Description
In the past few years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has been joined by other leading healthcare professional organizations such as American Medical Association and governmental agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Mental Health in prioritizing the social determinants of mental health (SDOMH). In 2022, the APA also made SDOMH the central theme of its Annual Meeting, convened a task force on SDOMH, and has now established a Caucus on SDOMH. These actions are a recognition of the consensus expectation for physicians to incorporate a SDOMH-informed approach in their clinical and research work to improve health outcomes in an equitable manner. While physicians are increasingly able to do so within their own institutions and practices to reduce disparities, they may not fully recognize their capacity to advocate for a greater focus on SDOMH within local, state, and federal governments. Physicians may find themselves limited by a lack of time, unclear institutional support, confidence in their advocacy skills, and limited opportunities to engage lawmakers and regulators. As clinicians or researchers, they may not appreciate their ability to be politically active or may be skeptical of the value of such activism. The panelists have faced each of these barriers and will share our experiences in successfully overcoming them. We will demonstrate the role of political engagement in furthering the adoption of the SDOMH across the healthcare ecosystem and in other systems, such as education and justice, which are interwoven to healthcare outcomes. A panelist who is the Chair of the APA Caucus on SDOMH shall share a roadmap for psychiatrist attendees to deepen a SDOMH-informed perspective across the organization and its members. Specific examples from two panelists’ bipartisan work in Congress as House and Senate staffers will illustrate for the audience the possibility of excelling as a physician advocate for SDOMH. Participants will also be guided on how a systemic SDOMH lens can prevent illness through reducing exposure to toxic stress during development. and not merely alleviate it. They shall obtain practical policy lessons from a pediatrician leader who formerly served as the Acting Surgeon General of the State of California and helped it become the first state to implement universal screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) through the ACEs Aware initiative. This session is designed to be highly interactive, with use of active learning techniques such as interactive polling and audience discussion. We will also share further opportunities to continue advocacy engagement after the session through the APA and other organizations.
Format
Recorded webinar.
This content was recorded during the APA 2023 Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- Identify impactful opportunities for advocacy to help reduce mental health disparities.
- Use practical skills to achieve political action furthering equitable access to mental health care.
- Increase adoption of a social determinants-informed approach amongst colleagues.
Target Audience
Medical Students, Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists, non-psychiatrist Physicians
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.5 hours
Program Start Date: May 1, 2025
Program End Date: May 1, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may do so after completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Instructors
- Mandar Jadhav, MD
- Eric Rafla-Yuan, MD
- Devika Bhushan, MD
Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance