Last Saturday in Los Angeles during the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting, the Southern California Psychiatric Society (SCPS) and CSAP provided the content for a session on advocacy in California. The session was well attended and featured commentary by Drs. Laura Halpin and Emily Wood of SCPS, CSAP’s state advocates based in Sacramento, Paul Yoder and Dylan Elliott of SYASL, and State Senator Ben Allen and State Assemblyman Corey Jackson (pictured).
Senator Allen highlighted the myriad issues the Legislature is grappling with as well as more personally for him that his district was recently devastated by the Palisades fire. Assemblyman Jackson discussed the social determinants of health and behavioral health as well as his work on AB 73 and AB 220. Drs. Halpin and Wood highlighted for attendees the processes that lead to more successful advocacy at the state, local, and federal levels.
Thank you SCPS for your work to make this session a reality at this year’s APA Annual Meeting!
Also of note during the conference: Psychiatrists Rally in Los Angeles to Protest Cuts to Federal Mental Health Agency. Thank you California psychiatrists who continue to advocate not just within APA and CSAP but through every available channel to change the arc of proposals in Washington D.C.