The Council on Communications collaborates with the Office of Communications and other APA departments to guide and enhance APA’s many activities in the dynamic field of communications. The Council works to transform public attitudes toward psychiatry by establishing an emotional connection between the public and psychiatrists. It is the responsibility of the Council to establish psychiatrists as the physician specialists with the most knowledge, training, and experience in the field of mental health and generate excitement about their ability to diagnose and treat mental illness.

Term

Three years; volunteer leaders will be eligible for reappointment for an additional three year term at the conclusion of their first term.

Expected Time Commitment

The Council meets monthly except in August, November, and December. The meetings are held on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. ET. Members are expected to attend at least 2/3 of the meetings and participate in Council initiatives.

Desired Expertise

Volunteers with experience speaking with the media, and with expertise in the following subjects: climate change, disaster mental health, veterans' mental health, women's mental health. Early-mid career psychiatrists with some degree of tech savviness are preferred.

Responsibilities

Volunteers are expected to participate in Council initiatives including but not limited to: reviewing and contributing feedback to action papers, assisting APA Communications staff with monthly messaging campaigns, helping signal boost APA messaging and programming on social media, providing periodic physician review for pages on psychiatry.org, participating in APA's internal speaker's bureau, and more.