By Karl Northwall, MD, DLFAPA
PSV Incoming President
Catawba Hospital
Catawba, VA 

Dear Members of the Psychiatric Society of Virginia,

I’d like to thank everyone who participated in the 2025 Spring Meeting!  This featured the inaugural session of the Resident Mind Games with representatives from residencies at VTCSOM, VCU and Lewis Gale.  VCU was the top team.  I’d encourage everyone to attend our fall meeting October 3^rd and 4th, which will be in Richmond.   We will be collaborating with the Virginia Council for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Featured will be lectures on Interventional Psychiatry.  

A legislative issue that is confronting us is psychologists in Virginia wanting the privilege of prescribing!  There is a group that is studying how to implement this.  PSV is represented there.  I do not believe that taking some courses and completing a preceptorship is the equivalent of a psychiatrist’s education.  There seems to be a trend of allied health professionals wanting to practice as medical specialists by legislative fiat as opposed to actually getting the education needed.  They have a much larger war chest than we do.  The Executive Board of the PSV have all contributed to our PAC to help fund us in this fight.  I encourage everyone to donate to our PAC.  Money talks when getting access to legislators.  I encourage you to also reach out to your legislator and let them know you are available as a resource in mental health.

The Annual meeting of the APA is coming up May 17-25 in Los Angeles.   I encourage you to attend.  There’s a plethora of learning opportunities.  

The APA is facing financial shortfalls.  As a result of this, they will be doing more meetings virtually instead of in person.  I really prefer in-person meetings, but we have to stay solvent to have an organization.  PSV is also facing financial shortfalls.  We may have to consider having one in person and one virtual meeting a year.  I’d welcome members thoughts on this.