About Us

Mission

The mission of the Orange County Psychiatric Society (OCPS) is to:

  • Promote the highest quality care for individuals with mental disorders (including intellectual developmental disorders and substance use disorders) and their families;
  • Promote psychiatric education and research;
  • Advance and represent the profession of psychiatry; and
  • Serve the professional needs of its membership.

Vision

All residents of Orange County will have universal access to quality psychiatric care and prevention of mental illness, due in part to the Orange County Psychiatric Society’s successful advocacy as the voice of California's psychiatric physicians.

Purpose

The Orange County Psychiatric Society's organizational objectives include the advancement and improvement of care for persons with mental illness through public information, education, and awareness programs and materials.

How We Achieve Our Goals

  • Work with the Orange County Board of Supervisors, and coordinate with other California District Branches through California State Association of Psychiatrists to work directly with the Senators and Assembly Representatives in Sacramento to provide support for laws that protect the mentally ill and practice of medicine. These laws include expanding access to mental health services, protecting patient confidentiality, preventing discrimination against the mentally ill and protecting the basic rights and human dignity of those afflicted with mental illness.
  • Work on improving public awareness of mental illness and eliminating stigma about mental illness by educating the public with factual information. This includes involvement in health fairs, mental health awareness events and our website.
  • Work closely with Orange County Medical Association, the California Medical Association and other organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Orange County to provide a voice for the mentally ill and their families. [Government Affairs and Public Affairs Committee]
  • Members work in community mental health organizations, academic institutions, government settings, and private offices.

How We Fit In

The Orange County Psychiatric Society (OCPS) is one of five District Branches belonging to Area 6 of the American Psychiatric Association. Prior to 2020, all District Branches in California were members of the California Psychiatric Association. Beginning in 2020, OCPS along with the San Diego Psychiatric Society and the Northern California Psychiatric Society resolved to secede from CPA and operate independently of CPA, while still pursuing our Mission and goals as District Branches of Area 6. On August 30, 2020, a decision was made by CPA to formally dissolve that organization.

Beginning in 2021, the California State Association of Psychiatrists (CSAP) was formed as a new collaborative venture between the Northern California Psychiatric Society (NCPS), Orange County Psychiatric Society (OCPS) and the San Diego Psychiatric Society (SDPS), In the first quarter of 2022, the Southern California Psychiatric Society (SCPS) joined CSAP. Finally, in June of 2022, the Central California Psychiatric Society joined CSAP, bringing all 5 district branches together in one statewide advocacy organization once again. Representing psychiatric physicians, CSAP's purpose is to serve as the main advocacy arm in Sacramento for these district branches, representing our professional membership and patients we serve.

District Branches

APA and District Branches. This chart shows Area 6 before 2020, when CPA was dissolved. In 2021, California State Association of Psychiatrists (CSAP) arrived in CPA's stead. All district branches are members of CSAP, as of June 2022. See above text.

OCPS was founded in 1984 and are a medical specialty society with nearly 250 psychiatric physician members located throughout Orange County. We are the primary mental health advocates for quality patient care.

The Orange County Psychiatric Society works to improve public awareness of mental illness and increase legislative and financial support of psychiatric care. Members work in community mental health organizations, academic institutions, government settings and private offices and advise the legislature on mental health issues.

The American Psychiatric Association was founded in 1844. It is the world's largest psychiatric organization, a medical specialty society representing more than 37,000 psychiatric physicians from the United States and around the world. Its members work together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental disorders, including intellectual developmental disorders and substance use disorders. The APA is the voice and conscience of modern psychiatry.

The stated mission of the APA is identical to the mission of OCPS, that is to:

  • Promote the highest quality care for individuals with mental disorders (including intellectual developmental disorders and substance use disorders) and their families
  • Promote psychiatric education and research
  • Advance and represent the profession of psychiatry
  • Serve the professional needs of its membership.

Areas

The APA is divided into seven Areas, each representing either groups of contiguous states or, in the case of New York State and California, a single large state. The state of California is Area 6. The Area provides the regional organizational structure as the interface between the APA's Assembly and the District Branches and promotes the relationship between organized psychiatry and state governments.

District Branches

With the exception of New York State and California, each Area is further divided into District Branches, each of which represents a single state. Due to their size and complexity, Area 2, New York State, and Area 6, California, are further divided into several District Branches, each representing members in geographic subdivisions within the state. New York State has 19 District Branches; California has 5 District Branches. The Orange County Psychiatric Society is one of California's 5 District Branches.

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