Title: Red Tape Doesn't Stop Family Violence Prevention Caucus
Author:
Section/SPIG: Maternal and Child Health
Issue Date:
Three APHA members from the MCH and Injury Sections, Michael Durfee, MD, Peggy Goodman, MD, and Pat West, MSW, have applied to create a Family Violence Prevention Caucus. Informal announcements attracted an additional 100 professionals, from students to full professors, from other sections, including MCH, Injury, Community Health, Epidemiology, Environment, Medical, International, Population, Public Health Nursing, and Social Work, as well as the SPIG for Alternatative and Complementary Medicine, and the Caucuses for Blacks, Homeless, Women, and Students.
After several years of planning and a year of paperwork, our application was submitted to the Executive Board. However, the Executive Board tabled our request, asking us to wait until the work of the Task Force on Association Improvement and Organization (TFAIR) has been completed. The TFAIR, convened to evaluate the structure of APHA, is committed to preserving the diversity of the Association as much as possible, while working within limited resources. The TFAIR is planning to submit a proposal to the Governing Council in New Orleans in November, but beyond that, it is difficult to tell when their task will be complete. Meanwhile, the problem of family violence continues, and so do we.
Our initial project will be a directory of members, but in the meantime, members of the proposed Caucus will be identified by dots on their name tags. We have no assigned meeting room in New Orleans, but the proposed Caucus will meet at the MCH Family Violence Committee business meeting, Monday, Nov. 7, from 6:30 to 8. Everyone is welcome, and if you cannot attend, send comments and questions to Michael Durfee, MD, at <michaeld55@aol.com>.