Kavita Fischer, MD, DFAPA
PAPS President
For those still deciding whether to renew their membership, I understand. We’re all balancing heavy clinical loads and increasingly complex systems. But the early weeks of 2026 have made one thing unmistakably clear: the environment around mental health care is shifting faster than ever. National enforcement actions have shaken communities, and SAMHSA’s sudden cancellation — and rapid reinstatement — of billions in behavioral-health grants showed just how vulnerable essential systems can be when decisions are made without clinical insight.
This is exactly why PaPS must remain strong. Advocacy isn’t an accessory to our work — it’s the only way psychiatry keeps its seat at the table.
Why Your Renewal Matters — Right Now
1) Decisions about your practice are being made every day — with or without you.
Program funding, scope, reimbursement, prior auth, telepsychiatry, controlled substances — these rules aren’t written by psychiatrists unless we put ourselves in the room.
2) Advocacy directly impacts your livelihood.
How you’re paid, what treatments are covered, whether telehealth survives, and what administrative burdens hit your desk — all of it is shaped by policy.
3) Psychiatry is one of the most legislated fields in medicine.
Addiction, involuntary commitment, 988, parity, forensic issues — our specialty is constantly under review, often without our input.
4) PaPS protects your ability to practice the way you know is best.
If we want less bureaucracy, preserved telehealth, and policies grounded in clinical expertise, PaPS is the structure that makes it possible.
5) Membership is the most cost-effective insurance you can buy.
Stopping one harmful bill or securing one favorable policy can save you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours.
6) If psychiatrists don’t lead, others will.
In the absence of our leadership, policymakers, tech platforms, and external stakeholders will guide the future of psychiatric care.
7) Membership is your stake in the future of the profession.
We cannot influence from the sidelines. A strong professional society ensures psychiatry maintains authority — locally and statewide.
8) Bottom line: This is about power, not perks.
CME and networking matter, but the real value of your membership is ensuring psychiatry — not external forces — defines psychiatric care.
Take 2 Minutes Now
• Renew your membership: https://my.psychiatry.org/s/login/?ec=302&startURL=%2Fs%2F
• Forward this message to a colleague who hasn’t renewed.
• Tell us what you want PaPS to prioritize this year.
Thank you for your commitment to patients and to our profession. Let’s make 2026 the year psychiatry leads clearly, confidently, and decisively across Pennsylvania.
With determination and resolve,
Kavita Fischer MD, DFAPA
President, Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society