Connect. Collaborate. Get Inspired!
Leticia C. Amick, Ph.D.

My name is Leticia C. Amick and my journey in LACPA leadership began as a committee member - the Networking committee to be specific - and later on as Secretary and President-Elect on the Board. In January I’ll begin my term as President with – I must admit – a little trepidation but also with a sense of gratitude to be so intimately involved with LACPA. I face this opportunity knowing how important this organization is to me and hopefully to all of you too.

I moved to Los Angeles from Arizona a little more than ten years ago. There I worked primarily in community mental health organizations in a variety of settings including a Native American tribe. Initially I began doing work in similar organizations here in LA, but I knew that eventually I wanted to start my own private practice. I thought there would be no better advice on how to begin that part of my professional life than to speak with past LACPA President Dr. Amy Rosett. I can’t thank her enough for sharing her experiences along those lines with me. It was through that encounter that I became aware of the opportunities and benefits of connecting with LACPA.

Subsequently I realized that working with LACPA has added value. Our diverse interests and backgrounds bring to our community a well-rounded representation of who we are and what we can bring to LA County as mental health providers. It is with that in mind that I hope to be primarily a facilitator, communicating throughout our organization the needs of our members and hearing from you about where and what issues we might focus upon as well as the direction we could take in realizing those goals.

There are many directions to look toward. As you are aware from our current President Dr. Lynne Steinman, self-care is always a primary consideration. But there are many others as well. Continuing Education, networking, navigating through the changing political climate that manifests itself in issues our clients face are amongst them to name a few. Is there a value in an organization such as ours to codify standards and practices? By that I mean can we define what a professional mental health provider is and distinguish ourselves with respect to our value to the community? Whichever direction we take happens best with input from all of us. One of my goals for 2019 is to increase the visibility of LACPA and it will be through my collaboration with you, the member, that we will be able to accomplish this.

Fortunately, we have an excellent Board of Directors who are available and willing to hear from you. I will work closely with them and any of you on ideas and concepts that you feel are important to this organization. Additionally, I urge you to envision how you might best participate. Whether it is your ideas and values or shared experiences that you feel we might all benefit from, take a moment to find the best way to channel your thoughts within the LACPA organization.