MISSION: The Idaho Psychiatric Association works to improve treatment, rehabilitation, and care of Idahoans with mental disorders.
WHAT IS A PSYCHIATRIST? Psychiatrists are medical doctors who complete both medical school and residency just like all other medical doctors. Psychiatrists specialize in mental health in the same way other doctors choose to specialize in orthopedic surgery, family medicine, or radiology.
Mental health covers a huge spectrum of conditions, diseases and disorders. Psychiatrists diagnose and treat patients using psychotherapy, pharmacology and medical treatments. For more information about psychiatrists, go HERE.
THE ROLE OF THE IDAHO PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (IPA): The IPA is a membership organization that represents Idaho psychiatrists. IPA is a district branch of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and psychiatrists must be a member of the APA in order to join the IPA. Go HERE to join.
Mental health care benefits from a team-based approach to care. Given their extensive training in both medical and psychiatric conditions, it is important that psychiatrists be the team leaders, particularly in the inpatient psychiatric setting and when caring for patients with complex conditions.
To maintain their position as team leaders, IPA uses its resources to promote the interests of psychiatrists in Idaho. IPA is committed to:
- Bringing more psychiatrists to Idaho through the support of recruitment and retention of psychiatrists, as well as increasing the opportunities for the training of medical students and residents with an interest in psychiatric medicine
- Fair and equitable insurance coverage of mental health conditions
- Access to psychiatric care across Idaho, including in the most rural areas of the state, and working with Idaho insurers and the Idaho Department of Insurance
- Educating legislators on psychiatric training and the importance of supporting psychiatrists in Idaho
- Working in the Idaho Legislature to support or oppose proposed laws that effect psychiatry, with an eye toward the protection of patient health and safety
Psychiatrists are a critical component of the health care system and IPA works on behalf of Idaho’s psychiatrists to protect, maintain and promote the practice of psychiatry in Idaho.