About AACP
Welcome to the AACP Website!
For those of you who are not familiar with the AACP, we have been in existence since 1985 and have grown from a small group of psychiatrists working in community mental health centers to an organization serving psychiatrists who work in a broad range of both traditional and nontraditional mental health settings. We have become one of the most dynamic and productive organizations in the mental health sphere, and perhaps in all of human services. As you explore our site, this will begin to become apparent to you, and if you decide to join us in our efforts with your membership, the richness of the organization will gradually unfold before you.
You will see that we have accomplished much. But we hope to do more. Particularly with the latest developments in healthcare reform, it is a critical time for mental health care and our communities. We hope to strengthen our ability to effectively advocate for high quality care for everyone who suffers from behavioral health problems. Regardless of current macroeconomic challenges, this is a commitment we must rise to.
We have developed a strategic plan that is helping to move us into a new organizational phase. Some current products of this plan include an active project to develop certification in community psychiatry, the sponsoring of a community psychiatry textbook, and a technical leadership capacity in partnering with the American Psychiatric Association’s effort to translate to practice the principles of recovery in mental health. We continue to advance social enterprises such as our role in designing the Level of Care Utilization System for Psychiatric and Addiction Services (LOCUS) and the Child and Adolescent Level of Care Utilization System (CALOCUS) and in developing a professional mentorship service for psychiatrists in community behavioral healthcare organizations.
We are grassroots: extending our efforts to enlist the active participation of our members, both ad hoc and through our committees and work groups. As such, we are developing our web-based capacities as tools for communication among members.
Above all, we are values-driven. The key to achieving our goals is an active and diverse membership invested in quality care by employing psychiatric practices that accentuate interdisciplinary collaboration and alliance with other professionals and with consumers of behavioral health services. Please join us in our mission to inspire, empower and equip community psychiatrists to promote quality care that improves the well being of individuals and communities.
Enjoy your visit and come back soon!
Hunter McQuistion, MD
President, AACP
Autumn, 2010