MICHIGAN PSYCHOANALYTIC COUNCIL
Meeting of the Board
University Club, East Lansing, MI
January 20, 2013
Minutes
Meeting opened at 9:00 a.m. Present, MPC Board members: Marybeth Atwell, David Freiband, Sonya Freiband, Ralph Hutchison, David Klein, Laura Pierce, Elizabeth Waiess, Michael Rudy, Edward Schmitt. Membership Chair: Janet Boyer.
1. The minutes of the meeting of November, 2012 were approved unanimously.
2. Treasurer -Michael Rudy
- Reports were sent out by e-mail. $54,400 bottom line….similar to what we’ve had, over the years.
- Memberships have been coming in. Apparently trending down. Overall income trending down…a concern. No income from the fall conference, which was cancelled.
- Discussion of membership:
o There is conversation in the profession about a tension between maintaining traditional standards for training/practice, vs. change, the need to connect with opportunities in academia, the arts, to collaborate, recruit, reach out.
o Current MPC membership: 75. In past years it has been up to 90…generally around 85 at this point in the year. Through the years has hovered around 100. National organizations also down in membership. Candidate members declining.
o MSW’s social workers are interested in psychoanalysis; we can attract more of them. Some might be attracted by some real training in psychoanalysis, short of the full program and certification.
o The costs of analytic training is a concern (put on retreat agenda). E.g. Austin Riggs offers two years of free analysis. People come to analytic training late in our career; the cost is prohibitive to younger people. Younger looking for connection with colleagues.
- The treasurer was thanked for clear, understandable reports.
3. President - Elizabeth Waiess
- Janet Robinson has resigned as chair of Membership. Janet Boyer is the new chair of Membership. Janet Boyer was introduced, welcomed.
- The Retreat:
o A motion passed on e-mail, needs ratification: that the ACPE accreditation criteria be used as a guide to raise topics and suggestion directions for our discussion of accreditation in the retreat. S. Freiband noted the ACPE standards are relatively clear, operationalized, and they offer study guides. The ABAP guide is more vague. The committee could have some drafts of possible positions, to offer. Frye moved and Pierce seconded an amendment to the motion, so it says that we use the ACPE guide, with input from other such guides, to organize our accreditation discussion at the retreat. The amended motion passed unanimously.
o Scheduling: the board accepted the suggestion that we not start the retreat with a Friday night dinner, but just start on Saturday.
- Accreditation:
An agreement to put the application to ABAP on hold was reached on line. A formal motion is needed. Hutchison moved and S. Freiband seconded that we delay the MPC application to APAB, pending further consideration. The motion passed unanimously. Hutchison noted that accreditation standards will require some policy statements about various things we do not have explicit policies about; he would like the self-study to include concrete ideas from the ad-hoc committee that has been working on accreditation.
- Visiting Professor:
Robert Hooberman is coordinating Visiting Professor, who will be Salman Ahktar, MD. Dr. Ahktar will meet with us for dinner at the Cottage Inn in Ann Arbor for dinner, Thursday, March 21, 6-9 p.m. The site was chosen in order to keep expenses to a minimum.
4. Past President – Murray Meisels. No report.
5. President Elect – David Klein
- It is precedence, that we give a one-year free membership to Bulletin contributors. No motion needed. The Board agrees to this.
6. Education and Training – Peter Wood. No report
7. Programs – Michelle Rivette. No report
8. Certification – Sonya Freiband
- She has been attempting to get Certification records in order and has discovered some lapses in the Certification record files.
- There have been analysts asking for certification by us….that seems good.
9. Committee Reports
- Membership: No Report. Suggestions by Boyer: Send a certificate of membership… wallet-signed card. Frye suggested a business card MPC for all of us to carry around. membership e-mail, web site.
- Elections – Marybeth Atwell
It is time to put the ballot together. We have no candidate for Program Chair, or for Secretary. Tenbusch will run for member-at-large. D. Klein, as president-elect will work with Atwell on recruiting a program chair. Question is raised, whether this position can be shared. It was determined that while the work can be shared, the Bylaws are clear that the Program Chair position cannot be shared.
- PCD: No Report
- Bulletin: No Report
- Website - Reena Liberman (present by on-line connection)
o More funding is necessary for the website. Problems with sign-in functions and directory function. The former website person has moved on. Liberman has tried to hire people to fix it. Seems that the program is corrupted. It is also necessary to add protection against intrusion. We presently do not know whether we can fix it, or have to totally rebuild it. No definite figure for repair is possible at the moment. Presently requesting $2-3K.
o Liberman moved, Klein seconded, that the Board approve 3K from Development for repair of the website. the motion was approved unanimously.
o The board thanked Reena Liberman for her service.
- Social Action: no report
- Gender & Diversity: no report
- Newsletter: (Barbara Gamble, editor)
The newsletter is about to come out.
- Parliamentarian & Bylaws: no report
- Strategic Planning: no report
- Bylaw Committee. no report
- Library Committee – no report
10. New Business - none
The meeting was adjourned. 10:40 a.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Marilyn Frye, Board Secretary.
Note: it is MPC policy that Board meetings are open to all MPC members. Priority is given to Board members to address issues, but all MPC members may speak at meetings, time permitting.
Thanks to those who made it happen that Reena could be here by Skype.
sonya motion to end, Ralph 2… unanimous.