Editorial

Colombian Psychiatric Association: 50 Years of History and Work

When the founders of the Colombian Psychiatric Association (Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría-ACP) gathered together 50 years ago, they gave birth to a dream which over the years has become a reality, and which countless colleagues have helped to build into a union with a solid structure. It has defined the following Mission statement:

• To contribute to the development of Psychiatry by stimulating its study, teaching, dissemination and research, promoting its competent practice by its professionals.
• To cover the need for representation of the country’s psychiatrists.
• To Promote the development of policies, plans, programs and projects on topics related to mental health, and attention and care for mental health issues.

Besides its Mission statement, the ACP has defined its Vision in the following terms: “Maintain its domestic recognition and achieve international recognition by 2018, thanks to its scientific, social and corporate contributions and its contributions to the country’s mental health”.

It has also defined the following essential Values:

• Ethics: Ensure its associates’ good practices within a framework of respect for their patients and for society.
• Respect: Contribute to the area’s development while taking into account the interests of patients and the sector itself, with the highest scientific and human standards.
• Responsibility: Analyze, explain and assume the consequences for one’s own actions or oversights regarding the exercise of one’s profession.
• Equality: Offer each member the same possibilities for benefitting from the association’s activities.
• Excellence: Promote quality in scientific, sectorial and social activities.

In the immediate future, the ACP -structured and mature- must keep in mind its Mission statement, its Vision, and its Values, and must strengthen its quality policies, its committees and subcommittees, so as to offer each of its affiliates a place and an opportunity for participation.

This will allow the ACP to maintain leading role regarding proposals and developments in the field of mental health in Colombia, permanently seeking professional and academic excellence amongst its associates, with a view to protecting the fundamental rights of our patients and continuing to be a point of reference on a national and international stage.

We hope that our story and the teachings of our founders and all of those that have contributed to the ACP’s growth, may help keep the spirit of our Association alive.

We are united with the ACP in this great achievement.

Carlos Gómez-Restrepo
Director-Editor
Colombian Journal of Psychiatry