American Association of Pastoral Counselors

 

On a recent weekend I decided to tackle a couple of “do-it-yourself” tasks around the house. I quickly found out that my “do-it-yourself” projects would be better named “do-it-with-someone-else-so-you-don’t-kill-yourself” jobs. The first project was to put a new outlet in our breakfast nook so the coffee maker could be near the breakfast table. To do that job safely I needed to turn off the electrical power to that part of the house. But the circuit breakers are in the basement, while the breakfast nook is on the main floor. Since the circuit breakers are not well labeled, I had three choices. I could turn off the power to the whole house for the duration of the project, work by flashlight, then turn the power back on and reset all the clocks and timers in the house. I could turn off the breakers one at a time, then rush back up the stairs to see if the right area had gone dark, then go back down to try another breaker until I got the right one. Or I could enlist my wife to watch the lights I wanted to shut off while I turned off the breakers. With Mary’s help, I found the right breaker in about 30 seconds.

 

In a later phase of the project, I had to fish electrical cable from the whole I had cut in the wall down through the wall and hope to hit a small hole I had drilled in the basement ceiling. With a helper feeding the wire down from the top, it would not have been too difficult to spot as it passed above the hole I had drilled. But by the time I arrived at that phase of the project, Mary had left for a meeting. Working by myself, I had to wiggle the wire a bit, then run downstairs and see if it hit the hole, then run back upstairs and wiggle it some more, then run back down to peer up through the hole again until finally I spotted the wire and pulled it through. I was reminded, and not for the first time either, that home construction and repair works better as a collaborative enterprise.

 

Construction and Collaboration: Pathways to the Future is the theme for this year’s AAPC Annual Conference, April 19-21, in Leesburg, Virginia. Plenary speakers and workshop leaders will help us explore the ways in which social collaborationist and constructivist approaches to counseling, care and training are re-energizing our field. We will work together to advance our knowledge and skill, to celebrate the life of the community, and to install new leaders.

Construction and collaboration also captures the spirit of the new structure of our association. 

 

We now have two divisions with leadership teams in each division coordinating the work. The Membership Division focuses on recruiting and equipping members for the work of pastoral care, counseling, education and supervision. The Products and Services Division focuses on partnering with other organizations, promoting collaborative models of service delivery, and producing useful resources. These divisions are designed to work with the existing structures of regions and committees to make the association more effective at supporting the individual and institutional members.

 

These days my cup of coffee reminds me each morning that we do better when we work together. That’s as true in the AAPC as it is in home wiring. I hope you will be part of the gathering that comes together in Leesburg in April. And I hope you will work with all of us to construct the new association that is coming together.

 

  

I am one who would never undertake the adventure which Doug Thorpe describes above. Though, I do concur with the imagery related to his “do-it-yourself” analogy. It is a tedious process but very important to understand what wire goes where and to what it is connected. It is all too easy to forget the myriad of connections that it takes to “turn on the lights.” It requires more than a flip of a switch; all of the connections need to be in place.

 

In my contribution to the Fall issue of Currents, I highlighted what is transpiring related to Healthcare Reform and emerging models of collaborative care to meet the emerging social and health related issues in each of our communities. I also highlighted and provided links that described initiatives in which AAPC and some of our colleagues are involved. This changing landscape was the impetus for the development of AAPC’s 2010-2014 Vision and Mission Plan. In light of this, the new form governance and programmatic initiatives were designed and implemented.  Above, Doug Thorpe identifies and provides a description of the Membership and Products and Services Divisions.

 

I’d like to provide an example of the work these two divisions are undertaking and the connections that are being established within AAPC and to external institutions and partners.

 

The Membership Division has identified approximately 60 educational institutions offering degrees in the counseling sciences and/or pastoral studies. Such institutions have had no interaction with AAPC but are preparing graduates to provide counseling services that are sensitive to spiritual needs of consumers. Brief descriptions of educational offerings have been outlined, contact information has been collected and regions in which these programs reside have been identified.

 

The process of making initial contacts has been outlined and will be implemented within 6 weeks. Regional Chairs, who are meeting monthly, are involved in developing the protocols for follow up. Elizabeth Walker, a member of the Leadership Team, will join the next meeting of Regional Chairs. This illustrates the increased connections within entities of AAPC, between such entities of AAPC and linkages to institutions external to AAPC.

 

The Products and Services Leadership Team is focusing on highlighting the importance of integrative models between primary care medicine, behavioral health services and spirituality. This is an example of collaborative models of care across disciplines to develop optimum care for individuals, families and communities. In addition, the Leadership Team is identifying such models within AAPC, providing information regarding the efficacy and necessity of such an integrated model of care and providing connections to resources for further training and education.

 

A “Networking Group” related to this topic will be meeting at the AAPC Conference in Leesburg, VA. It is anticipated that physicians who are attending the conference and presenting will be in attendance. Please plan to join this offering. This group will continue to meet following the conference utilizing technology.

 

The following link is a very helpful introduction to this topic. It is found in Research Activities, January 2012: Feature Story: Experts call for integrating mental health into primary care http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jan12/0112RA1.htm

 

The Collaborative Family Healthcare Association is a growing association dedicated to an integrated model of care. I have been a member and its next meeting will be in Austin, TX in October, www.cfha.net

 

The Products and Services Leadership Team is aware that to move to an expanded, integrated model of care will necessitate additional training for practitioners. The following link is for a Certificate in Integration- http://www.umassmed.edu/fmch/pcbh/welcome.aspx . The Director of this program is a colleague of mine. I will be checking to see if there is a possibility of a “discount” if there are a certain number of AAPC participants.

 

It is all about connections. Join us for the AAPC Conference and get yourself plugged into the creative energy in AAPC. You won’t be disappointed. Just make sure you are grounded. This is about “currents”. It truly is electric! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFMtBibwrgY

 

 

 

The 48^th Annual Conference entitled Construction & Collaboration:  Pathways to the Future will be held at the National Conference Center (NCC), April 19-21.  

 

Important elements of holding the conference at NCC are:

 

·        Airport: Closest one is Dulles (12 miles); NCC shuttle available

·        NCC Overnight Guests: Meals included starting with dinner on the night of arrival.   Conference registration subsidizes the meal plan.

·        NCC DAY Guests: A fee will be charged for those NOT staying at NCC which covers use of facility, parking, lunch, snacks, etc. Conference registration subsidizes the Day Guest fee.

·        Meals will be provided in the NCC dining facility….cafeteria style…with a variety of foods offered at each meal. 

·        Snacks are provided in designated areas in the morning & afternoon.

·        Beverages are provided throughout the day in designated areas.

·        Boxed Lunch, for convenience in attending the Regional Caucus, is extra.

·        The Banquet is included with FULL Registration; however, tickets may be purchased.

·        Recreational “opportunities” include the Gym & Fitness Center, the Black Olive Sports Bar (TV, arcade games, pool & darts, bar & snacks for sale) and Hop & Vine Wine Bar (quiet lounge area).

·        Scenic countryside - Over a hundred acres to stroll or jog through.

 

The conference program includes the following Plenary Speakers:

 

·        Rev. Pamela D. Couture, Ph.D.

·        Harlene Anderson, Ph.D.

·        Ronald W. Manderscheid, Ph.D.

 

The Workshop opportunities include seven (7) pre-conference workshops and thirty-one (31) conference workshop sessions. They all support the theme of collaborating/networking, offer many ideas for expanding and deepening our vocations, and are theologically and spiritually enriching and challenging. 

 

All details regarding room reservations at the National Conference Center, conference registration, workshop descriptions, etc. are available on the conference website. The link to the conference website is located below.

 

See you in April,

Program Planning Committee

 

 

Construction & Collaboration – Conference Slide Presentation