President's Blog - SEPTEMBER 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

This month marks a milestone for the SBSM with the occurrence of The First Annual BSM Scientific Conference. This is a major accomplishment for our society!  The conference recognizes the importance of scientific research to guide our field in identifying underlying mechanisms of sleep problems and developing effective behavioral treatments.  Being evidence-based has already led to the recognition of CBT-I as the recommended treatment by physician and healthcare organizations worldwide.  This is a major step in our goal of improving sleep and impacting the health of individuals worldwide.

Other important accomplishments this past year include the expansion of educational opportunities for members, accreditation of BSM training programs at both the masters and PhD level and expansion of committees and their roles.  New policies and procedures have also been developed to meet the current and future needs of our society. Additionally, investments in technology and website upgrades have allowed us to do more for our members, provide more services and communicate faster and more efficiently while reducing the office burden.  Overall, it has been a very productive and great year for the society.

As my term as president comes to an end, I want to thank the board members for their support and the committee chairs and members for their dedication and hard work.  Finally, I want to thank our executive director for her selfless work on behalf of the society.   I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this wonderful society and I have great expectations for its future.

Donna Arand, PhD
SBSM President