President's Blog - November 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

I want to give you updates on two projects that the SBSM leadership is working on.  First, we are still on track to meet our goal of offering the BSM exam in 2018. The credentialing committee is working hard to construct an examination that is valid, fair, and meets the standards for practicing BSM. We are also soliciting proposals for a testing agency to oversee the examination. 

I want to assure SBSM members that The BSM exam and certification remains a top priority for the Board of Directors and the committees involved in this process. We will continue to provide updates on this process through the Sleep Talker Newsletter.  If you have questions, please feel free to contact Kathryn Hansen or email me directly.      

The second update is on the BSM Concept Map, which is a project that I mentioned in the July blog.  As a reminder, the purpose of the project is to provide a “30,000 foot view” of the activities, services, and products which fall under Behavioral Sleep Medicine.  Once the BSM concept map is developed, it can then be used as a tool for the SBSM and its members for strategic planning and communications with the public. For example, SBSM leaders can use the concept map to identify particular areas that could benefit from resource allocation to stimulate activity (e.g., call for grant applications). SBSM researchers can use the concept map to identify research gaps which could be useful in grant applications. SBSM clinicians can use the concept map to develop a description of clinical services to communicate with providers who are not familiar with BSM services. SBSM educators can use the concept map to teach students or set up specific training programs. 

The Board of Directors and each of the committees are currently working on putting together a first draft of the concept map.  Once this draft is complete, we will post it on the SBSM website for members to review and provide feedback.  We will also invite key stakeholder groups to provide input. Following this period of commentary, the BOD will take the feedback and make final adjustments. The final concept map will then be posted on the SBSM website for public view.  I also plan to present this Concept Map at our annual meeting in June 2018.

Speaking of annual meetings, SLEEP 2018 will be in Baltimore, MD from June 2-6.  The call for abstracts has come out.  I encourage SBSM members to submit research abstracts, symposium proposals, and postgraduate course proposals.  For more information search http://www.sleepmeeting.org/call-for-presentations.  This month, my challenge to members is to consider this question: What topics would you like to see at SLEEP 2018?  

Instead of a survey, I would like to use social media to stimulate discussions for topic ideas and proposals. Please post your ideas and responses on the SBSM Facebook Page.  If you have not visited our Facebook Page, this would be a great time to visit and “like” our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/behavioralsleep/

I hope this open discussion of ideas will lead to more BSM-related sessions at SLEEP 2018.

With warm regards,

Jason Ong, Ph.D.
SBSM President