My Track Record for Reform in APsaA

Dear Colleagues,

In an earlier posting I made the point that our Association has finally begun to change as we recognize many of the internal and external realities which affect us. In particular, I emphasized that we need to find a way to end the certification/TA link which, in my view, is the biggest contributor to our current dissension.

Since I am currently a candidate for APsaA President-Elect I want to remind you about my history of support for a number of progressive reforms so that you can decide for yourself whether or not I’m the best candidate to lead us towards change.

My first involvement with APsaA was in the early 90’s on behalf of my local institute. At that time there were very rigid requirements and procedures governing the admission of “non-medical” (a term we used then) candidates. I felt, as did my local institute, that we were not at all well served by placing obstacles in the path of well-qualified “non medical” mental health professionals who wanted to join us. In fact I think we are still paying the price for this by bearing animosities from such colleagues, even these many years later.

I argued back then at the CNMCT (COPAP predecessor) and in front of both BOPS and the Executive Council for the relaxation of these procedures. I also argued for granting considerably more discretion to the local institutes in admission policies. Some significant reforms have occurred in this area and I believe my voice has helped. So I think it’s clear that I’ve stood for greater local institute autonomy for fifteen years.

After I was elected EC Chair of my institute I began service as a BOPS Fellow (’96-’01). A year later I was elected Councilor-at-Large (’97-01) and began to serve on our Board of Directors (the Executive Council) where I continue to serve. I was elected Treasurer twice (’02-’05, ’05- ) so I have been an officer and a member of our Executive Committee for over five years. I’ve always spoken out for the need for progressive changes in our organization at BOPS and our BOD.

I supported a bylaw amendment delinking membership and voting status from certification, a bylaw amendment granting voting rights to our candidates, a proposed bylaw amendment to remove certification from the bylaws, and, most recently, the local option bylaw amendment. I supported initiatives to expand further opening of membership opportunities to qualified non-APsaA trained analysts. I supported a BOPS proposal to create a very limited but alternate route to TA status (the “Associate Training Analyst” Proposal). I was often in a lonely position, as the sole member of the Executive Committee or, at most, one of only two members, supporting such changes.

My point is that I have a long, consistent, and principled history of support for progressive changes regardless of whether or not the majority of the particular governing body or the organization as a whole was behind those innovations. Winds of change have moved our organizational weather vanes towards many of the very same proposals that I have supported for years and I would like the opportunity to help bring about those needed reforms which can help solve our organizational dilemmas. I think you can count on me to take a principled position even if it has been unpopular in the past. I hope that I will be worthy of your support. Working together we can advance our Association and psychoanalysis.

Warren R. Procci