We hope to make the LAGPA Progress Notes a vital and informative communication tool which will a feeling of connection with the goals and members of our organization. The LAGPA Board of Directors has been very busy this year trying to expand our activities and membership base. It has been wonderful to see the amount of time and energy which people have been willing to volunteer.

When I think about my involvement with LAGPA, I know it is primarily motivated not only by our networking and educational opportunities, but also by my belief that our existence is important. Living in a vast and diverse urban area like Southern California, where at least segments of our gay and lesbian community are open and accessible, it is easy to forget or at least minimize how much oppression and ignorance still affect all of us.

In the human services and mental health community, specifically, it is also easy to forget that although we have officially "depathologized" homosexuality and bisexuality, that there are still vast amounts of misunderstanding, lack of knowledge, and downright negative bias among our professional colleagues.

I believe that as we strengthen our organization and increase our visibility, we can have a positive impact on our respective professions while enriching our own work and personal lives. At least, this is what LAGPA has meant to me so far in my two years of involvement. Please let us hear from you about the ways in which LAGPA has and continue to enhance your life.

Message From Co-President
Stuart Altschuler, MFCC

I had already been serving on the Board of Directors of LAGPA for a one-year term and was pleased to be starting my second year, last July. Of course, the first order of business at this year’s first meeting was to elect new presidents, one male and one female.

For the past two years, Terry Oleson, PhD, and Laurie Moss, PhD, LCSW had served in the positions as co-presidents admirably, maybe too well. I believe they kept LAGPA on course and organized. They took on much of the behind the scenes work themselves and we let them. We all took on our projects willingly, but Laurie and Terry did more than most will ever know. They deserve our deepest gratitude.

The fear for all of us was that we did not have energy or time to work like they did. Being the control freak that I am, I was willing to serve as Co-President, but only if everyone understood that my ADD tends to create a state of overwhelm, and I would need everyone to take on aspects of Terry’s and Laurie’s commitments. Thankfully, Kate Bourne, PhD agreed to serve with me knowing that she would also have that support.

Amazing things started happening after that. Everyone agreed on projects and directions for this year. New members and experienced members formed committees. Meetings were held regularly between board meetings. Jackie Black, PhD arranged for LAGPA to take credit cards. Bill Mochon, PsyD obtained continuing education provider approval. Robert Weiss, LCSW, CAS researched a Website designer and a committee formed to organize this with Ken Howard, LCSW, and Ben Boish, MA. We met with a grant writer, through the efforts of Tony Zimbardi, PsyD, to develop our financial operating base, and realized our first step had to be a clear vision for the organization before applying for funds. Greg Cason, PhD chaired this Vision Committee with Bill Mochon, PsyD, , LCSW, and Teresa Foley, MA. Stacy Berlin, PsyD has been critical in our membership outreach. Thank goodness Ian Stulberg, LCSW continues as treasurer. The continuity is important. All of you have seen that with all of this, board members have also continued to plan and organize our educational forums and social gatherings, membership has grown, and everyone is looking forward to the fifth annual conference on Saturday, June 26, a committee chaired by Brian Gold, PhD, with the help of Jackie Black, PhD, Kate Bourne, PhD, and Ken Howard, LCSW.

The general membership is becoming more involved, offering suggestions and volunteering their efforts. This is as it should be. Realizing that any organization is only as strong and stable as it’s membership base, the board is pleased that so many of you have taken an interest and become involved. A great, and flawed human being once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". While I am no John Kennedy, I am glad that more of our membership is asking themselves what they can do to make LAGPA a more effective community based organization and not just looking to see what we are doing for them.

I thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as Co-President, and feel privileged to be a part of this auspicious team.

Will That Be Cash, Check, or Charge?

A question you may expect to hear when purchasing something to enhance your lifestyle, no doubt. Well, how about a new way to join LAGPA, submit your fees, register for conferences and continuing education events? Yep, you can do all that by using your charge card (Mastercard, Visa, and American Express), starting this Spring.

Jackie Black, PhD, a board of directors member, was instrumental in establishing this system, so as to help you participate without worries as to where and how you can get the money. This was done in response to so many members who have membership in other associations that already offer the trinity of tender, and have found that having these options to be not only helpful, but in some cases the only way that they can continue their participation.

So, look forward to using either tender within the next few weeks, and encourage your colleagues to consider using their charge cards for easier and faster service.

"Thanks for shopping at LAGPA!"

This January, LAGPA was approved as a continuing education provider for licensed marriage, family, and child counselors, and licensed clinical social workers by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Also, LAGPA was approved as a provider of mandatory continuing education for psychologists by the California Psychological Association Accrediting Agency. We are especially proud of this accomplishment as we are continually seeking ways to address the various needs of the membership. This helps us to provide to the professional community, on a wider level, the education that will promote a better understanding of the science and practice of a gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered psychology and psychotherapy.

By creating such an arena, LAGPA is able to promote a stage for our members to enhance their careers and educate their colleagues in the various psychotherapeutic fields that this illustrious membership encompasses, develop their resume, and establish a reputation in the community.

The Continuing Education Coordinator, Bill Mochon, PsyD, published the manual which provides a comprehensive outline of the development and administration of the continuing education program, applying the title, "Expanding the Vision", stating that the healing arts have as their goal helping those who seek the change that they need to become the person they are designed to be. As Mochon says, "It is not enough for us to just socialize and network every now and then, but to remember why we are in this field, and to renew our commitment to those we help." He holds out the challenge for the program to help the LAGPA membership expand their vision as to what they experience daily in their practices as psychotherapists, and to demand a program of continuing education which will help them to understand and answer the challenge that the people they serve provide.

The first academic forum of 1999 was approved only for BBS licentiates, titled The Art of Creating a Successful Career in Gay and Lesbian Mental Health: Starting Out to Fifteen Years, was presented by Stacy Berlin, PsyD, Heidi Lenartz, LCSW and Greg Travis, PhD. Hosted at the Gay and Lesbian Center at Ed Gould Plaza, the evening provided a rich opportunity for exploring the various avenues that a mental health professional can take, with the ever expanding field of gay and lesbian mental health. As one attendee observed, "There is basically nothing we can’t do, with our clinical backgrounds and education."

The discussion also proved that there is an array of resources right in the membership itself, as there was a trading of information from a wide range of areas of expertise, just during the question and answer period following the formal talk. Based upon the evaluation received, the networking and exploring of resources which are available was a key component to the success of the evening, as well as the direction offered by Ms. Lennartz and Dr. Travis, as to what to do when you have a cache of resources.

In addition to the praise offered in the evaluations collected, there were also remarks concerning how the attendees would like to see the   continuing education program meet their needs and expectations more adequately. These range from the room capacity and temperature, to a suggestion as to the structure of the forum. Dr. Mochon, the Continuing Education Coordinator, stated that this being the first program was a learning experience, and all suggestions and comments are being taken seriously and will be implemented, where possible. He further stated that it is the intention of LAGPA to offer a continuing education program which meets the various needs of the membership and such a program depends upon attendees input. 

The response we have had to the new membership application has been extraordinary. Thank you to all those of you who have taken the time to fill it out and send it back to us, as this helps us to create a database for our membership directory, which will be making it’s debut in July of this year.

After having looked through the membership directories of associations from all over the state and parts of the country, we have developed a model for our own directory that will truly provide the assistance you need in finding referrals, developing network links, and getting to know your colleagues in the community just that little bit better.

We noticed that in each directory that we found to be useful, and is considered a "life line" to other professionals in various communities, we realized that there is a lot of information that we need to be aware of when working together in such a close community as that of Southern California, let alone the gay and lesbian community. Also, these same directories allowed the mental health professionals listed to seek each other out as consultants when faced with either a client that was just a tough case, in spite of how many years of practice had been put in, or when faced with a career change or enhancement that needed a voice of experience to help them along with the decision making process.

There seems to be a wide scope of opportunities in having your name and the information requested in the directory. Actually, we were surprised by the many uses that such a thorough directory has. It is the goal of LAGPA to provide you, the member, with a resource that you can use often, and will find to be an integral part of your practice, not another accessory that can collect dust.

Therefore, if you haven’t had the opportunity to join LAGPA and fill out all the information on our new, updated application, then do so now, so that you don’t miss out on a wonderful opportunity to expand your chances for success. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait another year to get into the directory, and as you well know, a year is a long time to wait when trying to develop a practice.

In an effort to make our services available to the community, we have committed ourselves to making a place for ourselves in the information superhighway. At the board of directors meeting in November, 1998, a committee was established to investigate our capabilities to establish and maintain a place in the world wide web. In concert with that effort, the same committee was charged with the responsibility of designing the web page. Rob Weiss, LCSW, and Ken Howard, LCSW chair this committee. With the help of Jackie Black, PhD and Ben Boish, MA, they are quickly coming to the point of launching the web site, which is expected to make it’s full debut in spring of this year.

In order to access our web site, you may go to www.LAGPA.com, in the future, and there you will find Progress Notes online, our membership directory and referrals thereof, as well as create a place to share with your colleagues your musings about working in the gay and lesbian mental health field.

For those of you who already have web sites, we want to hear from you so that we can find out what works best for you, and what suggestions you may have concerning the design and maintenance of our web pages. Also, if you can spare some of your time, would you consider helping us bring this endeavor to the next level of sophistication. Several of our members already have web sites, and have found their employ to be helpful. One member relates that he even got a steady consulting position when a local company looked at his web page. Another member uses her web site as her "electronic brochure" to introduce herself to the community she seeks to serve.

Please be on the lookout for our web site, coming soon, and don’t be afraid to join in the fun and help create what could quite possibly be the tool that helps so many of us develop our practices into the next century.

It was announced at the April 2 Board of Directors meeting that Ian Stulberg will be joining the staff of the Gay and Lesbian Center, as a Manager of Operations, Education and Training of the internship program at the Center. In this capacity, he will oversee the various services that the Center offers to the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community which include mental health. Also, he will supervise interns for licensing.

Mr. Stulberg has been working at the AIDS Service Center in Pasadena, as Manager of Mental Health, offering counseling services and education. His work there has been invaluable and has been of great service to our community.

Congratulations on your new post, Mr. Stulberg, as we are sure that you will bring to this wonderful and challenging experience the same vigor and devotion you have exhibited at the AIDS Service Center.

Do you know of anybody currently serving or studying to serve the gay and lesbian mental health field who has either done something that we can all be proud of or produced something that we should be aware of? If so, please let us know so that we can include such information in our upcoming newsletters. It is important for us to recognize those who are leading the way in this field, and are able to help us gather some insight or practical ideas as to how to expand upon our current skills and knowledge. Please write to us and let us know what it is about that special someone you would like to introduce us to. Write to:

LAGPA-Someone Special
2314 Moreno Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Thanks for taking the time to share your treasured find with the rest of us!

It is the intention of LAGPA to reach out to you, the budding mental health professional, even now as you complete your years of formal training. We wish to serve you to the fullest capacity that we can, and seek to offer you the opportunity to develop your voice within the gay and lesbian mental health field. We need to know how we can best serve you, and are eager to extend to you whatever assistance that we can.

LAGPA is fortunate to have an active, well established student oriented contact for all students who wish to be a part of LAGPA, either bachelor’s level, master’s level, or doctoral level, in the person of Teresa Foley, MA. She is currently in her third year at California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, and is a student senator, representing the needs of not only the gay and lesbian community, but the entire mental health student community as well.

Here are some of the ways that LAGPA can be of help to you:

	Through the development of a governmental interface and monitoring program, that will promote the needs and concerns of our membership, and alert the membership to current and proposed policies effecting our community and professional practice.
	Through the development of our mentoring program, so as to help you find the "right" person to help you on your journey to becoming an excellent psychotherapist.
	Through the growing referral service and networking programs that LAGPA sponsors.
	By being the only association in Southern California to offer a full program of education designed for those who work within the gay and lesbian community as a psychotherapist.
	By inviting you to submit a letter of interest in presenting your work in our poster session at our annual conference.
	As we expand our technology to reach a wider body of persons in need of your education and training, we invite your input in the creation and management of our web page.
	As we look for fresh ideas and approaches to serving the membership, and the gay and lesbian mental health field at large, you can have an impact on policy, program development, information systems, and other areas which LAGPA is currently developing.
	By offering a low fee for membership, of only thirty dollars.
	As we actively seek persons who wish to help students preparing for a career in mental health by financial means, we will be able to offer scholarships and grants sometime in the near future.

And these are just the few ideas for you to begin exploring. We look forward to hearing what you have to say, and letting us know what we can do to help you and what you are able to help us through your talents, time, and enthusiasm to help others just like you now and in time to come.

Don’t wait till you’re licensed to act--you don’t have to!

On Friday, March, 12 LAGPA presented it’s second continuing education course, titled "License to Kill: An Investigation Into the Roots of Anti-Gay Violence and the Response of the Psychotherapist", with Ian Stulberg, LCSW presenting the video "License to Kill" written, directed, and produced by Arthur Dong, with a discussion of the therapists role and a special discussion with Mr. Dong.

Forty-two attendees were presented with a one hour video which Mr. Dong filmed in Texas, interviewing the convicted murderers of gay men, discussing the details of the crime they committed and the reasoning they employed in doing so. The discussion with Mr. Dong explored the various aspects of making the film, including how he interacted with the men portrayed in the film, and the impact that it had on him, as a film maker and personally.

The audience, comprised of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists and several lawyers, expressed a concern as to how the legal and psychotherapeutic community can collaborate with film makers in the effort to prevent further crimes, such as those discussed in the film. Mr. Dong explained that he has taken the film on tour around the world, meeting a variety of responses, from shock and horror to indifference. he currently is in the process of developing an abbreviated version of the film for use in schools, accompanied by a discussion manual to guide the presenter or educator with direction in leading a discussion and exploration of the theme of "License to Kill."

During the course of the discussion, those in attendance were given an opportunity to explore and understand therapeutic avenues for helping those who have been victims of violence, also having heard from such victims in attendance.

This year, LAGPA was represented at the California Psychological Association Annual Convention in San Diego, from March 25-28, in the persons of Teresa Foley, MA and Bill Mochon, PsyD.

Ms. Foley, a third year Doctor of Psychology student at California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles campus, co-presented a student oriented course titled, "Diversity Training: Preparing Students For the Next Century", with four other students from the same campus she attends. This course was presented so that educators and students could learn about the needs of underserved populations, such as ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians, immigrants, and women, and to suggest ways in which these needs can be integrated into traditional psychology courses and theories. The room was filled to capacity, and due to fire marshal regulations, others hoping to attend were turned away. Based upon this, it has become obvious that psychologists and other mental health professionals are still interested and struggling with these populations, and how they present for the professional services of the metal health field. LAGPA is very proud to have Ms. Foley represent the members of this association as wonderfully as she did.

At the conclusion of presentations on Saturday evening, March 27, there was a joint social gathering and presentation sponsored by the California Psychological Association’s Division 7, dedicated to public interest issues, including gay and lesbian issues, and the American Psychological Association’s Division 44, The Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues. Hosted by Division 7’s Bob Fisk, PhD, and Division 44’s Davina Kotulski, PhD, this was an opportunity for those who currently serve the gay, lesbian, andbisexual community to meet with those interested in helping. This was also a call to action within the mental health profession, including interaction with local legislators with the result of defeating Proposition 819, scheduled to appear on the March 7, 2000 ballot, which states that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

Attending this gathering was Dr. Mochon, who enjoyed the opportunity to forge a new relationship with both CPA Division 7 and APA Division 44, in supporting the work of serving the gay, lesbian, and bisexual mental health professionals of Southern California. Having become sensitive with the issues and concerns of both CPA and APA, Dr. Mochon was able to find a place in participating with both associations, and receive a pledge of various levels of support with both associations. The chairs of both divisions, Dr. Fisk, and Dr. Kotulski invited Dr. Mochon to become the local representative for CPA and APA, as it serves the needs and concerns of Southern California, and as it enhances his current service in LAGPA. Upon accepting this invitation, discussion began concerning the formal affiliation with LAGPA, CPA, and APA. This is in response to the successful affiliation which LAGPA enjoys with the Los Angeles County Psychological Association in the person of Greg Cason, PhD. As a similar relationship is developed with CPA and APA, we are sure to benefit by accessing a wider resource for those LAGPA serves, and a creative and successful support network.

We are encouraged by the network which LAGPA is creating, and are sure to continue to develop new networks which will help to fulfill the mission and goals of LAGPA.

It was bound to happen.

So that LAGPA could keep it’s commitment to it’s purpose of promoting gay and lesbian psychology (bisexual, and transgendered are always implied), an arena had to be provided for our membership to share with each other their work, either clinical practice or scientific, in the field of gay and lesbian psychology.

This is no easy task, but we have been made aware that many of you have been writing about this subject for years, and have a great deal to offer your fellow members and the clinical community at large. Therefore, we are investigating the publication of J-LAGPA, with a scheduled publication start date of fall of this year. The journal would be published four times a year, comprising of publications by individuals which speak to either the practice or science dimension of gay and lesbian psychotherapy. The resolution to produce a journal is to be placed before the board of directors at their meeting on May 16.

The resolution, being proposed by Bill Mochon, PsyD, includes a collection of data which indicates that the need for a journal is present and significant, what the administrative concerns for publishing a journal are, the financial analysis to begin the journal will be, and how it is expected to impact the membership, the psychotherapeutic community, and the lay community. If the resolution is passed, the journal will be another way that LAGPA is able to serve our memebrship in an ever expanding resource for those who work closely with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community.

The application for an ISSN will be placed with the Library of Congress, upon passing of the resolution, which will identify the publication as a serial literary work, and will be made available to the wider resource of libraries throughout the world that access or depend upon the Library of Congress for research or information regarding the gay,lesbian, bisexual and transgendered sommunity.

In furthering the research as to the establishment and development of the journal, Dr. Mochon invites those persons who have been involved in the creation, development, or continued publishing of a professional journal, to contact him, as he is currently seeking an editor and associate editors, positoins which would immediately be filled by himself and other board members if qualified candidates have not been identified prior to the first publication. If you have any experience in these fields or related experience, please write a letter stating your interest to join the J-LAGPA staff, and a vita which details your experience, citing examples which can be referred to. Please submit your letter, and vita no later than June 30, 1999, as we would like to have an editor and two associate editors named by July 15, 1999 to LAGPA, Journal Search Committee, 2314 Moreno Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90039.

For those of you who have something they want to have published, should use the Publication of the American Psychological Association (4th ed., 1994) as a guide for preparing manuscripts for submission. All manuscript pages, including reference lists and tables, must be double spaced. The first page should contain the artcile title, author’s name and professional affiliations, and an address to which correspondance should be sent, including email if applicable. The second page should contain a 100-150 word abstract. Manuscripts which fail to conform to APA style guidelines will not be considered for publication.

Manuscripts which you should like to submit for review should be mailed to:

J-LAGPA
Attn. Bill Mochon, PsyD
2314 Moreno Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90039.

The board of directors are to meet and vote on this resolution on May 16, 1999. Please do not hesitate to write to the board of directors as to whether or not you would find a journal such as is being proposed to be helpful to your practice and further exploration of the subject of gay and lesbian psychotherapy. You may send your suggestions to Co-Presidents, LAGPA, 2314 Moreno Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90039. Please do so within the next several weeks, so as to ensure your statement being received and reviewed prior to the board of directors meeting.