CONTINUING EDUCATION COMMITTEE 1998 ANNUAL REPORT

Continuing Education Committee (1998): Mark Shermis, Ph.D. (Chair); Ida Sue Baron, Ph.D.; Bonnie Blankmeyer, Ph.D.; Rita Culross, Ph.D.; Ellen Nuffer, Ed.D.; Barbara Cubic, Ph.D.; Brick Johnstone, Ph.D. 

This report describes the major activities for the Continuing Education Committee (CEC) during 1998.

1998 CE Activities at the APA Convention

The Continuing Education Committee is responsible for reviewing proposals and making selections for CE workshops to be presented as part of the APA annual convention. The CE Committee reviewed more than 100 workshop proposals from which they selected 62 workshops for presentation at the 1998 convention in San Francisco. There were a total of 2,729 enrollments in the CE workshops, generating $342,000 in total revenue and a net revenue of $174,000 that reflects a 22% increase over 1997. Evaluation data from the CE Workshops continues to reflect a high level of satisfaction from workshop participants with the quality and value of these programs.

The second annual Distinguished Speaker CE Seminar, offering continuing education credit, was held on Sunday night during the convention. Margaret Kemeny, Ph.D., presented a three-hour session entitled "Mind-Body Medicine: What Do We Know and What Does it Mean for Your Practice?" to a sold-out attendance of 165 participants. A dessert reception followed the presentation, providing opportunity for participants to converse with the speaker. The attendance for this event tripled over attendance in 1997, and this will continue to be an annual CE event at the APA convention.

Continuing Education Independent Study Programs

APA's Independent Study Program currently consists of 37 programs developed from APA publications and offered for CE credits. Eight new programs were introduced during 1998, and a collaborative agreement between APA and the APA Insurance Trust continues to provide APA members with discounted programs that offer CE credits in addition to a reduction in liability insurance premiums. Seven new programs will be released in 1999.

The Independent Study Program continues to be in high demand by psychologists seeking opportunities for individualized learning based on current APA publications.

Co-Sponsorship of CE Programs

The CE Committee is frequently asked to co-sponsor CE programs offered by organizations that are not APA-approved sponsors of continuing education for psychologists. Committee members review individual program proposals, make recommendations, and provide consultation that ensures adherence to APA Sponsor Approval Criteria and addresses issues of quality assurance in CE programs.

This individual program review option has been of particular interest to APA Divisions that offer pre-convention programs and want to ensure that all members can apply earned CE credits toward state licensing requirements.

New initiatives

80 psychologists and their families took advantage of the opportunity to travel while earning CE credits during an Alaskan Cruise in June 1998. Two six-hour seminars were offered, with approximately 40 participants in each, during the cruise. A Mediterranean Cruise is planned for June 26-July 3, 1999 that departs from and returns to Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Shane Murphy will present a six-hour CE seminar entitled, "Coaching Your Client: The Psychology of Superior Performance."

Plans were finalized for the first annual CE Weekend on January 7-10, 1999 in San Diego, California. The conference, entitled "Psychology and Medicine: Emerging Research and New Applications for Practice," will bring together research and practice issues in areas such as assessment and treatment of depression in primary care, psychological interventions for disease management, and the application of business models for establishing psychology practices in medical settings.

Review of APA Sponsor Approval System

The second meeting of the Sponsor Approval System Review Group took place in May 1998. A draft report of the review committee was reviewed by CACES and the CE Committee during a retreat in September 1998. The final report was approved by BEA in November 1998, by the Board of Directors in December 1998, and will be considered by the Council of Representatives for final approval at their February 1999 meeting.

CE Committee Chairs

Mark D. Shermis, Ph.D., served as Chair for 1998. At the September 1998 meeting the Committee selected Bonnie Blankmeyer, Ph.D., to serve as Chair for 1999.