A Seat at the Table

Organized medicine and psychiatry have a long tradition of governmental advocacy and public engagement. The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL), since its founding 50 years ago, has made some forays into these fields. However, its involvement has been less substantial than other similarly situated professional organizations. With its increasing membership and expertise, AAPL now possesses the capacity to dedicate some of its organizational attention, energy, and resources to educating policymakers and the public on current and future topics related to forensic mental health. In addition, an increasing number and type of professional activities related to this discipline are affected by governmental regulation and public opinion. Therefore, the need to become involved in shaping policy is more urgent, particularly in light of the fact that other forensic mental health organizations have been actively involved in governmental advocacy for decades. Finally, as a field and in the near future, we likely will deal with life-changing technological innovations related to the practice of forensic psychiatry. AAPL and its members are perhaps uniquely qualified and have a responsibility to help ensure that these innovations are developed, implemented, and utilized appropriately. This can only be accomplished by having a proverbial seat at the table in the process.