When a psychiatrist joins organized psychiatry by applying to the American Psychiatric Association, he or she is then a member of 1) one of five geographic chapters in New Jersey, 2) the New Jersey Psychiatric Association (NJPA) - a District Branch of the American Psychiatric Association, and 3) the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Dues are charged by the NJPA and the APA and invoices are sent by and payment made to the APA. The chapters do not charge dues.
The five regional chapters of the NJPA are: Central, Monmouth/Ocean, Northern, Southern and Tri-County. Each chapter is comprised geographically of certain NJ counties. Members are placed within chapters based on county of employment or residence. Residents and Fellows are, in addition to their geographic chapter, assigned to the Residents/Fellows Chapter for members-in-training (physicians in NJ psychiatry residency and fellowship training programs). Each Chapter has its own governance structure and plans dinner meetings and CME events separate from the NJPA that are free for members. Each chapter names a member to serve as a voting Trustee on the NJPA Board of Trustees so that the voice of the Chapter membership is represented at the District Branch level.
In addition to the Chapter Trustees, the voting members of the NJPA Board are five officers that form the Executive Committee (President, Senior Vice President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Immediate Past President), two Trustees-at-Large, a representative from each of four Councils (the Councils on Advocacy, Education, Member Services, and Professional Standards), the three APA Assembly Representatives.
The Councils of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association are led by a Chair and Co-Chair and comprised of members with an interest in the subject area. The five Councils are those named above plus the Council on Finance and Resources. Each Council represents one of five pillars of the organization; the areas of concern that encompass critical member services and benefits, focus on matters impacting the delivery of healthcare in New Jersey, position the members of the NJPA as the experts in all matters of mental and behavioral health and substance use disorders, or directly impact the administrative management of the Association.
The New Jersey Psychiatric Association is one of 5 District Branches that comprise Area 3 of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Area 3 is one of seven APA Assembly Areas that serve as regional links between the APA Assembly and the District Branches. Area 3 encompasses the District Branches of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and the Washington Psychiatric Society – A District Branch that consists of Washington, DC; Alexandria City, Arlington County, and Fairfax County (including all independent cities therein) in the state of Virginia; and Montgomery County and Prince George's County in the state of Maryland. Two subspecialty organizations-the American Association of Psychiatric Administrators and the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry-and the Southern Psychiatric Association are also members of Area 3. The APA Areas are represented by Councils comprised of elected members from each of the DBs and allied groups. The Councils provide a forum for discussion of national and regional issues and each have a Representative and Deputy Representative to the APA Assembly elected from among the Council members. The NJPA as a District Branch participates directly in official activities of the APA Assembly through its three representatives elected by the NJPA Board of Trustees to serve three-year terms.
The New Jersey Psychiatric Association strives to support its members in the compassionate and ethical delivery of the most current, evidence-based, empirically validated psychiatric care.
The mission of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association is to serve its members’ professional practice needs, including delivering essential practice management tools and continuing education programs; fostering physician wellness as the foundation of successful practice; educating the public and New Jersey’s lawmakers on the science of psychiatry; supporting the development of NJ psychiatrists in training; promoting the professional standards of psychiatric care; and advocating to protect the interests of patients and their families.
NJPA Board Approved on September 14, 2022 · Position Statement
In September 2022, the NJPA adopted the APA's position statement.
NJPA Becomes an Approved Subcontractor of the N.J. Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative Care Initiative Program designed...
“As a resident, I still have much to learn. I’ve been introduced to a supportive network of like-minded individuals and taken advantage of opportunities to improve my confidence in clinical settings and in conversations regarding professional advocacy.
— Michaela Margolis, DO
NJPA Member Since 2020
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