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MICHIGAN COUNCIL FOR
PSYCHOANALYSIS & PSYCHOTHERAPY

MCPP Board of Directors Meeting Minutes February 2019

Michigan League Ann Arbor MI February 17, 2019 9am – 10:30am

Present: Sonya Freiband, David Freiband, Ralph Hutchison, Alice Michael, Karen Weber, Mary Nowack, Brian Ashin, Peter Wood, Keri Warren, Reena Liberman (joined meeting at 9:50am)

1. Secretary: D. Hutton (not present) A Michael filling in

The minutes of the meeting of January 20, 2019 were approved

2. President: S. Freiband

Retreat and Banquet Planning: finalized locale decisions.

Retreat to be at MSU University Club - will confirm reservations and start time. Evening banquet to be at Beggars Banquet restaurant in E Lansing.

Thanks to Peg and Mary for facilitating these plans.

Discussion of content of retreat: planning committee to include Peter Wood and others (maybe Brian Ashin, Karen Baker). Focal areas of consideration: Brief historical overview of where we have been, and ideas about where we are headed, including next phases of training to be offered. Also how to recruit membership into leadership roles, potentially via a return to committees as the way organizational functions are carried.

3. President Elect: P. Wood

Plan to discuss with S Freiband to consider content for flyer to advertise training planned for next

year.

4. Treasurer: Keri Warren

Reports that she has corrected a snag with Paper Image.

Working towards tax preparation for 2018.

Treasurers report: Discussed cash flow as related to collection of membership dues and plans for sending a targeted membership solicitation —Sonya to follow up with Lisa Larson.

5. Programs: D Freiband

 May is filled for the child presentation: Larry Friedberg PhD presenting clinical work with adolescents.

March Symposium: Offered updates regarding planning and progress:

advertising is being covered - responses are slowly coming in.

Venue preparation is going fairly smoothly. Copies of brochures were mailed recently.

Next year:

No sign ups as yet. Discussed potential people and topics to consider.

Indicated the issue of needing to identify a new Program’s director as David plans to step down.

6. Website update: Liberman

Issues regarding recent listserve malfunctioning -

Ryan Simmons - support person, skillful/good.

consideration of the utility of doing a more comprehensive update of the website. 4 domains to assess: Design, Security, Functionality, SEO - search engine

- Design looks dated - aim for something that will look good at be functional for a 3 year time horizon; resources easier to find for members, attractive to members and outsiders, marketing ourselves to others outside for recruitment

- Functionality: assessment of what can be done/registrations and such - how easy it is to do, needs work

- Security: Joomla platform - most recent/updated security, good firewall, no update needed now

- SEO : we do come up with a search of “Michigan psychoanalysis” , Reena’s assessment is that this works well.

Ideas about how to advertise individual therapists in order to facilitate referrals through the website, and organizing the member profile database.

Utility for membership as a priority, calendar is currently a challenge to access,

wish for a more open design, easy scrolling, etc — but not a more commercial look.

Costs: $115/hour. $2,875 - 5,750 (50 hours of labor) is the estimated range.

Surfaced the need to have people other than Reena who can invest in knowing how to manage the website. Karen Weber is interested in learning the “back end” ropes of the website management for the organization. Others also expressed willingness to learn and understand website.

Determination of a path forward - estimate of the value of the importance of the website to the ongoing existence of the organization. Consensus regarding the importance of the website, and agreeable to a plan to re-invest in website design and functionality.

Proposal: “ approve a design update to the website with an upper cost of $10k.” Particulars of billing to be determined after discussion with Ryan. Approved unanimously.

New/Old Business:

Discussion of trade-offs of this expenditure, and more general approach to the budget and revenue vs expenses. Discussion of cash flow (revenue generated by membership fees and class offering, symposium are generally at break even not revenue generating). Visiting professor tends to lose money.

Discussion of Visiting professor cost increase (by $50). Passed by majority vote at the meeting to follow up on prior email vote. Discussion of the role of this function in the organization - at times as an open house.

Brainstorming about open board positions to fill:

Sonya Freiband will accept a nomination for the training directorship

people are needed for treasurer and programs roles

Issues more generally at finding a broader membership to carry the organization forward.

Ideas about active mentorship - ideas about committees as how to show and then facilitate help .

Meeting adjourned at 10:30am.

NOTES respectfully submitted by Alice Michael, sitting in for Deb Hutton, board secretary.

Note: it is MCPP policy that Board meetings are open to all MCPP members. Priority is given to Board members to address issues, but all MCPP members may speak at meetings, time permitting.


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