
new editor-in-chief, Dr. Selarnick, improving communication across the
society. Monthly message by president to increase society engagement.
Call to action to help grow society -
Implemented innovative strategies to grow social media
presence, including Facebook private group, Instagram,
LinkedIn, and a multi-platform posting tool (PUBLER). -
Early Career Psychiatrist (ECP) and Resident-Fellow Member (RFM)
representatives boosted engagement among younger members through
WhatsApp communications and “Town Hall” talks on relevant
topics. -
Streamlined committee structure; formed the Membership
Engagement Committee by merging Membership and
Media/Communications, focusing on recruitment, retention, and
streamlined communications. Co-chaired by Drs. Chakrabarti and
Selarnick, with Dr. Mosam Naik added to support younger
members. -
Continued welcoming new members by mailing membership
certificates and welcome letters from the District Branch
President. -
Membership growth/retention actions: Since the
APA published the 2026 potential drop list, the society reduced the
original list by 62% through outreach efforts, with ongoing work to
retain remaining members. -
Increased outreach prior to the APA conference to encourage
member participation and engagement. -
Program Directors’ Special Interest Group (PD-SIG), led by Drs.
Ahmad Hameed and Gary Swanson, continues to provide valuable networking
for residents, supporting early involvement and long-term affiliation; a
Residency Career Fair is planned for Aug 2026 -
Approved and launched outreach for NAMI Walks in October, with
communications distributed via e-blast, newsletter, and social
media. -
The Keystone Psychiatric Forum, scheduled for
October 9–11, 2026, was established to attract members, early career
psychiatrists, residents, fellows, and families, Planning includes
multiple subcommittees/workgroups (marketing, sponsorship, education,
resident poster competition), a poster competition, exhibit hall, and
Women’s Networking Reception; “save-the-date” postcard mailed;
sponsorship package distributed (Dec 18) and resent (Jan 6); -
Launching a new website on a modernized platform, enhancing
society visibility and accessibility -
Member Recognition
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Newsletter spotlighted members across categories (RFMs, chapters)
and added private practice/addiction psychiatry columns plus a monthly
government relations update. -
Women’s History Month legacy feature: highlighted PaPS women
presidents (1978–2026). -
Strengthened awards: developed objective criteria for the annual
PaPS Presidential Award. -
Established a new Community Impact Award honoring Dr. Richard
Silbert (with past DB President Dr. Gail Edelsohn). -
Compiled a centralized, member-ready list of chapter, statewide,
and APA/Assembly awards for ongoing updates on the new website. -
Recognized 60+ PaPS members giving 141 presentations at the APA
annual meeting . -
Recognized and supported applications for new APA Fellows and
Distinguished Fellows and a Life Fellow (20 total).
ADVOCACY, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, AND
COLLABORATIONS
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Government relations and advocacy impact strengthened: achieved
ongoing wins through the Government Relations Committee in collaboration
with the Pennsylvania Medical Society and other specialty Mental Health
organizations -
Annual Advocacy Update webinar (March 4):
Government Relations Committee hosted its annual “Advocacy Update” as
part of the monthly PaPS webinar series, featuring Representatives Mike
Schlossberg (Chair of House Mental Health Caucus and Democratic Whip)
and James Flick (Republican Chair of the Human Services Subcommittee on
Drugs and Alcohol) who answered questions on an array of topics of
importance to our field. -
Psychology prescribing (anticipated state senate
bill): Senator Gene Yaw has a draft senate bill to extend
prescription privileges to psychologists. Members were encouraged to
educate senators—especially those on the Senate Consumer Protection and
Professional Licensure Committee—about: (1) psychiatrists are physicians
trained in physiology and medication effects; psychologists are trained
in psychological processes and not medication use; (2) shortages exist
across mental health professions and prescribing privileges do not
address access; (3) in jurisdictions with these privileges, fewer than
280 psychologists nationwide obtained certification over ~30 years; (4)
better access solutions include robust collaborative care models between
psychiatrists and primary care without risking patient safety. -
Gambling: PaPS collaborated with
PSAM on a position statement with recommendations for harm
mitigation related to internet gambling; concern emphasized for impacts
on citizens, particularly young adult (and younger) males. Executive
Council approved the joint position statement (Feb 25, 2026), noted
press release pending, forwarded to HR Joint State Commission for
review, and an APA Action Paper submission in progress. -
Artificial intelligence: Legislative efforts
underway to regulate AI in mental health (e.g., HB2100, SB1113). The
committee expressed concern that current chatbots may harm vulnerable
individuals; cautioned that absolute bans could restrict valuable
adjunctive tools; plans to monitor legislation. Executive Council
separately approved written testimony on AI in Mental Health (Feb 22,
2026; financial impact none). -
School mental health: Discussed proposals
including statewide secondary-school screening tools (co-sponsorship
memo by Aeron Abney) and mental health days (HB 1648; as much as two
days every two weeks). Concerns noted: screening quality, consent,
privacy, and follow-up for students screening positive; questioned
whether additional time off school is the best intervention. -
Reviewed Governor’s budget: Proposed budget
begins the process of determining state priorities over the next year.
Important things for psychiatry to note are proposed legalization (and
taxation) of recreational cannabis use by adults and regulating and
taxing “skill games” (difficult to distinguish from slot machines).
These two proposals are expected to help generate revenue, but at what
cost remains to be seen. Notably, the budget does not meaningfully
increase funding for mental health care; even maintaining current levels
will be challenging amid impending Medicaid changes. This reflects a
troubling pattern: expanding addictive products while failing to invest
adequately in treatment and prevention. -
Broader collaborations and inclusion related
work: Continued liaison work with mental health organizations
including the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Leadership Council (PPLC) to
develop/support a PA-wide Racial Justice Learning Collaborative with all
PA psychiatry residency program directors, focusing on
recruitment/retention of Black residents and inclusive
curriculum/training; discussions ongoing to enhance APA Minority and
Diversity Fellowships across Pennsylvania.
BUDGET/FINANCE IMPROVEMENTS
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Developed a strategic scope involving chapter
leaders and full council with management Next Wave Group to proactively
address universal budget and growth challenges, ensuring the long-term
success of our society -
Focus on Increasing Non Dues Revenue and
Sustainability-
Management contract with Next Wave Group to provide association
management and program services was reviewed by full Council on December
13, 2025. Minimal increase of 2% in association management fees
negotiated with dedicated projects – Membership Growth and
Sponsorship projects added to NWG scope to increase society
numbers and non dues revenue. Re-evaluation for an additional increase
in June 2026 depending on effectiveness of these 2 projects. -
Sponsorship project liaison with NWG charged with implementing
sponsorship plans from diverse business and industry partners – approx.
$50k raised for KPF and $18K from PRMS -
Voluntary Donation Letter Distributed to Dues Exempt Members:
thanked for generous contributions and expanding efforts to include
other dedicated members in this project
-
-
Adopted budget/sponsorship guidelines for inclusion in Policies
& Procedures; -
Initiated a wealth advisor search for the investment account to
potentially lower advisory fees and improve strategy support; -
Moved APA dues receivables accounting to a modified cash basis
(all other reporting remains accrual) to improve transparency and timing
of available revenue; -
Approved moving from Club Express to AMO to better serve
membership and provide additional resources for communications and
engagement while saving on fees; AMO’s fee structure is significantly
less and offers additional services. -
Reviewed renewal options for Commonwealth Compliance Solutions,
PaPS PAC Management services: reduced services and reduced annual
retainer fee from $6,000 to $3,600.
EDUCATION
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Continued free monthly webinar series for members: engagement
continues to increase with an average of 70 attendees per session.
Attendees are eligible to claim 1.0 CME credit hours for each webinar
and 12.0 free CME credits per year -
Recruited top-tier speakers including APA President Dr. Theresa
Miskimen (January 2026) -
Developed speaker honorarium
-
Patient Safety and Risk webinar conference
-
The Keystone Psychiatric Forum, PaPS’ statewide
conference, will provide 10.5 CME/CE credit hours over a
two-day conference. A poster competition, exhibit hall, and Women’s
Networking Reception will add to the value of the conference. -
PaPS’ educational events are open to non-PaPS members. Area 3
members can go to the PaPS website to view and register for virtual and
in-person events.
GOVERNANCE
-
strengthened the Chapter President Coalition to enable direct
collaboration among chapter presidents and the Executive Committee with
quarterly meetings to make sure chapters felt heard -
DB president to meet with Chapter presidents to discuss smooth
transition to next leaders
-
Held a leadership retreat that generated key action items of
establishing our first PaPS statewide conference to both increase
membership engagement and increase chapter revenue – the Keystone
Psychiatric Forum – scheduled for October 9–11, 2026 at Kalahari
Resorts/Convention Center (Pocono Manor). -
Created a Small Chapter Coalition/Collaborative to bring virtual
events and increase collaboration statewide with further development
planned in 2026; -
Nominating Committee developed a reader friendly document to
clearly define roles and responsibilities for potential new chapter and
state leaders including expectations and specifics for District Branch
committees and full council meetings
ASSEMBLY
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Represented our members through our hardworking and dedicated APA
assembly representatives and committee leaders through their several
action papers and insightful input for our national
organization. -
Submitted two RFM candidates for this year’s Area 3 Resident
Awards. Dr. Mosam Naik and Dr. Radhika Patel are in training at St.
Luke’s University Health Network and active in the DB’s Lehigh
Chapter. -
Strengthening Our Voice: Area 3 (Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Maryland, Delaware, and Washington DC) and the May 2026
Assembly -
Bridging the Communication Gap The Area 3 communication
committee’s new strategy focuses on building a more transparent and
fluid communication infrastructure. A key priority is developing
WhatsApp groups and a formal communication policy to facilitate “up and
down” discussion from the Assembly to district branches, local chapters,
and general members. To address the disconnect some feel with the
national organization, the committee’s goal is producing brief,
digestible summaries of APA bills and actions, translating complex
policy into plain-language explanations that show why these wins matter
to your practice. Additionally, a proposed new Member Spotlight program
will launch to recognize your achievements, pairing these features with
brief “advocacy victory” callouts to highlight our collective
impact. -
Leading Through Action Papers
Pennsylvania psychiatrists are spearheading a robust slate of Action
Papers (APs) for the upcoming Assembly. These proposals address critical
public health and professional issues, including:
-
Public Health & Advocacy: We have an action paper focusing on
de-escalation and sensitivity training for ICE officers to minimize
trauma, while another seeks a formal APA position statement on
gambling. -
Clinical Management: Two action papers (led by PAPS
representatives) advocate for strengthening psychiatry’s role in obesity
management and improving access to inpatient care regarding EMTALA
responsibilities. -
Professional Standards: Another action paper addresses the need
for a position on age-triggered physician cognitive assessments, and
another proposes an affiliate membership model for family physicians
within district branches.
-
By utilizing foundational data, such as email open rate analysis,
the Area 3 communications committee aims to ensure these advocacy
efforts and resources reach every member in Pennsylvania. -
See link for a new APA Communities video tutorial for the APA
Communities website and the new Communities mobile app: https://www.psychiatry.org/Membership/Get-Involved/APA-Communities/Navigating-APA-Communities-A-Comprehensive-Guide
CHAPTER ACHIEVEMENTS
Central
A new sponsor partnership was established resulting in support for an
engaging resident poster night. Ongoing sponsorship as anticipated,
could increase the chapter budget by approximately 60%. This enhancement
would allow for improved event quality and facilitation of additional
chapter events, expanded small-chapter collaborative initiatives, and
movement towards annual established events.
Lehigh
The Lehigh chapter experienced growth in active membership,
increasing from 108 members in June 2025 to 116 members by April 2026.
Approximately 50% of the membership consists of resident-fellow members.
Six new Distinguished Fellows and Six Distinguished Life Fellows will be
honored at the May APA annual meeting. The chapter organized several
successful events, including the Fall 2025 “Twisted Teas” social
networking event featuring a golf simulator, yard games, billiards, and
darts. The December 2025 Holiday Party at The Edge was fully sponsored
by two industry partners. The Spring 2026 “Graduation Extravaganza” and
Annual Chapter Meeting were held at the Steel Country Club to honor
resident and fellow graduates. A membership survey regarding
perspectives on pharmaceutical-sponsored educational events was
conducted during the December gathering. The results were subsequently
discussed in a PaPS monthly newsletter. The chapter concluded the 2025
calendar year with a surplus of $1,600. The maximum registration fee
charged to members for events was $10. Resident Fellow Member engagement
was strengthened by increasing representation to one resident per
training program (three representatives total). Chapter members
contributed several articles to the newsletter throughout the year.
President Dr. Howard Levin expanded the chapter’s social media presence
and serves as the PaPS Facebook administrator. Resident Fellow Member
Dr. Mosam Naik co-chairs the Membership Engagement Committee and is the
Instagram administrator. Dr. Christine Marchionni represented the
chapter on the PaPS District Branch executive board as Secretary.
Northeast
Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri (former chapter president) was recognized as a
finalist in the APA Mind Games trivia competition. The chapter recently
held its most successful meeting in recent years, marked by strong
attendance. Additionally, initial contact has been established with the
Geisinger Residency in Scranton, with plans for residents and staff to
participate in the next meeting.
Pittsburgh
The 2025 Resident Research and Awards Night transitioned to a new
venue and experienced robust attendance. A record nine awards were
distributed across three categories, including the newly established
Mid-Career Award.
Chapter bylaws were revised to guarantee dedicated Resident Fellow
Member representation from both local residency programs on council. For
member development funding, approval was granted for a resident
scholarship program via the Pittsburgh Foundation Fund, providing up to
ten scholarships of $500 each to facilitate participation at the fall
Keystone Psychiatric Forum statewide conference!
June Networking Event is being advertised with early preparation
starting for the November 2026 Resident Research Night.
Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Chapter invigorated its membership through a
strategic emphasis on innovation, the preservation of longstanding
traditions, and the cultivation of meaningful professional
relationships.
Notable achievements during the year included the successful
introduction of a morning case conference, a distinguished Awards Gala,
an intellectually stimulating Scholars Colloquium, and a dynamic Women’s
Brunch, among other hallmark events.
By convening gatherings at prominent regional institutions, the
chapter fostered unique opportunities for collaboration and the exchange
of ideas, thereby encouraging new perspectives and facilitating
interdisciplinary engagement among members and community leaders.
Through regular in-person business meetings, the chapter unified
general members and leadership, promoting substantive dialogue and
innovative approaches. The establishment of new local networking groups
further strengthened member engagement, supporting the development of
professional relationships and collaborative initiatives.
Western
The chapter successfully hosted two well-attended events, aiming to
foster further membership growth. Advocacy efforts included Dr.
DiNunzio’s engagement with local state representatives on behalf of the
chapter. Notable progress was made in increasing resident membership.
President-Elect Dr. Peter Coffman served as a proxy delegate at the Area
3 Assembly. The chapter also welcomed new officers and developed plans
to sustain positive momentum.