Happy New Year!

As we enter 2007, the Mental Health Section has both an exciting and busy year ahead.  Our November meeting was very successful, and I hope that we can continue to make positive changes for the Section in the next year. I would like to give everybody a quick outline of events to come.  You will continue to hear from me regularly, but here is where we are right now:

As usual, I would like to remind every Section member to log on to the APHA Web site and check your contact information and status of membership - even if you think it's correct.  A correct e-mail is particularly crucial, because all of our correspondence with the Section relies upon e-mail contact.  It only takes a few minutes but could make a world of difference to the Section. 

The next issue of the Section newsletter will be coming out in the summer.  If you have items of interest, contact Arturo Cervantes at acervantes@anahuac.mx . Don't think you have anything to contribute?  Consider the following: do you have a new training grant, fellowship, or job opening? Give us the relevant information,  and we will post it.  Have you had publications in peer-reviewed journals in the past few months that you are particularly excited about? Send us a link to the pdf file.  Are you looking for collaborators? Write us a short blurb on your work with contact information.  Are you involved in any advocacy or policy issues at the national level? Consider writing a short piece on the issue and how people might contribute. 

Some upcoming efforts in the Section

            There are some exciting things happening this year.  Here is a brief list:

• David Mandell is continuing to work to establish our mentoring program.  He is planning to submit a proposal for funding in the spring.  Please keep an eye on developments in this program and encourage students, fellows, and junior faculty to take advantage of the unique opportunity to gain valuable assistance from experienced Section members.
• We have some interesting plans for the booth, including reducing the amount of paper (transferring our available materials to cds that can be distributed to booth visitors); adding some color; providing that most precious commodity at conference centers, bottled water; and maybe even getting a comfy chair or two.
• Michael Blank continues to spearhead a valiant effort to allow public mental health workers more access to the Section and Association.
• We have constituted a Policy Committee to review all of our sponsored policies with Governing Council and re-write, archive, and consolidate as needed.
• Ron Manderscheid and Constella, as a result of their panel discussion in November, are urging APHA to take up the issue of electronic and personal medical records by, among other things, establishing a work group and convening a summit on the issue, possibly in November. More on this as things develop.
• David Mandell and I are considering crafting a proposal that outlines APHA policy on ethics reviews of research data presented at the annual meetings.  If interested in thinking about this with us, let me know.
• I am beginning to establish a fund-raising effort that will help the Section to sponsor student activities, sponsor consumer attendance and participation, provide travel expenses for honored guest speakers and award winners, and cover the expenses of our Social. If you, or your organization, might be interested in making a tax deductible contribution to help the Section, please let me know.

That is it for now.  You will hear from me again soon.  In the meantime please feel free to contact me about Section matters.  Cheers for a happy and healthy 2007!