The American College of Occupational and Environment Medicine

 20 CME Category 1 Credit Hours Approved

Jointly Sponsored by the Academy of Organizational and Occupational Psychiatry and

the Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

January 14-16, 2005

Washington, DC

Friday, January 14 – Pre-Conference Workshop I

7:00 a.m.                                 Registration Opens

7:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m.              Title: Psychiatric Disability Examinations, FFD, and Violence Risk Assessment, Intervention, and Prevention

                                                Length: 4 hours

Educational Objectives: Workers’ compensation, disability insurance carriers, and employers are seeking psychiatrists who have experience performing independent medical evaluations (IME) and Fitness for Duty (FFD) with attention to special circumstances such as disruptive employees  and threats of violence . To perform these evaluations, psychiatrists need training that generally was not offered as part of residency training. The presentations will provide examples for discussion. Time for questions and discussion is set aside at the end of the morning session, and will also be provided during the presentations.

8:00 a.m.–8:05 a.m.

Introduction and Welcome

C. Donald Williams, MD, CGP

8:05 a.m.–8:55 a.m

The Social Security Disability Evaluation

An outline for the conduct of a SSDI evaluation with a template will be provided. The course will include several examples of evaluations, and a discussion of how cases are evaluated with regard to federal law governing the determination of disability in SSDI applicants.

C. Donald Williams, MD, CGP

8:55 a.m.–9:55 a.m

Fitness for Duty in Executives and Professionals

Disruptive or impaired physicians and executives present opportunities and challenges for psychiatrists performing FFD evaluations. These high profile professionals can have a major destructive impact on individuals and organizations because of their power and influence, but can often also be assisted in a return to effective functioning with significant social benefit.  Strategies for assessment and intervention will be presented, and the importance of the separation of roles between evaluator and treater will be explained.

Ronald Schouten, MD, JD

9:55 a.m.–10:05 a.m.

Break

10:05 a.m.–11:05 a.m.

IMEs in Worker’s Compensation and Personal Injury

Guidelines for the acceptance and conduct of IMEs will be presented. This section will include outlines with templates for more efficient report production. Excerpts from both types of evaluations will be presented, with emphasis on Workers Compensation.  An excerpt from a judge’s Final Decision and Order will illustrate the importance of consistency and foundation in the preparation of reports, and provide exposure to legal reasoning.

C. Donald Williams MD CGP

11:05 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

The Assessment of Violence Potential in the Workplace

Dr. Schouten has extensive experience providing both emergency intervention and assessment as well as developing prevention strategies with major businesses and professional corporations.  He will describe how he responds to emergency requests for assistance, as well approaches to  proactive planning aimed at preventing such situations.

Ronald Schouten, MD JD

12:00 p.m.–12:15 p.m.

Discussion and questions

Friday, January 16 – Pre-Conference Workshop II

1:00 p.m.–5:15 p.m.                Title: Introduction to Consulting in Organizational and Occupational Psychiatry

                                                Speakers: Stephen Heidel, MD, MBA,

                                                Length: 4 hours

Educational Objectives: To succeed in today's business environment, organizations must deal with rapid economic, technologic, and cultural change. Many organizational consultants who help with the change process lack an in-depth understanding of people. It is difficult for them to respond to the full range of corporate needs. Clinicians who understand organizations have the opportunity to complement these traditional consultants. This workshop will provide clinicians with an overview of the consultation process and help them to educate businesses as to what services can be offered. Also, the importance of managing expectations and ensuring the business is clear on what services are offered and what the business can expect of the consultant.

1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m.

What is Organizational and Occupational Psychiatry (OOP)?

Stephen Heidel, MD, MBA

1:45 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

Theory Behind Organizational Diagnosis

Jay Lasser, MD

2:30 p.m.–3:15 p.m.

Basics of Organizational Consulting

Stephen Heidel, MD, MBA

3:15 p.m.–3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30 p.m.–4:45 p.m.

Implementing Change: Case Examples

Jay Lasser, MD

4:45 p.m.–5:15 p.m.

Question and Answer Session

Friday, January 16 – Pre-Conference Workshop III

7:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.                Title: Psychoanalytic Dinner:  Conflicts in treating physicians who involved in disciplinary action

                                                Moderator: Julia Reade, MD

Presenter:  Sandra Kopit Cohen MD

                                                Length: 2 hours (plus 30 min for food service)

Educational Objectives:  Many psychiatrists hesitate to accept referrals from New York State Medical Society’s Committee on Physician Health or whose licenses are under review by the state licensing authority.   Reasons given include discomfort with quarterly reporting to an outside party and the concern that the treatment has been mandated and thus the physician-patient will be a reluctant participant in the treatment.  Less commonly discussed is the anxiety generated by the therapist’s identification and counter-identification with the physician patient.   After hearing about several cases, including contrasting mandated treatment of non-physicians, participants will have the opportunity to present their own experiences in such settings as well as imaginatively consider how they would have handled these clinical situations.   The varying attitudes of the state boards to given behaviors and the willingness of physicians to participate in other states will be discussed.  This program focuses on the role of the treating psychiatrist in physician diversion programs in contrast to the Sunday lecture on psychiatric initial evaluation of disruptive physicians.

Attendees will learn to apply general psychoanalytic principles to questions of professional identity in treating fellow physicians.  . This knowledge will allow them to elucidate the crucial interplay between individual psyche and community/state standards that shape the treatment of  physicians referred by a diversion program.  Further attendees will confront their own psychic reservations about providing much needed service in this area.

Saturday, January 15 – Main Conference Scientific Program

8:00 am – 9:00 am                    Title: Introduction – Current Challenges in Occupational Psychiatry

                                                Speakers: Julia Reade, MD, & Steven Pflanz, MD                                                                         Length: 60 minutes

Educational Objectives: At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to cite the basic principles of occupational psychiatry, recognize the depth and breadth of this field, appraise the challenges associated with the practice of occupational psychiatry, and visualize the opportunities for career broadening and clinical practice in the field of organizational consultation

9:00 am – 10:15 am                  Title: Out of the Consulting Room, Into the Fire: Consulting to Family Businesses

                                                Speaker: Barre Greiff, M.D.

                                                Length: 75 minutes

Educational Objectives: After hearing this talk, the participant will be able to identify and integrate the theoretical and practical aspects of consultation to a troubled family business, including distinguishing the unique position of the consultant, and recognizing the skills and perspectives necessary for the consultation.

10:15 am - 10:30 am                 BREAK

10:30 am – 11:45 am                Title: The Business of Occupational Psychiatry: Selling Employee Emotional Health to Organizations

                                                Speaker: Steven Heidel, MD

                                                Length: 75 minutes

Educational Objectives: At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to identify the full spectrum of issues that affect the practice of occupational consulting, including the clinical, legal and financial aspects of psychiatric workplace consultations. Participants will learn how to approach and discuss with employers the occupational and organizational psychiatry issues relevant to their businesses.

11:45 am - 1:15 pm                   LUNCH

1:15 pm - 2:30 pm                     Title: “Biorhythms, Work Performance & Employee Health”

                                                Speaker: Teodor Postolache, MD

                                                Length: 75 minutes

Educational Objectives: After hearing this talk, the participant will be able to discuss how various biologic rhythms interact with work routines and schedules to affect workplace performance and employee health.

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm                    BREAK

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm                    Title:  Lawyers and their Life Cycle: Tailored Treatment and Consultation

                                                Speaker: Judith Edersheim, MD, JD

                                                Length: 75 minutes

Educational Objectives: After hearing this presentation, the participant will be able to identify the particular stresses and strains faced by attorneys over their legal careers.  The participant will appraise his/her occupational and organizational consultation skills with this professional group.

Sunday, January 16 – Scientific Program

8:00 am - 9:15 am                     Title: Occupational Psychiatry: The Korean Experience

                                                Speaker: Jong Min Woo, MD

                                                Length: 75 minutes

Educational Objectives: After hearing this paper, the participant will be able to describe the practice of occupational psychiatry in South Korea, including key similarities with and differences from the United States, as well as particular issues challenging occupational psychiatrists in Korea.

9:15 am - 9:30 am                     BREAK

9:30 am - 10:45 am                   Title:  Acting Up in the OR: Can This Doctor be Saved?   

                                                Speaker: Ron Schouten, MD, & Julia Reade, MD

                                                Length: 75 minutes

Educational Objectives: After hearing this presentation, the participant will be able to recognize the role of state physician diversion programs, and the particular challenges that arise in evaluating and treating disruptive physicians.  The participants will learn about one model of evaluation and consultation.

10:45 am - 11:00 am                 BREAK

11:00 am - 12:30 pm                 Title: In Harm’s Way: Job Stress in the US Military

                                                Speaker: Steven Pflanz, MD

                                                Length: 90 minutes

Educational Objectives: After hearing this paper, the participant will be able to identify unique aspects of the military culture and mission that will be important to consider when performing psychiatric consultations for military organizations. Participants will recognize the specific impact of job stress on organizational productivity and employee health.