H. Steven Moffic, MD

Dr Moffic is an editorial board member of and regular contributor to Psychiatric Times. After an award-filled career focusing on the underserved, he retired from clinical work and his Tenured Professorship at the Medical College of Wisconsin on June 30, 2012. He continues to write, present, and serve on boards devoted to this—and related—ethical concerns. Dr Moffic’s book, The Ethical Way: Challenges and Solutions for Managed Behavioral Healthcare (Jossey-Bass, 1997), was the first on the subject. He has edited ethics columns for 3 psychiatric newsletters.

Posts by Author

A Eulogy for Psychiatry's Abraham: A Model of Ethics, Forensics, Advocacy, and Humanitarianism

Blog | June 07, 2013 | Couch in Crisis, APA2013, Cultural Psychiatry

By H. Steven Moffic, MD

At the recent annual APA meeting, Dr Abraham Halpern was posthumously honored for the second annual Humanitarian Award by the American Association for Social Psychiatry. He was honored for his contributions to ethics, forensics, and advocacy of social issues.

Eco-Psychiatry: Why We Need to Keep the Environment in Mind

May 18, 2013 | APA2013, Addiction

By H. Steven Moffic, MD

Eco-psychiatry? If you’re thinking, “Aren’t I already dealing with a lot in my daily practice?” you are invited to spend the next few minutes listening to what Dr Steven Moffic has to say about how the environment may be affecting your patients and what impact ecologically-related syndromes might have on DSM-5.

Is it Time for a Treatment Manual to Complement DSM-5?

Blog | May 01, 2013 | DSM-5, Couch in Crisis, On DSM-5

By H. Steven Moffic, MD

As most mental health professionals know by now, psychiatry's D-Day is rapidly approaching. DSM-5 addresses diagnostic categories, but there has never been an official treatment manual to complement the diagnostic one.

God’s Psychiatrist: An April Fool’s Tale in 3 Chapters

April 01, 2013 | Bipolar Disorder, Cultural Psychiatry, Major Depressive Disorder

By H. Steven Moffic, MD and H. Steven Moffic, MD

In our time, it seems that the number of psychiatrists who believe in a God are increasing, parallel with the decreasing influence of Freud’s ideas.

The Psychology of Guns: 12 Steps Toward More Safety

March 05, 2013 | Couch in Crisis, Disaster Psychiatry, Trauma And Violence

By H. Steven Moffic, MD

It is yet unclear whether the overwhelming shock of Newtown will galvanize action not only to prevent future mass murderers, but also to finally reduce the public health and mental health risks of more chronic, common, and routine gun violence in America.

A Valentine for Nonhuman Healers

February 15, 2013 | Addiction

By H. Steven Moffic, MD and H. Steven Moffic, MD

About a year ago, I wrote the blog “Are Dogs Man's Best Therapist?” To my surprise, it turned out to be a very popular one. Since then, dogs continue to be in the news for their therapeutic effect, including being brought to Newtown right after the mass murder there.

Will 2013 Be a Lucky Year for Psychiatry?

January 15, 2013

By H. Steven Moffic, MD and H. Steven Moffic, MD

Crucial changes occurred that will greatly influence the organization of services, reimbursement, and diagnosis. It even ended in an exclamation point, as the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut punctuated the need for improved mental healthcare services.

Mass Murder and Psychiatry

December 17, 2012 | Antisocial Personality Disorder, Forensic Psychiatry, Addiction

By H. Steven Moffic, MD and H. Steven Moffic, MD

What we know for sure is that for all the young children and adults who were killed in Newtown, their world ended a week ago. Soon after the tragedy, one of the fathers of a child killed tearfully pleaded for society to learn from what happened in order to prevent future mass murders. Here, recommendations from a psychiatrist.

Fathers, Daughters—and Presidential Elections

December 04, 2012 | Addiction

By H. Steven Moffic, MD and H. Steven Moffic, MD

In this time of Thanksgiving, the excerpt from “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” most famously sung by Maurice Chevalier, conveys one of life’s blessings for fathers.

Fathers, Sons, and the Presidential Election

November 15, 2012 | Cultural Psychiatry, Addiction

By H. Steven Moffic, MD and H. Steven Moffic, MD

Now that President Obama has been re-elected, the Monday morning quarterbacking has begun. What went right in each campaign? What went wrong? Who is next to run in 2016?

H. Steven Moffic, MD

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