American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

AAAP mourns the passing of Sheldon I. Miller, who was a founding member of the organization, and a mentor and friend to several generations of Addiction Psychiatrists.  He advocated, passionately, for psychiatric education, the field of Addiction Psychiatry, and the best possible care for addicted people.

Dr. Miller's professional accomplishments ranged through the academic, administrative and clinical spheres. He was the Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, having joined the Northwestern Faculty in 1991. He served as  Chairman of Northwestern's Department  of  Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Director of the Stone Institute of Psychiatry at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his research and clinical interests included addiction, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and the psychoimmunology of AIDS vulnerability. The American Academy of Psychiatrists in Alcoholism and Addictions, later the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, was founded by Dr. Miller and his colleagues in 1985, and he served as its president from 1988 to 1989.

In addition to his service to the AAAP, Dr. Miller was Editor-in Chief of the American Journal of Addiction since 1990, and sat on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Dr. Miller was an active member of the American Psychiatric Association and over the years served on a variety of its committees and councils, including serving as chair of the APA Council on Addiction Psychiatry.  Dr. Miller's numerous articles and book chapters served as beacons of good sense in the sea of advice for practicing psychiatrists.

Dr. Miller provided an example of calm, competent, and determined leadership for the many professional organizations he led. His visionary stewardship of the field of Addiction Psychiatry, from its inception, helped untold numbers of suffering addicts obtain the treatment and respect they deserve. Dr. Miller was tireless as a mentor, promoter of the field of Addiction Psychiatry, and powerful voice for maintaining the highest of standards in the field.  More than that, his kindness  and abundant good humor made him a much-loved and respected colleague. He will be sorely missed.

In an effort to commemorate Dr. Miller's many contributions in fostering research and education in the field of Addiction Psychiatry and as a leader in establishing the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, an educational fund is being created by AAAP in his name.

A memorial for Dr. Miller will be held at 1:00 pm Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011 at the Community Church of Wilmette, 1020 Forest Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091.

The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) has been awarded a three year grant "The Prescribers' Clinical Support System for Opioids" from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration effective July 1, 2011.  This grant funds a program that will utilize innovative approaches to educating all clinicians who prescribe opioids. The program has two main focuses; one is on the use of opioid therapies for treatment of opioid dependence and the second focuses on the safe use of opioids in treatment of chronic pain including training on how to recognize misuse, abuse, and addiction in those with pain.

This project includes a large number of partners who will contribute to the development of educational materials including webinar trainings, trainings at national meetings, and clinical tools to assist practicing clinicians including physicians, dentists, and nurse practitioners. Our partners include the American Psychiatric Association, American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine, American Medical Association, American Dental Association, International Society of Addiction Nurses, American Society for Pain Management Nurses. Numerous other national professional organizations with interests in safe opioid prescribing, pain medicine and treatment of substance use disorders are part of our Steering Committee. These groups bring together a wealth of experience and diversity to this project and we look forward to working with them on this important initiative.

The PCSS-O will have a website that provides services including a mentor/mentee program, a "Clinicians' Corner" where questions can be posted and other participants can respond. There will be a library of online training modules developed, and news from the field will be posted. We will offer free regular webinar trainings on topics in safe opioid prescribing as well as presentations at annual meetings. We plan to develop a phone application that will have clinical tools that clinicians will find helpful in their practices. We will also be developing simulated virtual patients that can be accessed online so that clinicians can "practice" their skills in managing patients with problem opioid use.

The American Psychiatric Association has created a website, www.mentalhealthparitywatch.org, about the 2008 Mental Health Parity Act (The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008). The purpose of the site is to educate consumers and physicians about the Act and to monitor the implementation of this new law. For more information click here.