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2014
December 2014
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July 2014
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Winter Special Edition 2014
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2013
July 2013
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March 2013
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January 2013
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Letter from the President
Our 2013 meeting in Toronto may only be a memory but the good feelings about it are still strong. I've heard from many of you since we wrapped up the program on May 5th and the opinions were that this meeting was one of the best. Thanks to all who made it successful,...
read moreFrom the Desk of the Executive Director: You Told Us What You Want and We’re Responding
by Sylvanna Vargas and Elizabeth Kramer Thank you to all who participated in our anonymous survey and the luncheon discussion groups during the 2013 annual meeting. We were especially gratified to receive so many responses from long-term members. You gave us lots of...
read moreSSPC’s First Time in Toronto: Annual Meeting Report
by Lisa Andermann The SSPC annual conference took place in Toronto, Canada for the first time, from May 3-5, 2013. Also for the first time, it was a collaborative effort with two cosponsors, the University of Toronto (which provided accreditation and CME credits) and...
read moreBook Your Hotel Now for the 2014 Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting for 2014 is being held at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San Diego. A block of rooms is reserved for SSPC at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Old Town, just a few minutes from the Kroc Institute. The room rate is...
read moreQuote – Annual Meeting 2013
“The SSPC (meeting) is a unique opportunity for residents to play an active role in learning how theory and policy directly affect clinical care...residents were also given the chance to make career associated partnerships guiding them in what they ultimately want to...
read moreResident Reflections on the SSPC 2013 Annual Meeting
The SSPC Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada was my first SSPC meeting. Right away, Dr. Heather Stuart dynamically spoke about stigma in health care settings, and by the conclusion of her presentation, I was left thinking about my personal role in the stigma of mental...
read moreResponse to SRT Report A/HRC/22/53
The following is a letter drafted by the SSPC Board of Directors in response to the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Torture, currently in process of submission for publication. As members of the Board of Directors of the Society of the Study of Psychiatry...
read moreCall for Papers for the 2014 Meeting
The call for papers for the 2014 SSPC meeting, which will be held in San Diego from May 15 to 17, 2014 is now open. The theme of the meeting is Trauma, Recovery and Culture. The deadline for abstract submission is September 16, 2013. This is an absolute and...
read moreCross-Cultural Training Recommendations for Developing Curriculum
1) increase the focus on cultural formulation and integration, 2) increase academic rigor by bringing in non-medical professionals, 3) increase depth, i.e., small group discussions of cases, 4) use multiple formats for learning sessions, 5) do not focus on...
read morePsychiatry in Multicultural Settings: Training and Practice, a symposium presented at the 2013 APA meeting
by Larry Merkel SSPC was invited by APA President Dilip Jeste to sponsor a symposium at the 2013 American Psychiatric Meeting in San Francisco. The first presentation was Renato Alarcón’s on “Culture and Cultural Components in Medical Students and...
read moreA Message from our Co-sponsor: Hong Fook Mental Health Association: A pioneer in advocating for mental health care for the underserved
Canada’s visible-minority population has grown rapidly over the past three decades and growth continues. Culturally and linguistically appropriate services are greatly needed to respond to the increasing demands of this growing population. Hong Fook Mental Health...
read moreMembers in the News: Quick Response, Cool Demeanor Is Psychiatric Profile of Courage
John de Figueiredo, M.D., displays the Profile of Courage Award he received from the APA Assembly. Photo Credit: American Psychiatric Association/ David Hathcox A psychiatry resident’s reaction to a patient who opened fire in the emergency room diffused the situation,...
read moreAttention Residents attending the SSPC Meeting in Toronto!
by Larry Merkel I am writing to invite you to attend the group supervision workshop in cross cultural psychiatry at the SSPC Annual Meeting in Toronto, which will be held Friday (5/03) starting at 10:30 AM and will run through 1:30 PM. Lunch will be provided....
read moreSend us your news!
by Shannon Suo In my role as newsletter editor, I hope to include more news about SSPC members. In this issue, you will see a reprint of an article about John de Figueiredo that appeared in Psychiatric News. We aren’t always aware when our members make news, so please...
read moreWelcoming SSPC to Toronto!
by Lisa Andermann The city of Toronto is one of North America’s largest, most diverse and exciting urban centres. It is a great family destination, so please consider bringing your children with you! The Delta Chelsea conference hotel is well-known for its indoor pool...
read moreToronto Facts
Toronto is home to more than 100 cultures. Toronto is Canada's largest city, with a population of 5.5 million in the Greater Toronto Area. Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America, after Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. One-quarter...
read moreBook Your Hotel Now for the 2013 Annual Meeting
Room reservations are open at the Delta Chelsea Hotel for the 2013 meeting. A block of rooms on the Executive Floor is being held until March 31 at the guaranteed rate of $129.00 plus 13% tax ($145.77), single or double occupancy. Triple occupancy is just $149...
read morePresident’s Message
Our program for the 2013 conference in Toronto has been posted at the SSPC website (www.psychiatryandculture.org) for you to view. Many thanks to our Program Committee under the able leadership of Roberto Lewis-Fernandez, and the untiring support of our Executive...
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Members in the News: Psychiatrist Starts Program to Treat Political Refugees, Torture Victims
A psychiatrist uses his multicultural experience to help political refugees from other countries and train residents to work with these victims. by Joan Arehart-Treichel Thirteen years ago, “Griff,” as he is affectionately called by his colleagues, had an epiphany...
read moreWelcoming SSPC to Toronto!
by Lisa Andermann The city of Toronto is one of North America’s largest, most diverse and exciting urban centres. It is a great family destination, so please consider bringing your children with you! The Delta Chelsea conference hotel is well-known for its indoor pool...
read moreToronto Facts
Toronto is home to more than 100 cultures. Toronto is Canada's largest city, with a population of 5.5 million in the Greater Toronto Area. Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America, after Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. One-quarter...
read moreNew Members
SSPC welcomes the following new members who have joined since July 2012: Clara Aisenstein Constance Cummings Michael Hejazi Nancy Kelly Makoto Osawa Eric Oosenbrug Melanie Ramiro Nisha Shah Veronica Slootsky Matilda Stubbs Audra Yadack We look forward to sharing...
read moreSend us your news!
by Shannon Suo In my role as newsletter editor, I hope to include more news about SSPC members. In this issue, you will see part of an article about James Griffith that appeared in Psychiatric News. We aren’t always aware when our members make news, so please let us...
read moreFarewell to Friends and Colleagues
by Steve Wolin and Elizabeth Kramer This year SSPC lost 4 members of the organization. Their loss to SSPC, the professions in which they served, and to their families is immeasurable, but we honor them here and remember them fondly. Wen-Shing Tseng (1935-2012) was...
read moreBook Your Hotel Now for the 2013 Annual Meeting
Room reservations are open at the Delta Chelsea Hotel for the 2013 meeting. A block of rooms on the Executive Floor is being held until March 31 at the guaranteed rate of $129.00 plus 13% tax ($145.77), single or double occupancy. Triple occupancy is just $149...
read moreSeptember 2012
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SSPC Annual Meeting
Globalization and the Dilemmas of Multiculturalism Dates: May 9-12, 2012 Venue: Angel Orensanz Foundation for Contemporary Art 172 Norfolk Street New York, New York 10002
read moreFrom the Editor’s Desk
by Shannon Suo Happy 2012! By now you’ve received the emails about the SSPC Annual Conference to be held in New York in May. The theme for this year is Globalization and the Dilemmas of Multiculturalism and we have scheduled the meeting immediately following the APA...
read moreCall for Nominations, SSPC Officers
After several years of planning and discussion, the SSPC Board of Directors has approved a process for nomination and election of officers. This will be an important change for the Society in its continued growth, and we are excited about it. We thank the...
read moreRegister Today for the Annual Meeting
Reminder About Registration March 1 is fast approaching. That is the absolute deadline for early bird registration for the Annual Meeting, and for eligibility to vote in the election of officers. Why not register now? And just in case you’ve forgotten to renew...
read moreRemembering Last Year’s Meeting
SSPC 2012 Meeting in the Big Apple
by Ramaswamy Viswanathan The SSPC Annual Meeting, May 9 – 12, was held in a historic part of New York City known for its rich immigrant heritage and cultural diversity. The first 3 days were held at the Angel Orensanz Center for Contemporary Art, a former...
read morePresident’s Message
Dear Members and Friends, I hope everyone is having a good summer and looking forward to a productive fall. SSPC is growing, and the Board and committees are working hard on new projects as well as planning for the annual meeting in 2013. Here is a summary of...
read moreBook Your Hotel Now for the 2013 Annual Meeting
Room reservations are open at the Delta Chelsea Hotel for the 2013 meeting. A block of rooms on the Executive Floor is being held until March 31 at the guaranteed rate of $129.00 plus 13% tax ($145.77), single or double occupancy. Triple occupancy is just $149...
read moreEducation Committee Report
by Larry Merkel and Jim Griffith, co-chairs We are working on several ideas for trainees this year: a. Our case supervision session for trainees at the 2012 meeting in New York received very positive reviews. (See the resident’s review in this newsletter.) We...
read moreProgram Committee
by Roberto Lewis-Fernandez The Program Committee is busy preparing for the annual meeting, planning conjointly with Hong Fook for the first day of the meeting and working on logistics. The themes of the four symposia sponsored by SSPC on the first day are: an update...
read moreMembership Committee Report
by Alpna Munshi Our committee is excited to be leading the recruitment and retention of a diverse, interdisciplinary membership within SSPC. We have identified a set of priorities for the committee’s work over the next year: a. connecting with professions and...
read morePsychiatry Resident Perspective on the 2012 SSPC Meeting in New York City
by Shaneel Shah, Karen Mu, and Shivana Naidoo As psychiatry residents, we try to understand how our patients define health and suffering through their cultural lens. We assess their understanding of mental illness, its cause and course if left untreated. We have...
read moreThoughts from the Editor
by Shannon Suo SSPC heads into a new era with a new president, new editor, and new members. I hope that the changes we are making are acceptable to those members who have been the lifeblood of the organization for many years and welcome feedback from everyone. If you...
read moreSSPC Annual Meeting
Globalization and the Dilemmas of Multiculturalism Dates: May 9-11, 2012 Venue: Angel Orensanz Foundation for Contemporary Art 172 Norfolk Street New York, New York 10002 The Program: The 2012 Annual Meeting of the SSPC will be held right after the American...
read moreAbstracts
SSPC is pleased to announce the call for papers for the 2012 annual meeting in New York, May 9-11, 2012. Abstracts are due no later than November 1, 2011, and all abstracts will be peer reviewed. Preference will be given to papers that relate to the theme of the...
read moreHotels for Meeting
For the 2012 meeting in New York SSPC will not have a headquarters hotel since we are meeting at the Orensanz Center. We have, however, managed to secure small blocks of rooms at discounted rates at four hotels in the City. Each hotel is different, as are the prices....
read moreJohn P. Spiegel Memorial Fellowship
The Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture announces its 19th annual call for papers for the Spiegel Fellowship, an annual award presented to a resident or fellow who has an interest in and commitment to cultural psychiatry. Residents or Fellows who are...
read moreCharles Hughes Fellowship in Cultural Psychiatry
The Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture announces its 9th annual call for papers for the Charles Hughes Fellowship in Cultural Psychiatry, an annual award presented to a graduate student who has an interest in and commitment to cultural psychiatry and...
read moreSSPC Symposia at the 15th World Congress of Psychiatry
On September 21, 2011, at the meeting of the World Psychiatric Association in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture (SSPC) sponsored a symposium on “Current Research in Transcultural Psychiatry in the United States”. The...
read moreMembership
SSPC depends on the minimal dues we charge to help keep the organization going. Annual meeting registration does not cover our office expenses, but without a secretary to process the paper work we could not have an organization. Please pay your membership if you have...
read moreCall for Award Nominations
The SSPC gives two awards to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of cultural psychiatry. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a person who has made “outstanding and enduring contributions to the field of cultural psychiatry.” The...
read moreDecember 2009
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