The first openly gay head of the D.C. Department of Health has just cracked the American Psychiatric Association's glass ceiling. Dr. Saul Levin has been announced as the new chief executive officer and medical director of the APA. Levin, a psychiatrist with roots in substance abuse treatment, is the first openly gay person to hold this position.
The APA is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses including substance use disorders. The APA was founded in 1844. The organization represents more than 33,000 psychiatric physicians worldwide.
Dr. James H. Scully, Jr. issued a glowing review of his successor's extensive career. He said in a statement: "I have known Saul for over 20 years. He brings extraordinary intelligence, vision and great energy to the challenges ahead for our profession. I look forward to working together with him as we transition to new leadership."
For his part, Levin shared in a statement: "Dr. Scully has served with great distinction and led the APA over the last decade to ensure that research, teaching, and clinical care is in the forefront for all psychiatrists as they care for our patients. Jay will be missed and his leadership is an example to all of us. I will miss working with the Mayor, Deputy Mayors, and all my colleagues at DOH and I am honored and privileged to accept this position in this time of major change in the health care arena, where research, practice, and quality care is center stage in health care reform and mental health is such an important part of our public dialogue."
The transition will occur in mid-July 2013.
It seems fitting that the APA would employ an out gay man/woman to this esteemed post at this time. After all, the APA has a longstanding history within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality movement. In the 70s, the APA removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders.
This progressive (and arguably overdue) rendering was followed in December 2012 by the removal of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) from the latest version of the DSM. Instead of GID, the APA instructs readers to associate the verbiage Gender Dysphoria.
According to an official APA statement:
Dr. Levin has had a long history with the APA beginning as a member in 1987. He has served on many APA components and committees, including the APA Delegation to the AMA, the APA PAC Board, the Scientific Program Committee, and as a consultant to the Finance and Budget Committee. He is also a member of the Maryland Psychiatric Society. Dr. Levin currently serves as the Interim Director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, a position he assumed in July 2012.
Dr. Levin has led efforts on behalf of the District of Columbia to promote access to quality health care for its residents, including provision of school-based nursing services and implementation of an electronic health information exchange. As Chair of the District's Essential Health Benefits Package subcommittee of the Health Benefit Exchange Authority, on which he sits, Dr. Levin was influential in insuring that the health services to be provided were comprehensive and included parity coverage for mental health and substance use services. He oversaw the merger of the DOH's Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration and Department of Mental Health into D.C's Department of Behavioral Health.
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Levin served as the Senior Deputy Director of the District's Addiction and Recovery Administration where he worked closely with the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch a youth community drug awareness campaign.
