Professional Development Committee
The Mission of the Professional Development Committee (PDC) is to improve therapist's professional expertise and guide career development and advancement.
Chair: CAPT Scott Labreque (Scott.Labrecque@cms.hhs.gov)
Deputy: LCDR Lars Krusholm (Lars.Krusholm@ihs.gov)
Subcommittees and Task Forces under this committee include:
Education Subcommittee
Chair: CDR Cathleen Davies (CDavies@hrsa.gov)
The primary responsibility of the Education Subcommittee is to coordinate a wide variety of educational and training opportunities available to the Therapist Category that promote evidence based practices as well as to provide clinical information and updates in order to enhance the overall medical mission of the U.S Public Health Service Therapist Officer. The mission is accomplished by facilitating continuing education opportunities less than one week in duration. In addition, the Education Subcommittee promotes Evidence Based Practices through the Advanced Therapy Practices through the APAN Professional Resource Specialist page. The Subcommittee may provide additional educational opportunities under the direction and initiative of TPAC leadership.
The TPAC Professional Resource Specialist Page on APAN (https://community.apan.org/wg/tpac/p/professional_resource_specialties) is designed to facilitate professional dialogue and assist officers with access to guidance in specialty areas of rehabilitation. Professional Resource Specialists are designated to facilitate and foster ongoing professional development through interaction on APAN.
- Professional Resource Specialists hold advanced credentials in their respective area of expertise and are responsible for updating content on the TPAC Professional Resource Specialist Page on APAN.
- Expectations are for the content to be updated regularly (on a quarterly basis) and serve as a resource for all TPAC members.
Journal Club Coordinator:
Facilitate coordination of journal clubs and other TPAC wide education sessions.
See attached addendum: Education Subcommittee Journal Club Continuing Education Process (Please reference this addendum on the USPHS Therapist APAN Site, in the “Shared Files” section and under the “Charter and Bylaws” heading).
Education Subcommittee Member Responsibilities:
- Members attend via teleconference meetings and are expected to be an active participant by engaging in the dialogue and taking on tasks outlined during any of the Education Subcommittee meetings.
- Failure to remain active or accumulate three or more unexcused absences from the teleconference calls will result in the exclusion of such officer(s) from receiving a participation credit in the form of letter(s) or award(s).
Mentoring Subcommittee
Chair: CDR Alex Desatoff (Alexei.Desatoff@ihs.gov)
The Mentoring Subcommittee is responsible for promoting mentoring skills and to assist with the integration of officers throughout their career (in the US Public Health Service (USPHS). The Mentoring program’s mission is to foster pairings for officers in Mentor to Mentee relationships. The pairings are reciprocal and collaborative, at-will relationships with an emphasis for organizational goals, career goals and professional development in the USPHS Therapist Category. The role of mentorship is to increase the knowledge, skills, and abilities of Therapist Officers. This includes both mentors and mentees. Improving work quality, morale, camaraderie and long-term professional growth across the lifespan of an officer’s career with the Commissioned Corps. Once the official pairing has ended, the officers will maintain a casual professional relationship.
Mentee Responsibilities
Mentees: All active duty USPHS Officers, including COSTEP, in the Therapist Category who are willing to agree to be proactive in the paring. Commit to a time requirement of two hours per month, plan to remain on active duty the duration of the agreement, preserve confidentiality and has supervisory approval. Mentees have the responsibility of setting up meetings with the mentor and rescheduling as often as needed. All Officers are eligible to participate as mentees.
- The Mentee will poses the following attributes:
• Take the responsibility to learn. Manage their own learning in order to maximize their potential.
• Initiate - schedule discussions, actively seek out the mentor's advice, practice inquiry, help determining topics/agendas.
• Be honest - be open and frank, share self-assessment of career development needs and personal career goals.
• Listen - be open to all suggestions.
• Participate - take full advantage of the services and assistance offered, make decisions based on all information gathered, follow through on suggestions that make sense.
• The onus of learning is with the Mentee
Residency and Long Term Training:
Chair: CDR Charles Rainey (c1rainey@bop.gov)
The Residency and Long Term Training Subcommittee Chair will assume the role of the USPHS Residency Director in the U.S. Military Musculoskeletal Residency Program. The Subcommittee Chair will be a therapist who is active faculty in the residency program under the purview of the subcommittee. The Residency and Long Term Training Subcommittee Chair’s duties will consist of serving as liaison to the respective Uniformed Services in affairs involving the residency and is the leading advocate for the promotion and inclusion of USPHS residents and instructors into the residency program, along with resident mentorship placement. This role may involve leadership positions within the residency itself, such as Module Director, Mentorship Director, Deputy Residency Director and Residency Director.
Discipline Represenatives:
The Discipline Representatives consist of a representative from each of the following disciplines: Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Language Pathology and Respiratory Therapy.
Current Discipline Representatives:
Promotion Preparation
PLEASE ACCESS ALL PROMOTION MATERIALS ON APAN: https://community.apan.org/wg/tpac/m/promotion-materials
The Promotion Preparation Subcommittee develops materials and documents that support officers in preparing for promotion review each year.
Important Promotion Preparation Links:
