Leadership Opportunities

Leadership opportunities exist at the national, district branch/state association, and chapter levels for all members, whether they are new to psychiatry, have years of experience, or fall somewhere in between. These leadership opportunities are an important way for you to bring your expertise, knowledge, and energy to APA and the field of psychiatry and to take an active role in your Association. Below, you can learn about the many ways to get involved in APA.

Board of Trustees

APA members elect all voting members of the Board. The Board determines and approves APA priorities, policies, and budgets. Each year a number of positions on the Board of Trustees come up for election, and nominations are due each year by October 1. Learn more about the nomination and election process and view current members of the Board of Trustees.

Learn about the different positions on the Board of Trustees

President, specific responsibilities

Serves as chair of the Board of Trustees and the Board Executive Committee
Serves as spokesperson for the Association
Serves ex-officio on designated components
Works with officers and other members of the Board to set priorities and policy for the Association and with the Board and the chief executive officer to formulate policy and develop initiatives to advance those priorities
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Pesident-elect, specific responsibilities

Serves as the chair of Joint Reference Committee (JRC), an officer of the Board and the Board Executive Committee, and ex-officio member of designated components
Appoints chairs and members to APA components
Works with the president and the Board to set Association priorities and policy and with the Board and the chief executive officer to formulate policy and develop initiatives to advance those priorities
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Secretary, specific responsibilities

Serves as an officer and voting member of the Board and of the Board Executive Committee
Certifies the minutes of Board meetings and prepares summaries of the official actions of the Board for yearly presentation at the Annual Business Meeting and for publication in the American Journal of Psychiatry
Certifies the editions of the Bylaws
Reviews disclosures of potential conflicts of interests (See Appendix M, “Component Appointment Form,” and Appendix S, “Disclosure of Interests and Affiliations,” of the Operations Manual)
Oversees the process for the recall of officers or elected trustees (APA Bylaws, Section 4.9)
Validates petitions for member referenda according to the requirements contained in the Operations Manual (APA Bylaws, Section 8.4)
Works with the Board to set Association priorities and with the Board and the chief executive officer to formulate policy and develop initiatives to advance those priorities
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Treasurer, specific responsibilities

Serves as voting member of the Board of Trustees and the Board Executive Committee
Serves as ex-officio member of the Finance and Budget Committee
Chair of the Audit Committee
Serves as receives, disburses, accounts for, and manages all Association monies under the general direction of the Board
Submits a financial statement each year to the Board and to the Assembly at the Annual Meeting and to the auditors
Participates with the Finance and Budget Committee in preparing the Association's budget
Responsible for investment of Association funds with the help of the Asset Management Advisory Committee and the chief executive officer
Attends and participates in all Board meetings
Works with the Board to set Association priorities and with the Board and the Chief Executive Officer to formulate policy and develop initiatives to advance those priorities
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Carries out the orders and resolutions of the Board and membership
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Area Trustee, specific responsibilities

Serves as a voting member of the Board of Trustees
Serves as an ex-officio member of his or her Area Council
Attends all Board meetings and participates in matters at hand
Works with the Board to set Association priorities and with the Board and the chief executive officer to formulate policy and develop initiatives to advance those priorities
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Trustee-at-Large, specific responsibilities

Serves as voting member of the Board of Trustees
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Early Career Psychiatrist Trustee, specific responsibilities

Serves as a voting member of the Board of Trustees
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Minority/Underrepresented (M/UR) Trustee, specific responsibilities

Serves as voting member of the Board of Trustees
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Confirms that the official business of the Association is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities

Resident-Fellow Member Trustee, specific responsibilities

Serves as voting member of the Board of Trustees
Attends all Board meetings and participate in matters at hand
Participates in the formulation and implementation of Association policies
Works with the Member-in-Training Trustee and the Board to set Association priorities and to formulate policy and develop initiatives to advance those priorities
Conducts Association business in accordance with its Bylaws
Carries out the orders and resolutions of the Board and membership
Ensures that the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities
Confirms that the official business of APA is conducted in an efficient, effective, and legal manner

Assembly

The Assembly is a deliberative, advisory body to the Board of Trustees. It represents the individual members of the Association and acts for them in the affairs of APA by means of the district branch representatives. The Assembly is comprised of representatives and deputy representatives elected by the district branches; a representative and deputy representative from each Minority and Underrepresented (M/UR) Caucus; a resident-fellow member representative and deputy representative from each Area; an early career psychiatrist representative and deputy representative from each Area; a representative from each assembly allied organization; and the Assembly Executive Committee.

The Assembly is officiated by a speaker, speaker-elect and recorder and governed by the Procedural Code of the Assembly. The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Alice Sturgis, is used to maintain order during Assembly meetings.

Find your Assembly Representative.
Each district branch/state association elects representatives to the Assembly following its own process. Please contact your DB/SA for details on becoming an Assembly representative.

Councils and Committees

Without the involvement of its members through service on councils and committees, APA cannot accomplish the important work to benefit patients with mental illness and advocate for the profession’s interests. One-third of the positions on APA’s councils and committees are open for appointment each year. The APA Board of Trustees assigns the president-elect to fill these positions. Members with expertise in the content areas of the 13 councils representing the breadth of diversity within the membership is strongly encouraged to put their names forward for consideration. If you are interested in being considered for an appointment to a council or committee, send a brief paragraph outlining your area of interes, experience, and a biographical sketch to APA at appointments@psych.org.

Caucuses

An APA Caucus is defined as a group of self-selected special interest psychiatrists members. The purpose of APA caucuses is to promote communication and networking among member psychiatrists who share a special interest so that they may bring attention to important or emerging issues to APA, patient care and the practice of psychiatry within that special interest area.