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• Governance

Governance

What is the APA?
The American Psychiatric Association is a medical specialty society recognized world-wide. Its 37,000 U.S. and international member physicians work together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental disorder, including mental retardation and substance-related disorders. It is the voice and conscience of modern psychiatry. Its vision is a society that has available, accessible quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.

APA Structure
The structure of the American Psychiatric Association includes a legislative branch of elected representatives (the Assembly), a reservoir of appointed experts in a particular area (the Components), and the executive function (Board of Trustees).

The Assembly
The Assembly serves as the representative legislative component of the APA. It represents the individual members of the Association and acts for them in the affairs of the Association by means of the Representatives elected from each District Branch of the Association, and from other groups selected by vote of the Assembly. Additionally, it provides a means for representing the needs of District Branches to the other governing bodies of the Association and for reciprocal representation of the governing bodies in their relationship to the District Branches.

The Assembly is like the House of Representatives. The Assembly meets twice per year. Actions taken by the Assembly are generally in the areas of government relations and legislation, membership and district branch issues, managed care and economic affairs, education, standards and research issues.

Components are similar to the Cabinet of the US President. The term "components" is used to refer to councils and committees, corresponding committees, and task forces that report to each council. The members of components are appointed by the APA President-elect and bring expertise and perspective to a topical area of focus. There is a Fall Components Meeting every September. Many components also meet at the Annual meeting in May. The term "component" is sometimes used to refer to a sub-structure, so Assembly committees may be called components as well.

Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is composed of the APA chief officers, trustees who are elected out of each area, three trustees at large, including one ECP trustee, and an MIT (member-in-training) member. It has final decision making authority on all policies and actions that the APA takes. Any Assembly action must go through the Board of Trustees for action. The Board may also act independently.

Areas
Geographic areas have been established to provide a regional organizational structure as the interface between the APA the District Branches. The purpose is to promote relationships between organized psychiatry and state governments; enhance and provide cross-fertilization in District Branch activities; hold scientific meetings and other programs in continuing education; provide a forum for discussion of regional issues and development of and debate about national policy proposals; consider action papers from individuals and District Branches prior to submission to the Assembly; providing venues for MITs, ECPs, Minority/Underrepresented Groups, and Allied Organization Psychiatrists.

District Branches
The District Branches have been established to foster the science and enhance the progress of psychiatry, in cooperation with and as a part of the APA on the local level.

List of district branches with websites

For addition information on APA Governance, please click here