Searching for Solutions

Improving mental health equity is a daunting topic to consider. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work involves acknowledging the current state as being unacceptable. And being such a vast issue, one can feel at a loss as to what can be done to improve it. When seeking concrete, actionable steps for improving equity in your community, the essential word is “community”.

To improve your experience and support new learning strategies, AAPP is launching a new learning platform later this year. AAPP.org is expected to be offline for the transition December 1-11, 2023. While most of the web site experience will remain familiar, key enhancements will be made.

It’s hard to believe how fast a year goes by. It seems like only yesterday we were together, celebrating our organization’s 25th anniversary in San Antonio, and now we are already reflecting on another successful AAPP Annual Meeting, this year held in Atlanta. It was great to catch up with so many friends and colleagues from across the country and beyond, while also enjoying top notch, diverse, and at times, emotional programming.

AAPP’s Forum on our Future held during AAPP 2024 and available to members as a recording, reported on the major initiatives occurring within AAPP. With a very full agenda, reflections on AAPP’s financial health were not able to be included and, as such, are overviewed in this article.

The lead off goal in AAPP’s strategic plan is a lofty and important one: Establish the BCPP credential as the practice standard in psychiatric pharmacy and expand professional opportunities for BCPPs. Since no one particular activity will achieve this, the Board and strategic planning committee crafted several objectives that flowed from this priority goal.

Today’s rapidly changing health care environment requires flexibility, fluidity, and responsiveness. As the home of psychiatric pharmacy, AAPP strives to stay ahead of this ever-evolving landscape to serve members, the profession, and ultimately, the patients our members care for. Though AAPP has a thorough, member-driven strategic plan providing strong direction, it is monitored and tweaked as needed to adjust or pivot in this dynamic environment.

Research has shown time and again that as social beings we are designed to be part of a community, a tribe, a group of humans that we can call “our people.” I have tribes of people in all aspects of my life, with AAPP being one of them and one of my most valued.

With the formation of the Commission on Innovation and Advancement within AAPP, we have seen growth in the number of AAPP papers published in our very own Mental Health Clinician as well as other high-impact journals. The topics are tightly aligned with our strategic goals as outlined in our strategic plan. While some of our newest additions are highlighted below, check out all of the other important publications over the last few years under our AAPP papers web page.

The June Issue of AAPP Perspective will revisit a successful AAPP 2024 in early April in Florida with reflections on sessions and speakers. Annual Meetings are also all about updating members on all of the activities occurring throughout the organization from strategic priorities to new products to advocacy. This edition of the AAPP Perspective will overview all of the exciting things in the work as well as update you on the business of AAPP as your home association.

Congratulations to Kelly Gable, Suzanne Harris, Kelly Lee, Rosana Steavenson, Jonathan Leung, Mary Accomando and all the other members making an impact in psychiatric pharmacy!

Welcome to our January AAPP Perspective featuring articles commissioned by our Resident and New Practitioner Committee around the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Since DEI is critically important and one of the primary drivers in the AAPP strategic plan, I am excited to learn from my peers who have authored featured articles.

In 2023, AAPP increased its efforts in terms of outreach and engagement with legislators, regulators, and partner organizations and weighing in on issues impacting the membership and outlined in the 2023 Health Policy Agenda. As the new year begins, we look back on the many advocacy activities AAPP was engaged in last year with the expectation that 2024 will be action packed and full of opportunity to educate and promote the vital work of psychiatric pharmacists.