The InterPsych Newsletter 2(4)
IPN 2(4) Section B: InterPsych & SIG Update
________________________________________________________________
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 THE INTERPSYCH NEWSLETTER MARCH, 1995
________________________________________________________________
SECTION B:
INTERPSYCH AND ELECTRONIC FORUM
UPDATE
*********
* INDEX *
*********
1. IP UPDATE
2. ELECTRONIC FORUM UPDATE
A. CLINICAL-PSYCHOLOGISTS
B. COMPUTERS-IN-MENTAL-HEALTH
C. DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS
D. EMERGENCY MEDICINE
E. HELPLESSNESS
F. HYPNOSIS
G. PSY-LANGUAGE
3. IPN POSITIONS AVAILABLE
4. NEW "BEST OF INTERPSYCH" SECTION PLANNED
===============================================================
1. IP UPDATE
===============================================================
Although fraught with difficulty (see News), InterPsych's move
to Netcom has produced many positive results, such as extensive
planning, systematizing, and expanding. InterPsych now has 38
forums and anticipates having 50 in the near future. A complete
listing of InterPsych's forums will be included in a special
issue of IPN that will be released in the next several weeks.
Among the many changes, the move has led to a large amount of
restructuring in the way that groups are formed and run. Forum
leaders as well as forum proposals will now undergo a review
process before being approved. This should ensure that forums
are well-run and also contain subject matter that is of interest
to InterPsych's members. Additionally, the names of a number of
the groups have been changed. This was done to make group
naming more systematic and also to make names more informative.
For example, "assessment" was changed to "assessment-
psychometrics". IP also created many more administrative groups
so that forum leaders and others can more effectively
communicate.
InterPsych has created 17 "credential mandatory" groups - groups
for professionals and students (these will be listed in IPN's
upcoming special issue). The creation of such groups has been a
source of controversy among IP's members (see Letters). For
these groups, members must send a Curriculum Vitae to the IP
registrar (interpsych-registrar@netcom.com) in order to join.
There is also provision to let in non-professionals who feel that
it is important for them to belong to a credential mandatory
group. These people must send a letter justifying their
inclusion to the IP registrar.
The move has had some immediate positive affects. The
Depression forum, which previously was very low volume, has
experienced a rebirth, with volume increasing dramatically since
the move. The forum now exchanges between 60 and 100 messages
per week! Similar changes have taken place in other groups.
Although the move has clearly consumed a lot of InterPsych's
efforts over the past month, progress has continued to be made
throughout the rest of the organization. At release, InterPsych
is very close to attaining non-profit status. This will allow
IP to start aggressively seeking funding and funders to provide
for the growing needs of the organization. InterPsych officials
have already begun exploring funding possibilities and in
general have met with enthusiasm.
Several new staff members have joined InterPsych. Among them is
Ellen Dickie who is working as an auditor. She is in charge of
checking to see if forums are working and ensure that any
technical problems in groups are dealt with accordingly. IP
also has a new programmer, J.J. Lair who has been instrumental
in making InterPsych's move to Netcom happen from a technical
standpoint. J.J formerly worked as Vice President of
Engineering at CGO. Finally, IP now has a Washington liaison,
John Ambros. [SPS]
===============================================================
2. ELECTRONIC FORUM UPDATE
===============================================================
A. Clinical-Psychologists
----------------------
Our slightly re-named and reconfigured forum dedicated to
professional issues relevant to clinical psychology is finally
up and running on Netcom. Among the first series of debates to
come on line concerns prescription privileges for clinical
psychologists. Ray Fowler, Chief Executive Officer of the
American Psychological Association, has advocated for this
possibility as well as the setting of standards. Other debates
will likely begin now that our list is back on-line.
Contributor: [JJP]
B. Computers-in-mental-health
--------------------------
This is a new, closed forum. Professionals interested in
computing applications in mental health are welcome to apply
to join. The forum will encourage discussions about educational
programs, case registers, confidentiality, diagnostic and
assessment programs and many other issues. The forum will be
complimentary to the resources list which is primarily
concerned with applications available over the Internet.
Contributor: Martin Briscoe
C. Dissociative Disorders
----------------------
The dissociative-disorders mailing list is mechanically ready
to go at the Netcom end. An announcement about the list will
soon go out to members of other InterPsych lists. Contributor:
Peter M. Barach
D. Emergency Medicine
------------------
The Emergency Room list is open to all professionals interested
in discussing care in the ER. Currently we are discussing CPEP's
(Comprehensive psychiatric emergency Program) and their various
forms throughout the country comparing notes and hopefully
learning from each other how to optimize the care we give.
Contributor: Nancy Tice
E. Helplessness
------------
The Helplessness Forum has been a bit quiet during the move from
mailbase to Netcom. As soon as the transition becomes settled,
we would like to initiate a periodic "journal club" discussion in
a format similar to other InterPsych SIGs. As of late January
1995, we had about 425 members in this forum. Contributor:
David Fresco
F. Hypnosis
--------
Hypnosis-l has been set up to encourage an exchange of ideas,
opinions, and information among researchers and scientifically
minded clinicians who are interested in hypnosis and in the
broader topics of suggestion and suggestibility. It is intended
for use by researchers and by credentialed health care
professionals, and has been established as a service to the
members of Division 30 (Division of Psychological Hypnosis) of
the American Psychological Association, the International
Society of Hypnosis (ISH), and the national societies affiliated
with ISH. Contributor: Irving Kirsch
G. Psy-Language
------------
Psy-language seems to have successfully survived the move to
Netcom. The number of members has increased over the last months
to about two hundred. The forum functions as a space for the
exchange of specialized information on language and psycho-
pathology. There is not much discussion going on. Members tend to
ask for information and answers are normally given privately. The
group operates much less as a discussion forum than as a network
to which professionals and researchers can appeal for specific
information on their area of work or research, and through which
they can build contacts with other research, and through which
they can build contacts with other members on a private basis.
Contributor: Eugenie Georgaca
===============================================================
3. POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT THE INTERPSYCH NEWSLETTER
===============================================================
The InterPsych Newsletter is currently looking for people to
fill a variety of staff positions. These positions are
described below. If you are interested in working at the
newsletter in any capacity (even other than the others listed
below) or have questions about these positions, please send an
e-mail message describing your interest and any relevant
experience you have had to Sean P. Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief,
InterPsych Newsletter (ssulliva@opal.tufts.edu). All positions
listed are volunteer positions.
A. Editor:
------
Editors at IPN are responsible for all aspects of compiling and
organizing the sections they are responsible for. Editors must
be able to meet regular deadlines for submission of their
sections. Editors at some positions oversee other staff members
and are responsible for editing articles to ensure correctness
and quality of writing. Although editorial experience is
desired, it is not a prerequisite. Interested parties should
send a message to the above address.
B. Journalist:
----------
Journalists will work on the newsletter on an irregular basis,
dictated by the needs of the newsletter, their own time
constraints, and their subject of expertise. Articles in the
newsletter focus largely on issues associated with mental health
care and its delivery. The newsletter is also interested in
finding people to regularly report on the electronic forums they
are subscribed to. This would involve writing monthly
summarizations of any one of InterPsych's electronic forums.
Although writing experience is desired, it is not a
prerequisite. Interested parties should send a message to the
above address.
===============================================================
4. NEW "BEST OF INTERPSYCH" SECTION PLANNED
===============================================================
Starting with next month's newsletter, the InterPsych and
Electronic Forum update section will contain a new sub-section
that will contain some of the eloquent, timely, or particularly
informative messages from recent discussions on InterPsych's
forums. The currently working title for this section is "Best
of InterPsych", modelling it after the "Best of the Internet"
USENET group. Matt Merkley will be editing this section.
If you have seen a posting that falls into this category and
deserves another look by the larger InterPsych community, please
forward it to the IPN mailbox at (udipn@badlands.nodak.edu).
Please include either a "Best of IP" subject heading or put a
note to this effect in the body of the message.