Abstract
The new Board of Practice and Partnerships was formed in May 2009 taking over the functions of the Board of Practice Standards, Board of Research and Board of Professional and Community Relations. It is now fully functioning with the Chair being Murray Patton, and Deputy Chairs Phillipa Hay and Geoff Smith. The restructure has been a streamlining of the previous committee structure and enables a more efficient structure and better alignment across the College. This in turn allows for more effective strategic planning.
The Board consists of two streams: ‘The Practitioner and the Profession’ and ‘Partnerships and External Relations’. There are three committees within each stream, as opposed to the three boards and 13 subcommittees within the previous structure.
The Practitioner and the Profession stream focuses on psychiatric practice, professional roles and the profession of psychiatry. This includes ethical standards, clinical standards and evidence-based practice including research activities, position statements and review of psychiatric treatments. The three constituent committees are the Committee for Professional Practice, Committee for Research and Committee for Therapeutic Interventions and Evidence-Based Practice.
The Partnerships and External Relations stream focuses on the area of the relationships between the College and the mental health environment including Indigenous issues in Australia and New Zealand, consumers and carers, other professional mental health groups and government. Through these relationships work can occur to promote the mental health of the community with a view to reducing the impact of mental disorders on individuals, families and the community. The relevant committees are the Community Collaboration Committee, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Committee and Te Kaunihera Committee.
The overall aim of the new Board is to promote high standards of clinical and professional psychiatric practice in Australia and New Zealand, advocate for the best possible mental health care in Australia and New Zealand and promote opportunities for research training and experience.
Note: As of the General Council meeting on 14–15 November 2009 Dr Maria Tomasic became President Elect of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and stepped down from the role of Honorary Secretary.