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Announcement of New Officer Profile Initiative
The Commissioned Corps Transformation Team, with the support of the Office of the Surgeon General, released the new Officer Profile (OP) initiative on 17 March 2009. This new system is available at https://dcp.psc.gov/cclogin/ccmislogin.aspx on the Commissioned Corps Management Information System (CCMIS) for officers of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps).

The OP is a collection tool that will deposit all the data collected into a database that will contain records of officers’ additional training and licensure. Officers’ validated additional training and licensure will be moved into the U.S. Coast Guard’s Direct Access, which is the Corps’ future human resources information system to be launched in early summer 2009. All information stored in the system will be encrypted, restricted to authorized users, and comply with Federal and Departmental security and privacy requirements.

All officers are encouraged to take advantage of this important tool! The OP will greatly benefit you, the organization you represent, and the Corps as a whole by expanding job/billet opportunities and enhancing recruitment programs. To date, over 200 officers have already taken advantage of the new system. Many have reported that they are excited to take charge of their careers and make themselves more accessible for future positions.

To assist with an understanding of OP and its relationship to Direct Access, we included key highlights of the system and a list of frequently asked questions and answers (Q&A).

How will the OP benefit the Corps and me?
The OP will enable officers to better manage their careers by showcasing all of their training and talents/skills, while facilitating force management within the Corps to meet both Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) response and public health needs by assessing aggregate officer skill sets.

When moved into Direct Access, validated OP data will allow officers to:
  • Showcase individual accomplishments, skills, knowledge, and competencies
  • Search for jobs and other opportunities; to identify the skills needed for positions that might be of interest based upon personal and career preferences
  • Obtain guidance on potential training and career development opportunities
The validated officer information that is moved into Direct Access will allow the Corps to:
  • Identify officers for special assignments and deployment opportunities
  • Allow hiring officials to identify the right officer for a position at the right time.
  • Eventually the system will capture, in a comprehensive library, the specialized skill sets (such as project management, program management, residencies, licensures and certifications) that each officer earned after call to active duty
  • Identify needed skill sets for future preparedness and public health needs 
  • Address unmet public health needs through improved force management such as training and career development.
What information is being validated in the OP initiative?
The OP will collect the following documents (excluding those required for your commission):
  • Other degrees (excluding your commissionable degree)
  • Registrations, residencies, fellowships, certifications or additional licensures (excluding the one(s) presently tracked to maintain your commission)
What if my training, licensures, advanced degrees and/or certification are not listed?
The accomplishments that are on the lists were created by the categories as accomplishments that would be matchable only to category specific billets (e.g. nursing, dental, psychologist billets, etc.). This list is not the “end all and be all” of lists and it will grow as the OP collection system matures. If you are not able to register your certification, licensure, or advanced degree be assured that readiness and multidisciplinary billet/role data fields will be developed and collected as OP is expanded in the next phases.

What if the same documents are in my eOPF?
Documents stored in eOPF (electronic Officer Personnel Folder) are viewed as “picture” files and can not easily be used in data searches making it virtually impossible to use in a matching system. Additionally, the Corps has no way to validate the source of those documents already in the eOPF, so not all the information can be considered source verified, which is a requirement of the data that is currently being collected. The reason the data collected in this phase must be validated is that it will be used to match officers to opportunities and the Corps must guarantee that the data it presents is accurate. These reasons, among others, are the drivers behind implementing this new tool.

How do I register my documents?
  1. Click on https://dcp.psc.gov/cclogin/ccmislogin.aspx on the CCMIS Web site.
  2. After you log on to the CCMIS, click on “Officer Profiles” on the left hand side of the page under the Activity menu.
  3. Once you enter the Officer Profiles page, you can register two basic types of documents: Training and/or Licensure/Certification. Click the “Add” button under the appropriate document type to register a document that will be submitted to your profile.
  4. Complete all the information requested then click on the “Submit” button.
  5. Your information will appear on the screen under the appropriate document type. 
  6. You may continue to add documents, delete any record of the documents you have submitted, or log out of the system.
  7. Remember to request the awarding body of the document(s) you have registered to submit the document(s) directly to the following address in order for the the document(s) to be validated as part of your profile:
      Office of Commissioned Corps Operations
      ATTN: Officer Profile Database
      Tower Building, Suite 100, Plaza Level
      1101 Wootton Parkway
      Rockville, MD 20852
The only acceptable verification of these accomplishments is for the Corps to receive documentation of your achievement(s) directly from the awarding body or in an unopened official envelope from the awarding body forwarded by the officer. See the electronic copies Q&A below for an additional pathway for acceptable verification.

Are electronic copies sent to the OP valid?
Electronic copies, if sent by the users, will not be considered valid. The collection system is structured so that the validation of the accomplishment is based solely on the source which awards it.

Electronic information is acceptable if sent from official sites; such as .gov or .mil. If the awarding body does not provide hard copy of the accomplishment, the officer can print off the online verification of the accomplishment and send it to the OP address above. The online verification must be accompanied by a cover letter stating the fact that this is the only form of verification that this particular source provides. Additionally, the cover letter must be signed and dated by the officer.

What if I make a mistake while entering my information into OP?
The OP does not allow staff to change any officer entered information. Nor does the system allow for the officer to have the ability to correct a single data element once entered, but does have a delete entry capability. The only way to correct an invalid entry is to delete it completely and re-enter all elements.

Will I be reimbursed for charges?
There are no funds available for reimbursement. The Corps recognizes this process puts an onus on each individual officer, yet the ability to absorb the cumulative cost of this endeavor for over 6,000 officers is something the Corps is not presently able to do.

Who do I contact if I have additional questions?
Contact the help desk at cchelpdesk@psc.gov for questions concerning your ability to log on to the secure portion of the CCMIS Web site (i.e., user id, passwords). If you have any remaining or additional questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail ops@hhs.gov for more information.

NOW is the time for you to take charge of your career with the help of the Officer Profile Initiative.
 
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