Letter from the Chair, Lisa Razzano

Greetings PRA Members and Stakeholders!

This is an exciting edition of the newsletter as it comes right after we have completed a highly successful Annual Conference, as well as a name change that coincides with an overall graphic and strategic rebrand of the organization. In addition to some very engaging and thought provoking industry articles, this newsletter delves into what PRA has accomplished in the past several months, and the programs and services we’re looking forward to delivering to members throughout the year.

Thanks to all of you who joined us last month in Atlanta for the 2013 PRA Annual Conference! It was an extraordinary event with 700 psych rehab professionals in attendance. I have been attending PRA conferences since 1993, and without question, this was one of the most exciting experiences I have had. What has stayed with me most since returning home is the sense of community and commitment all of our members bring to their work in psychiatric rehabilitation. Mrs. Carter’s inspirational remarks and her call for continued and renewed action to promote recovery and battle stigma reminded us of all the work we have ahead of us – particularly as we move into integrated care under the Affordable Care Act. Together, with visionaries like Mrs. Carter and leaders within our community, our mission can only be stronger and more sustainable. We also have the opportunity to make recovery more visible within our communities by telling stories of recovery that take our work to the most personal and human level.

The conference was the venue we used to unveil and celebrate our new name and graphic identity. In May, by an overwhelming vote of the membership, the organization changed its name to the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA). The removal of the geographic designation from our name is an element of a comprehensive strategy to enhance the ways in which the organization grows and trains the recovery workforce. With newly defined strategic initiatives, our organization is now positioned to become an indispensable link in the worldwide recovery and wellness movement. There is more information about the name change and rebranding throughout the newsletter, but if you have any specific questions please feel free to contact PRA’s staff. Our name has changed but the mission, values, and commitment to recovery central to our association remains the same. I appreciate the support and positive feedback that I personally received from many of you in Atlanta.

For all of you who were not able to join us this year, I hope to see you in Baltimore, Maryland next year during June 22-25 at the 2014 PRA Annual Conference. But you needn’t wait a whole year! Throughout the year you’ll have plenty of ways to engage with PRA, especially through the new Academy of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery, an enhanced professional development center providing career leaning in psych rehab, wellness, resilience, and recovery.

I hope you enjoy this special edition of the newsletter, and that you are as excited as I am about the initiatives we’ll be announcing throughout the next few months. Get ready for our new, fresh, and easy to navigate website that is coming this summer!