BYLAWS of the
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRY
Revised November, 2019
Article I
Name and Mission of Organization
Section 1. The name of this Association, hereafter referred to as AACP, shall be the American Association for Community Psychiatry.
Section 2. The mission of the American Association for Community Psychiatry is to inspire, equip and connect all who have an interest in community psychiatry to maximize our effectiveness in promoting the health, recovery and resilience of the people we serve.
Article II
Purpose of Organization
The AACP has the following purposes:
To promote and maintain excellence in the care of patients through the organization of psychiatrists and others working in community psychiatry.
To increase the number of well-qualified psychiatrists and others working in community psychiatry, who practice in a manner consistent with the values of this organization
To help clarify and solve mutual problems related to public/community psychiatry practice.
To inform and educate the public about the role of public/community psychiatry in the care of the mentally ill.
To advocate for policy changes that are likely to enhance the health, recovery and resilience of the people and populations we serve.
To participate in and encourage research in psychiatry within public/community practice.
To establish liaisons with related professional organizations.
To support those in public/community practice so as to enhance their resilience, retention, and capacity to convey hope to those with whom they work.
Article III
Membership
Note: The entirety of Article III is unchanged from the bylaws prior to the 2019 revision, i.e., word for word from the previous bylaws, last revised in 2008, as proposed amendments regarding membership did NOT meet the 2/3 majority required to amend in the membership vote.
Section 1.
There shall be five classes of members known respectively as general members, honorary members, liaison members, members-in-training, and medical student members.
Section 2.
General members shall be those psychiatrists in community practice as defined in Article 1. General members may vote, sit on committees, and hold office.
Section 3.
Honorary members shall be those distinguished individuals who may or may not be a psychiatrist in community practice, as defined in Article I but whose association with the organization would be of extraordinary value to it. Honorary members shall be elected by the full membership upon recommendation of the Executive Committee. Honorary members who are psychiatrists may vote, sit on committees, or hold office. Honorary members who are not psychiatrists may serve as consultants to the Board, to the Assembly, or to any AACP Committee.
Election to honorary membership in the AACP will be in recognition of outstanding contribution over a period of years to community practice. Such contribution will usually be manifest through recognition of achievement in two or more of the following areas:
Representation of the concerns of community psychiatrists in organizations of the psychiatric profession.
Innovative local community leadership and community program development.
Contribution to training and career development of community psychiatrists.
Contribution to the psychiatric literature which advances understanding of special roles and skills relevant to clinical or administrative work in community psychiatry.
Contribution to public awareness and support for community programs.
A nomination for honorary membership is to be accompanied by a written statement of qualifications.
Section 4.
Liaison members shall be those individuals who are not psychiatrists in community practice but who share in the commitment to the goals of the Association. Applicants must receive the approval of the Membership Committee and subsequently be elected by majority vote of the Executive Committee. Liaison members may serve as consultants to the Board, to the Assembly, or to any AACP committee. They shall pay dues as a general member and shall receive all publications of the Association. Liaison members shall not vote or hold office.
Section 5.
Members-in-Training shall be those physicians who are enrolled in an approved psychiatric residency training program in the United States or Canada. Members-in-Training status shall not exceed six years. Upon completion of approved residency training, Members-in-Training may apply for General Membership. Members-in-Training may vote, sit on committees, and hold office.
Section 6.
Medical Student Members shall be those students who share in the commitment to the goals of the association. They shall be enrolled in an approved medical school in the United States or Canada. Medical student status shall not exceed four years. Medical students may vote and sit on committees.
Section 7.
Membership may be refused or terminated on the basis of ethical or professional unsuitability as determined by the Membership Committee. A rejected applicant must be informed by the Membership Committee and has the right of appeal to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be the final judge of acceptability of all candidates for membership.
Section 8.
Dues for general members and members-in-training will be fixed at the first annual meeting of the AACP and may be changed at any subsequent annual meeting. Members-in-training may pay lesser dues than general members. Honorary members will pay no dues. The Board of Directors will submit a resolution recommending the amount of the dues and this will be voted upon by members present at such annual meeting.
Section 9.
Members of the AACP shall endorse the high ethical standards of the psychiatric profession. All complaints of unethical conduct shall be directed to the President and the Vice President. The complainant shall be referred to the APA or to the appropriate state licensing authority. The Board shall be informed of the outcome of each complaint.
Article IV
Board of Directors
Section 1. Composition
a. The Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board, shall consist of the four officers of the organization (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer), the Immediate Past President, up to thirteen (13) Representatives at Large, up to two Early Career Members, up to two Members in Training and up to four Emeritus Board Members. Additionally, the following shall be ex-officio voting positions on the board:
i. Editors of AACP publications
ii. A designated liaison to the American Psychiatric Association
iii. A communications director
iv. Past presidents who remain active in the organization
b. Members of the Board shall be members of the AACP.
c. A majority of the board shall be psychiatrists (in order to maintain our status as an officially recognized affiliate organization of the American Psychiatric Association).
d. The board composition should ideally reflect the demographic and cultural diversity of the membership, and of populations we serve, as well as the necessary professional backgrounds and subspecialties (i.e., with representation from child and adolescent, forensic/correctional, addiction psychiatry, etc., and of nurse practitioners, PA’s and other physicians).
Section 2. Terms of Office.
a. The officers of the Association shall serve for a period of two (2) years and shall be eligible for reelection.
b. Representative at large board members shall serve for a period of four years and shall be eligible for re-election. The terms of office shall be staggered so that approximately 50% of the positions are due for election biannually.
c. Early Career Members: Up to two representatives at large who are general members and who recently (≤ 7 years) completed their terminal training (e.g., post residency or fellowship) shall serve for a period of two years and shall be eligible for re-election for an additional two-year term (as long as they will remain and early career member at the beginning of their term.)
d. Up to two members-in-training shall be appointed by the executive committee and serve staggered two-year terms.
e. Up to 4 Emeritus Members shall be appointed by the executive committee, with approval of the board. Emeritus members are those who are currently, or have been in the past, on the Board and who would like to remain active in the organization. To be eligible for one of these positions, the Board Member must have served at least eight years on the board and must be judged to have made outstanding contributions to the organization during their tenure. Emeritus positions exist to ensure that the board can maintain institutional memory and include critical senior and advisory roles. The term of their appointment is for two years and may be renewed.
Section 3. Duties. The duties of the Board shall be the management and direction of the officers of the Association and its property. Board members are expected to fill all of the necessary functions of the board (other than those functions designated by the executive committee to AACP administrative and support staff).
Section 4. The Board will meet at least twice annually. Additional meetings may be called by the president. The Board may also act at “virtual” meetings, i.e., those held by means of communication other than in-person, such as telephone or video conference calls, email, etc.
Section 5. Quorum. Twelve (12) members present shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Board.
Section 6. Members of the Board of Directors of the AACP are expected to attend all of the meetings of the Board, but there will be some instances when there will be absences. An attendance rate of 67% of scheduled meetings (being physically present for at least 50% of each meeting attended) is the expected minimum requirement for attendance over a two-year period. In the event of extraordinary circumstances (i.e. death in immediate family, severe illness), this requirement may be waived. The President will notify members who are in jeopardy of falling below the expected requirement for attendance after missing a second meeting within a two-year period. In the event that a Board Member fails to meet the requirement, the issue will be brought before the full board for discussion of the circumstances of the absences. If no extraordinary circumstances are discovered, the Board Member in question may be asked to forfeit their position on the Board. Board members who are unable to attend at least 75% of the meeting over their four-year term will not be eligible for renomination.
Section 8. Vacancies. At each meeting of the Board, the Secretary shall inform the Board of any absences or vacancies that exist. Vacancies in any position may be filled by the appointment of the President until the next general election.
Article V
Elections
Section 1. At large board positions, including the two early career member positions shall be elected by the membership. Any general member can nominate him or herself, or nominate any other general member of the organization for these positions. A nominating committee shall be chaired by the immediate past president (if available) along with a minimum of 3 board members of his or her choosing. In the event that the immediate past president is unavailable to carry out this function, the executive committee will appoint a nominating committee chair, with the approval of a majority of the board.
Section 2. Elections shall be held every two years for officers and vacancies among Representatives at Large and Early Career Member Representatives.
a. Final nominations for election to the Board shall be made by the Nominating Committee from among candidates submitted by any members.
b. The Nominating Committee shall make every effort to offer as broad a slate of candidates for each office as is reasonably possible.
c. If more than two nominees appear for any Board vacancy, election shall be by preferential voting.
Section 3. Elections shall be held at least ninety (90) days prior to the start of a new cycle.
Section 4. The successful candidates shall be seated at the beginning of the Board Meeting immediately following the election.
Article VI
Officers
Section 1. The officers of the AACP shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. These officers shall be selected by nominating committee (as described in Article V, Section 1), with approval by the Board.
Section 2. Vacancies. If a vacancy develops in an unexpired term of the President, the Vice President shall succeed the President. Other vacancies shall be filled by the Board until the annual election.
Section 3. Duties and Powers of the Officers.
a. The President shall preside at all meetings. She/He may appoint all committees as necessary to carry out the purpose of the organization with the approval of the Executive Committee. She/He shall be an ex-officio member of all committees or workgroups.
b. The Vice President shall, in the absence or incapacity of the President, have the powers and duties of the President, and shall have other powers and duties as conferred upon him/her from time to time by the President.
c. The Secretary shall be in charge of taking or approving minutes at meetings and shall report the past meeting’s minutes to the board at the subsequent meeting. The Secretary will oversee the process of tracking board activities and initiatives and will work with the Communications Director to ensure that members are kept abreast of substantive board activities and initiatives.
d. The Treasurer shall receive all dues and other monies due to the Association, and she/he or her/his designee shall deposit the same in the name of the Association in a bank. She/He or her/his designee may also disburse such funds as are necessary to pay all obligations of the Association. She/He shall be the custodian for all securities and other like property belonging to the Association, and shall hold the same subject to the order and direction of the Board. She/He shall render a financial report to the membership at the Annual meeting. She/He shall have other powers and duties that are appropriate to his/her office and that may be conferred upon him/her from time to time by the Board. The Treasurer and President along with their designee will be able to sign checks drawn from the Association’s funds. An external audit will be regularly performed and presented to the Executive Committee.
Article VII
Executive Committee
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the four officers of the organization (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and the Immediate Past President.
Section 2. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to manage and direct the affairs of the Association between meetings of the Board. The exec committee has oversight of financial operations, nominations, membership, bylaws and policies and procedures.
Section 3. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of three members.
Section 4. All actions taken by the Executive Committee must be reported to and ratified by the Board.
Article VIII
Community Affiliates
The AACP may recognize as affiliate organizations any sub-regional community psychiatry organizations whose purpose is aligned with those delineated above in Article II. Formal designation as an affiliate organization may occur following the review and acceptance of the group’s bylaws and other organizational documents by the AACP Board of Directors.
Article IX
Membership Meetings
Section 1. There shall be at least one Annual Meeting of the AACP membership. The Board of Directors will determine the exact time and place. Other meetings may be determined by the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Notice of the time, place and purposes of the Annual Meetings as well as other regular or special meetings shall be sent to all members not less than two weeks prior to the specific meeting.
Section 3. Thirty (30) members shall constitute a quorum. A motion to reconsider an action of the Board shall require the affirmative vote of at least three-quarters of the members present and voting to pass.
Article X
Publications and Communications
Section 1. The organization shall produce and maintain scholarly publications including a journal.
Section 2. The organization shall develop, implement and maintain means to communicate effectively with its membership and with other stakeholders as appropriate. This may occur through means such as a website, a listserve or email forum or other forms of social media as deemed appropriate by the board. A communications director will be appointed by the board as the locus of responsibility for these communications.
Section 3. The Newsletter Editor and a communications director shall be appointed by the president with advice and consent of the Board for terms of five (5) years and shall serve as ex-officio voting members of the Board.
Article XI
Amendments
Section 1. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the members. Voting may be done either in person at a membership meeting, or via other methods such as on-line voting. There must be distribution of an amendment which has been proposed for action at least two weeks prior to voting.
Section 2. A proposed amendment must be submitted to the executive committee which will present it to the membership with its recommendation.
Section 3. Amendments may be proposed by ten (10) members signing a proposed amendment.
Article XII
Termination
Section 1. If the organization is dissolved, its assets shall be distributed to a not-for profit organization pursuing similar goals as the AACP, to be determined by the Executive Committee and approved by a majority of the board.
Revised November, 2019
Approved by membership: (date): November 17, 2019