Levin to step down as CEO, medical director of APA in May 2024
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Key takeaways:
- Saul Levin, MD, MPA, will step down next year from his role as CEO and medical director of the APA.
- APA to partner with nonprofit Athletes for Hope, praises Biden on commitment to mental health.
The American Psychiatric Association has announced that CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, will step down from his role with the organization, which he has held since July 2013, effective May 31, 2024.
“[Levin] oversaw the establishment of APA’s PsychPRO mental health registry and the build out of APA’s communications, government relations, policy, and diversity and health equity teams,” the Board of Trustees said in a statement to APA membership. “We will celebrate these and many other of his accomplishments at the 2024 APA annual meeting in New York.”
According to an APA press release, the board has designated a committee to search for Levin’s successor, chaired by past APA President Maria Oquendo, MD, and has enlisted a national search firm to assist the committee and identify suitable candidates.
“Saul Levin’s leadership of APA over the past decade has been transformative,” APA President Petros Levounis, MD, MA, said in the release. “He has been both visionary and pragmatic, and he leaves our organization with solid achievements.”
In other news, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation announced it has partnered with nonprofit Athletes for Hope (AFH) to foster greater awareness and understanding of mental health and wellness in the athletic sphere, with the goal of inspiring more individuals to seek care. Formed in 2006 by an array of American athletes, AFH features more than 12,000 volunteer athletes who work toward improving physical and mental health outcomes in underserved locales, the group said in another press release.
One goal the partnership seeks to achieve is a National Mental Health Advocacy Bill of Rights, which would detail best practices for supporting athlete mental wellness and provide a foundation for equal access to mental health resources at all levels of sport.
"Partnering with a best-in-class organization such as the APA Foundation is a powerful step forward in generating greater awareness and action around the importance of mental health," AFH CEO Jason Belinkie said in the release. "We will drive positive change around mental health outcomes in our society."
The APA also praised the Biden Administration’s commitment to maintain transparency and keep health care plans adherent to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, as stated in a third press release.
“For far too long and despite efforts from the federal and state governments, many insurers have treated mental health as an afterthought to physical health, leaving patients and families dealing with mental health and addiction issues scrambling to find affordable care, or going without,” the APA stated.
“Today’s actions from the White House to bolster and strengthen enforcement of the nearly 15-year-old mental health parity law are important steps toward ensuring more Americans who need these services can access them.”
References:
- APA Foundation partners with Nonprofit Athletes for Hope. https://apafdn.org/news-events/news/apa-foundation-partners-with-nonprofit-athletes-fo. Published July 25, 2023. Accessed July 31, 2023.
- APA statement on White House action to strengthen mental health parity. https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/News-Releases/Action-to-Strengthen-Mental-Health-Parity. Published July 25, 2023. Accessed July 31, 2023.