xxAACP Newsletter, Volume 18, Number 1, Winter/Spring 2004
President’s Column
(Last One...I pass the gavel on to Wes Sowers on May 2)
Everything I Need to Know
I Learned as AACP Prez
When I was in the first grade, I ran for class president. My campaign
slogan was: “JACKIE MAUS WILL BE THE BOSS”. Oy, even then
my narcissistic, over-achieving need to be in charge and in-control was
running rampant. Well, I will tell you that being Prez of the AACP has
taught me a thing or two:
1. Write agendas in pencil. This group has been so
exuberant, and so
productive, that the agenda of our meetings always had to be fluid because
one thing ALWAYS led to another. And this is a great thing. Over the
past several years, this group has produced a magnificent set of position
papers/products (ie: LOCUS/CALOCUS, Continuity of Care Guidelines
(including Co-Occurring Disorders), Recovery-Oriented Services,
Conflict of Interest, Governing Corporate Donations, Involuntary
Outpatient Commitment, Integration with Primary Care Providers,
President’s New Freedom Commission, Persons with Mental Illness
Behind Bars, Post-Release Planning, and Representative Payeeship) (see
our website for the completed papers). So, sometimes we strayed on our
agenda, sometimes we argued, sometimes I wanted to pull my hair out,
but each time I reminded myself that the effort and process were
important, because we were fighting the good fight.
2. Cats do not like to be walked with leashes. I
remember when
Charley Huffine passed the gavel to me..he said, “Jackie, this is the very
best group of people, but running a meeting is like herding cats.” While
it might have felt occasionally disorganized, this board is comprised of
energetic, thoughtful folks. And the board reflects its constituency. The
list-serve remains one of my greatest sources of pride, a reflection of
every member’s passion and commitment to those with whom they work.
Being prez has helped me recognize that everyone has something to
contribute, and that my job was to encourage everyone’s contributions
(which is why I am relentless in hounding y’all to sign up for
committees, or to bring agenda items to membership
forum or to the list-serve).
3. Never, ever burn a bridge. We have spent considerable energy
building alliances with a variety of organizations that share our
commitment to organizing systems of care that provide quality,
recovery-oriented, consumer involved services. As I’ve worked
with my son on his algebra this year, I have realized
that we have
developed our own unique Venn Diagram, as we have established a
broad network of affiliations. We’ve done this in a variety of ways:
inviting representatives of a variety of different organizations to our
Board meetings (ie: Caucus of State Hospital Psychiatrists, VA
Psychiatrists, Radical Caucus, NASMHPD, APA, AACAP), counting
on our Board members to report on their liaison activities with a
variety of organizations (AADPRT, ACU, Carter Center, NAMI,
Recovery, Inc, SAMHSA, CMS, NIMH), strategically placing some
of our board members in other organizations (Hey, is this like
embedding journalists in the Iraq War?), sharing products and product
development, writing letters, making speeches, using our areas of
expertise in an organized fashion to spread the word. Now, we haven’t
always agreed with everyone on every issue, but having these
dialogues and relationships is important. (Of course, I need to
remember the line from Robert Frost: “Good fences make good
neighbors.”)
4. Never take people or blessings for granted. Over the last four
years, I have been blessed to make many wonderful, deep-to-the
bone
good friends. Pals who have offered love and support and hugs
and humor and strength during these past wonderful, sometimes
trying, always inspiring four years. I have been blessed to have
been part of an organization that is truly making a difference. I have
been blessed with patients who have opened my eyes, and blessed
with organizations who have encouraged me to rattle their cages. To
all of them, I give my heartfelt thanks. And I give my heartfelt thanks
to you all, for allowing me the privilege of being able to be the
president of this fine organization. I will always treasure the honor
you bestowed upon me. When my daughter was little, she would
say, “You’re not the boss of me.” What she was saying was that she
didn’t want me to be the boss of her. Developmentally, of course, I
had to sometimes structure her time and energies, and help her learn
organizational skills, which sometimes meant discipline, and support,
and training, and education. And sometimes it meant (especially
now that she is older) giving up that control and just watching, and
learning. Being prez of AACP has taught me that as well. I have
learned so much more by just being quiet, and, what the heck, just
letting the cats run free.
My thanks and love to you all.
President, AACP
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