Los Angeles — At the conclusion of the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., DLFAPA, began her one-year tenure as the organization’s new president. With more than 30 years of public sector clinical practice, Miskimen Rivera intends to focus her presidential year on empowering and advancing the needs of the psychiatric workforce. 

Miskimen Rivera was most recently chair and medical director of the Department of Psychiatry at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, New Jersey, and clinical professor of psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 

She has focused on improving access and delivery of psychiatric care to bilingual and bicultural communities and developing and implementing intercultural clinical programs. Miskimen Rivera has served in community-facing initiatives and held appointed positions under three past governors of the state of New Jersey to address mental health issues spanning the intersection of technology and the delivery of psychiatric care, mental health in university settings, and youth suicide prevention. 

Miskimen Rivera has been active in regional and national leadership roles within the APA, including president of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association, Speaker of the APA Assembly, APA Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, and vice-chair of the Joint Reference Committee. She chaired the APA Board of Trustees Ad Hoc Workgroup on Insurance and has contributed to many others.  

She is a past secretary general of the American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry and served as an advisor and content expert to the internationally recognized “Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics” project. She served as a delegate of the APA to the American Medical Association Section Council on Psychiatry and is a member of the American College of Psychiatrists. 

“Much is changing in our country and psychiatry, and I am grateful to take on this leadership role in this moment,” Miskimen Rivera said. “As a field, we have the opportunity to raise our voice as advocates for our members, our patients, and their families. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together as we embark on this journey.” 

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 39,200 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.