Esther Gershenson

Esther Gershenson is the Project Manager for Advocacy, Policy, and Practice Advancement at the American Psychiatric Association. In her role, she works directly with APA members in the development of APA policy and resources for the membership and for the profession. Furthermore, she is heavily involved in drafting comment letters and regulatory responses to government agencies, including feedback on proposed rules, guidance documents, and federal and state policy initiatives affecting psychiatric practice and patient care. Gershenson works specifically with child and adolescent psychiatrists to keep child and adolescent health at the forefront of APA policy, including issues related to substance use, violence, juvenile justice, intellectual disabilities, and immigration.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the leading psychiatric organization in the world with over 40,400 members involved in psychiatric practice, research, and academia representing the diversity of the patients for whom they serve. APA works to champion psychiatrists’ medical leadership and to improve patient outcomes through education, advocacy, development of practice guidelines, and the advancement of scientific knowledge. APA plays a critical role in shaping health policy for the most vulnerable populations, fostering a world where every person has access to timely, evidence-driven mental health care and every psychiatrist is supported and empowered to deliver it.