Position Statement on Ensuring Access to, and Appropriate Utilization of, Psychiatric Services for the Elderly

Position Statement on Ensuring Access to, and Appropriate Utilization of, Psychiatric Services for the Elderly

Decisional Capacity Determinations in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: A Guide for the General Psychiatrist

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrists are experienced in responding to requests from medical services for the determination of decisional capacity (DC). General psychiatrists are occasionally called upon to perform decisional capacity determinations, especially when functioning in a consultation-liaison role. Some may not have extensive prior or current experience in decisional capacity determinations. In recent years, there has been a significant amount of clinical research literature on DC, part

Xenophobia, immigration and mental health

Prepared by the Committee on Hispanic Psychiatrists While prejudice is defined as an evaluation (usually negative) of a social group or individual that is significantly based on their group membership, xenophobia can be considered a form of negative prejudice directed against a national or ethnic group. Historically, xenophobia has been associated with various large scale destructive acts of violence between peoples or by persons against other persons belonging to the “other” group. These in

Emotional Support Animals

This resource document provides an overview of the clinical, ethical, and legal considerations that a psychiatrist should consider when asked to write an emotional support animal (ESA) letter for a patient.

Mental Health Response to Migration Emergencies

This guide is crafted with a sense of urgency and purpose to provide support to those engaged in mental healthcare for migrants.

Position Statement on Integrating Opioid Use Disorders Treatment with Buprenorphine and Naltrexone with that of Co-Occurring Mental Illnesses

Position Statement on Integrating Opioid Use Disorders Treatment with Buprenorphine and Naltrexone with that of Co-Occurring Mental Illnesses

Position Statement on Mental Health and Climate Change

Position Statement on Mental Health and Climate Change

Physician Health Programs

This Resource Document aims to highlight some important safeguards and best practices for Physician Health Programs (PHPs) for physicians who seek help voluntarily from PHPs as well as those who are mandated participants. These suggestions are intended to help PHPs and their affiliates to align their practices and procedures with the goals of treatment and to minimize the risk of adverse outcomes, both for the public and for the physicians who participate in PHPs.

Core Principle for Alternative Payment Models for Behavioral Health

The APA’s Position Statement enunciates 10 principles. These are presented below along with their supporting background information. The first principle declares that the predominant goals for behavioral health APMs should be defined as increasing access and improving quality of care for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUDs), in order to improve outcomes.

Psychiatrists' responses to requests for psychiatric information in federal personnel investigations

Psychiatrists routinely receive and respond to patient authorizations to release information to third parties. However, a security clearance-related request for information differs from an ordinary release of information generally encountered in clinical practice. An ordinary release specifies records, notes, admission or discharge summaries, or other information generated in the course of clinical care. Most often, the information is to be released to another provider or facility for use in a

Religious/spiritual commitments and psychiatric practice

Psychiatrists should maintain respect for their patients' commitments (values, beliefs and worldviews). a. It is useful for clinicians to obtain information on the religious/spiritual commitments of their patients so that they may properly attend to them in the course of assessment, formulation, and treatment. b. Empathy for the patient's sensibilities and particular commitments is essential. Conflicts, either within the patient or within the clinician-patient relationship should be handled with

Best Practices in Synchronous Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health

This document represents an updated collaboration between the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) to create a consolidated update of the previous APA and ATA official documents and resources in telemental health (TMH) to provide a single guide on clinical best practices for providing mental health services via synchronous videoconference.