Insight Matters
Summer, 2001

Retreat Yields Focus for OPA

This summer, members of your Executive Committee, Council, Committee Chairs and other OPA representatives met at the charming Granville Inn to begin a "Strategic Planning Process" to focus our activities for the coming months and years.

Following an orientation to the planning process, participants were randomly divided into four groups, each of which was asked to develop a list of three to five short- and long-term strategic goals for the organization. After these were presented to the combined group, participants were asked to select their "top three" short- and long-term goals from any or all of these lists. The following priorities emerged:

Short Term:

1. Various advocacy functions
Advocacy for ourselves, our profession and our patients, for ethical standards of care and ethical practices were among the highest priorities of the leadership group. Political and economic advocacy, alliances with other health professionals and health care organizations were suggested as a "leverage against powerlessness" and a key reason for psychiatrists to belong to and participate in the OPA. Designing a specific advocacy function for each OPA membership meeting was suggested.

2. Focusing on recruitment of new members
Improved recruitment and participation of medical students and residents; of early career psychiatrists, local, state and federal public mental health providers; and of subspecialists in Child and Adolescent, Addiction, Forensic, Geriatric, Pain, CL, Academic Psychiatry and others was the second priority. Education of our colleagues as to the benefits of membership, a focus on chapter participation and mentorship activities for our younger members were among the suggested means to this end.

3. Improving communications
Embracing the capabilities of the new e-technologies, including the Internet and Intranet, functional listservs for communications and continuing business operations was a third priority. Immediate attention to upgrading our Website, reconsidering the role and functions of our newsletter and written communications, achieving an immediacy of responsiveness were emphasized.

4. Promoting volunteerism
Establishing a visible public volunteer project appealing to Ohio psychiatrists was suggested. Some local chapters already participate in such activities as Depression Screening or providing services at a Free Clinic: A high visibility, statewide project,
both promoting public mental health and providing opportunities for collegiality and fellowship was seen as a fitting short-term goal.

5. Educating the public
An active program of public education regarding mental health issues, our profession and our role in the mental health community was also considered a key priority and a means to address "identity diffusion." A specific objective of doubling public education efforts was advocated.

Long Term:

1. Advocating for our Profession
Defining clearly our scope of practice, our roles and the relevance of psychiatry to the general public; advocacy with public policy makers, within the insurance industry and among our medical and allied colleagues; addressing issues of identity and empowerment were seen as major ongoing priorities for the organization. Advocacy work, public education, establishing a visible presence were all considered essential functions to achieving this objective.

2. Strengthening our collaborations
Strengthening collaborations with consumer and family organizations, other professional and allied healthcare organizations, advocacy groups, legislative organizations and others were seen as essential to our continuing existence.

3. Promoting collegiality and mutual support
Ultimately our strength as an organization and as a profession depends upon our ability to respect and to learn from each other, to support our work and our causes, and to enjoy and benefit from our time together. While the CME-focused approach to membership meetings is one approach to achieving some of these ends, it must not be considered the only or a sufficient approach.

4. Addressing the unique and diverse needs of the membership
As we seek to present ourselves with one voice, we must remember the many voices and diverse needs within our organization. We should focus foremost on those professionally related issues unique to our own state and to assist our members in adapting to the changing economics of practice; while remembering the varying needs and priorities of our various subspecialties and varying membership constituencies ranging from MIT and early career to retiring "life members."

5. Advocating for the underserved
Specific advocacy measures for the chronically mentally ill, underserved population of Ohio was a highly endorsed priority. We must recognize that even if national parity is achieved and some form of a patient's "bill of rights" is passed, the seriously mentally ill, medically indigent and disabled individuals we attempt to serve in the public sector will continue to have unique needs and challenges. We as professionals must continue to give voice to their needs and rally support for their services.

One may well ask what good it does to set such "strategic goals;" will they truly impact our day to day operations, or will they be no more than another vanity of self-importance?

Strategic goals should inform all of our operations, provide a bit of a moral compass if you will, and in essence reflect and define our "mission," our purpose for existence; and our "vision," that future which we seek to create. But strategic goals by themselves effect no action, achieve no defined, measurable objectives. Our next step in this ongoing process must be the translation of these strategic goals into operational goals and measurable objectives. The strategic goal of "Improving Communications" for example, may be operationalized into (a) upgrading our website; (b) developing our listserv capacities; and (c) reassessing Newsletter functions. The operational goal of upgrading our website is then broken into specific, measurable objectives such as (1) solicit proposals for new website by 9/1/01; (2) review and approve by executive committee by 9/15/01; (3) launch new website by 11/1/01… etc.

Every official action of the organization should be considered relative to our strategic goals: For example, we have proposed a requirement that every Action Paper considered by Council identify which strategic goal it addresses, and that each Committee define its operational goals based on their relation to these strategic goals. Such a process insures that the organization focuses its limited energies on matters of greatest importance to the membership. As such, it is altogether appropriate and necessary that the membership participate in determining these goals. I would ask that every one of you consider the list your leadership group has generated and how it does or does not reflect your concerns and priorities. Discuss them at your local chapter meetings, with your officers and councilors. Send us your comments and suggestions; indicate your areas of interest and how you feel you can contribute to our future.

This exercise is clearly a beginning, not an end to this process, which I hope will guide our organization into the future. I thank you all for your participation and support, and look forward to our traveling this path together.

Robert Ronis, M.D.,
President