Dr.
Baer (8/24/55-7/27/17) co-founded the OCD treatment and research programs at both the
Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital. His groundbreaking
research on OCD symptom subtypes and his extensive research findings advanced
behavioral and pharmacological treatments of OCD. A deeply caring
clinician, Dr. Baer was universally liked and respected by his patients.
His self-help book “Getting Control” was the first to describe a powerful
behavioral treatment for OCD and his book “The Imp of the Mind” shed new light
on the understanding and treatment of sexual, aggressive and religious obsessions.
His books have helped OCD patients and guided clinicians around the world for
more than 20 years. Beyond being an exceptional researcher and clinician,
he will be remembered for having tirelessly supported and encouraged interns,
postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty. Dr. Baer has been honored for his
research on OCD with a lifetime achievement award from the international OCD
foundation and his work has been featured in major news outlets.
Dr. Baer had a razor-sharp mind but also a warm, humble, and caring style. He was therefore highly respected, trusted, and liked. He was a beloved family member, a beloved Baseball and Basketball Coach and a beloved friend. He is survived by his wife Carole Ann, his son David, and his daughter Emily.
OCD Southern California has created a scholarship in his name, the Lee Baer Scholarship. Thus far, the Lee Baer Scholarship has covered the cost of OCD So Cal’s annual conference for multiple individuals who are students, have large families, or are of lower socioeconomic status, and would otherwise not be able to attend the event. The scholarship has provided these individuals with an opportunity to be a part of the conference, and the education and resources that are provided at the event, on behalf of generous donors to OCD So Cal.
If you would like to donate to OCD Southern California and have your donation go towards the Lee Baer Scholarship, please donate here: http://ocdsocal.org/get-involved/donate/
Join OCD SoCal for our “1 Million Steps 4 OCD” walks in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Orange County on Saturday, June 1, 2018 to raise awareness, hope, and funds to the support the IOCDF and OCD Southern California!
Schedule for all walks is as follows: 9:30am – check in 10-11am – walk 11am- 1pm – picnics, presentations, and community mingle events
Walk meet up locations: San Diego – La Jolla Shores Hotel, Garden Patio (8110 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla, CA 92037) Los Angeles – Juan Bautista de Anza Park (3701 Lost Hills Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302) Orange County – Wakeham Park (3400 Smalley St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)
You can learn more about the history of the 1 Million Steps 4 OCD walk and how to get involved in your local OCD SoCal walk by visiting the IOCDF website.
Agenda: 10 AM: Registration and Clinician Breakfast 10:45 AM: Welcome and Introduction of Board Members 11:00 AM: Keynote- Jeff Sparr of PeaceLove 12:30 PM: Lunch and Breakout Groups 1:45 PM: First Breakout Session 3:00 PM: Second Breakout Session 4:00 PM: Conference Wrap-Up and Opportunity Drawing
We appreciate your interest in volunteering! We have four active working groups looking for volunteers.
To help you decide where you would like to devote your time and talents, please read the information below on our current teams.
The more volunteers we have, the better our events will be!
1. OB/Gynecologist & Pediatrician Subcommittees
The mission of the Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Pediatrician Subcommittees is to educate local physicians on the early detection and treatment of postpartum and pediatric OCD.
We have two goals. First, we will develop outreach materials for each of the specialties we will be contacting (OB/Gynecologists and Pediatricians). Second, we will approach local OB/Gynecologists and Pediatricians to distribute the materials and offer our presentation.
The informational toolkit to be developed will include: 1) a brochure, 2) a powerpoint to present to physicians, and 3) a short self-assessment questionnaire for patients.
If you would like to volunteer to assist with this initiative, please contact DrYip@RenewedFreedomCenter.com for the OB/Gynecologist Subcommittee, or AshleyBramhall@RenewedFreedomCenter.com for the Pediatrician Subcommittee.
2. Event Planning Team
If you have enjoyed the events sponsored by OCD Southern California and would be interested in helping to make them even better, we welcome you! There are many ways to participate in the Events Planning Team, depending on your talents, interests and time.
We always need people to help us plan, set up, and keep things organized at our events. If this is something you might like to do, I will add you to our volunteer email group. As we begin planning for an event, you will receive an email requesting help. If you are interested in the event and have the time to volunteer, great! If not, perhaps you are available for the next event.
While we need people with all types of talents, if you have any of the following skills, we would greatly appreciate your talents to help us reach many more people in Southern California:
Public Relations skills
Graphic arts skills
Social Media skills
Fund-raising skills
If the Events Planning Team sounds right for you, please send the following information to Liz Trondsen at ltrondsen@gmail.com:
Name
Phone Number
Please let me know if you have any special area of interest-or just want to help wherever needed!
3. Advocacy Committee
The general public does not fully understand the severity and complexities of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It will take members of the OCD community– those with OCD, their friends and family members, and treatment providers, to debunk the stigma surrounding the disorder and to spread awareness.
Volunteer members of OCD Southern California’s Advocacy Committee will educate the general public in a variety of ways: speaking at OCD Southern California affiliate events, talking to interested parties at mental health conferences and events while manning an OCD So Cal booth, contributing their personal stories to our website and blog, speaking at hospitals and medical offices, and posting OCD Awareness information or videos on social media.
Volunteers may select the level of involvement and time they wish to contribute, as well as how much of their personal story they wish to share. The committee is led by Ethan Smith, Justin Nichols, and Chris Trondsen, MFTT, all of whom have suffered with OCD and are advocates themselves. Ethan, Justin, and Chris will work side-by-side with volunteers of the Advocacy Committee to further carry out OCD Southern California’s mission to educate and support the local OCD community.
If you are interested in being part of the Advocacy Committee, please email: info@OCDSoCal.org with the subject of the email being: “I Am Interested In Being a Part of the Advocacy Committee” and address the email to Chris, Justin, and Ethan. Thank you!
4. OCD in Schools
Raising awareness for early identification and effective intervention
Our goals include:
Distributing information and materials to schools
Developing and offering in-service trainings for teachers and school administrators
Offering materials and information to psychologists who do testing and recommend accommodations appropriate to treatment goals for OCD.
Providing guidance to parents on how best to help their children navigate the demands of school.
OCD is easy to miss and/or misdiagnose, but if we could educate our educators on what to look for beyond the regular stereotyped symptoms we could perhaps reduce the time that it often takes for people to be properly diagnosed. Also, educating the special needs providers about appropriate accommodation and how they may differ for OCD. Last but not least, we hope to help educate parents on how to best help their children and to provide up to date resources.
If you would like to volunteer to assist on this committee, please contact Melissa Mose at mmosemft@gmail.com.
