ACPE CERTIFICATION COMMISSION
THE SUB-COMMITTEE PROCESS
For All Sub-Committees:
• When time is allotted for “forming”, subcommittee members are encouraged to share current personal and professional experiences that may inform their ability to be ‘present’ to the work of the committee. It is a time for connecting with each other, not discussing the candidate.
• Thirty minutes are allotted for ‘preparation’ time, when the presenter discusses key issues raised in the Presenter’s Report, and committee members discuss any previous experiences with the candidate (or with the educational supervisor) that may affect objectivity or fairness. The chair may choose to summarize the competencies that are being evaluated and to discuss the committee process, heightening the need for respect for the candidate and integrity in the process. The chair also appoints one person to take process notes (see below), arranges the chairs in a comfortable circle (designating one for the candidate), makes sure water and Kleenex is available, and in general establishes a feeling of hospitality. Please tell the Candidate that all Committee members may jot notes as a routine part of the Committee meeting; and that the “Process Recorder” is a participating, voting member of the Committee.
o Process notes are to be a description (not evaluative) record of the committee process. They are to be recorded on a zip drive/laptop. The record is to note transition times, periods of silence, and group dynamics as appropriate. Note the time no less than every five minutes. Process notes are to be utilized in writing the Committee Action report and serve as a record of the committee process during any appeal. The name of the process recorder needs to be entered onto the form.
• All subcommittee members please turn off cell phones.
• When the committee is ready to meet the candidate, the chair goes to the hospitality suite and escorts the candidate to the room. Once the candidate is in the room the subcommittee welcomes the candidate and makes sure introductions have been made. The chair invites the candidate to sit and informs the candidate of the time allotted (including that the candidate will be informed when only ten minutes remain). The chair also acknowledges the person who is taking process notes and that they are full participating members of the committee.
The chair asks the candidate if there are any factual errors, and if there are the Presenter will make those corrections and send a copy to the candidate and to the National office.
• Candidates for Associate have a full hour and one half meeting with the subcommittee. Candidates for ACPE Supervisor have one hour.
• The intent of the committee is to assess the candidate’s professional functioning as an autonomous ACPE Associate Supervisor according to the four competencies listed in the ACPE Standards. The candidate must demonstrate competency in all four listed categories in order to be granted certification as an Associate Supervisor. Competency is defined as the ability to discuss and demonstrate in the subcommittee meeting and in written materials both theory and practice, illustrating one with the other. Ample opportunity should be provided to the candidate to articulate and demonstrate competency in each category. It is appropriate to ask clarifying questions, to engage the candidate’s affect and congruence, and to challenging the candidate to provide further articulation, while always maintaining respect. At the same time, the committee is not to ‘do the work’ of the candidate; it is the candidate’s responsibility to ‘initiate and demonstrate’ professional functioning.
• The same process is followed for persons requesting ACPE Supervisor status as for Associate Supervisor, with the following exceptions: the committee meets for one hour, rather than an hour and half. The task of the committee is a consultation to assess competency according to the Standards, with emphasis on group facilitation and the use of self as a primary teaching/learning resource in CPE Supervision. However, for ACPE Supervisor no vote is taken.
• The candidate may choose to end the process early for either Associate Supervisor and/or ACPE Supervisor. The chair announces when only ten minutes remain for either appearance. When concluding the process, the chair informs the candidate of the task of voting and/ or writing a Committee Action Report, which normally takes between thirty and sixty minutes. Forty-five minutes are allotted on the docket. If the subcommittee needs more time, the chair will notify the certification chair, so this can be communicated to the candidate. The candidate is requested to be in the hospitality suite and when the committee has completed their process the chair will come to the hospitality suite and invite the candidate back to the room.
• When the Supervisory Candidate leaves the room, a preliminary, non-binding vote is taken, and discussion invited. The chair then facilitates a thorough discussion of candidate’s self-presentation (the committee may find it helpful to utilize the Committee Action Report to structure the dialogue. If necessary, a second, binding vote is taken, and the Committee Action Report (see below) is then written recorded by the candidate’s presenter. When the Associate leaves the room he or she is now an ACPE Supervisor. The committee may make recommendations for further professional development.
o The Chair gives the decision of the subcommittee. The presenter writes the Committee Action Report (CAR) report, with input from the committee.
o Writing the committee action report for Associate Supervisor: If the candidate’s request is granted, briefly answer each of the questions on the CAR report. You may list some recommendations for professional development to focus their work toward ACPE Supervisor.
o If the candidate’s request is denied, carefully answer each of the questions on the report, citing the Standards that were not met, and consider any recommendations. Recommendations are intended to aid the candidate in developing necessary competency and inform further education. Make sure to tie the recommendations directly to the appropriate Standards and note the Standard. They are to be specific and appropriate to the candidate’s setting, and the reason for each recommendation is to be made explicit. No more than two recommendations for further professional development may be written.
o Writing the Committee Action Report ACPE Supervisor: Briefly answer each of the questions on the report, and consider any recommendations for further professional development. Recommendations for further professional development are intended to enhance the ACPE Supervisor’s growth.
o If the subcommittee notices during the appearance accreditation or ethical concerns, these are to be separate from the review process.
• The committee also has the authority to suspend Candidate status and remove Associate Supervisor status, if Candidate and/or Associate-level competencies are clearly being unmet and/or if the students are being harmed. If such action is being considered, the committee must confer with the Commission Chair prior to making a decision. If the committee action is to suspend Candidate status, s/he will be remanded to the regional level for potential removal of Candidate status.
• If the subcommittee determines that ACPE Supervisor-level competencies are clearly being unmet and/or if the students are being harmed, the subcommittee can request a Review of Supervisory Competence. If such action is being considered, the committee must confer with the Certification Commission Chair prior to making a decision.
• When the subcommittee is ready for the candidate to come back to the room, the chair goes to the hospitality suite and escorts the candidate to the room. The chair informs the candidate of the committee’s decision and the presenter reads the Committee Action Report. The chair assures understanding and invites any response. Committee members are invited to celebrate with candidates who are granted, as appropriate, or to remain supportive and compassionate to candidates who are denied, taking care not to discuss the committee process. If the candidate’s request is granted, the subcommittee members will return the candidate’s materials to the candidate, retaining the face sheet, Appendix 8 Attestation of Good Standing and a clean copy of the presenter’s report for the packet. If the request is denied, the members retain the candidate’s materials and the chair informs the candidate that the members of the committee cannot discuss the committee process for thirty days from postmarked or electronic written report. The chair the invites the candidates to contact any of the members of the subcommittee for consultation, after the thirty-day waiting period, if no appeal is made. If candidates wish to discuss the committee appearance they need to call committee members 30-60 days after the committee appearance. Sub-committee materials will be discarded after 60 days. This should be shared with the candidate. Further, the chair retains a complete set of the candidate’s materials, when denied, and gives them to the Commission Chair, along with the process notes and the signed Committee Action Report.
• Currently we ask that if you want to keep any of the candidate’s materials you must get the papers signed for you to keep the materials.
• Following the subcommittee deliberations and after the candidate has been given the decision and left the room, the subcommittee members are to reflect on the committee process, assessing how they functioned while providing feedback to one another, as a component of being a learning organization.
• If there are any accreditation/ethical concerns that need to be addressed (these are addressed separate from the review process), the Chair of the sub-committee will notify the Certification Chair of the concerns and invite him/her to discuss those concerns. If after discussion those concerns need to be addressed, the committee will list the concerns and the ACPE Standard (s) that appear to be in violation. Depending on the decision of the sub-committee and the Certification Commission Chair, the Commission Chair will engage the cross-commission referral process using Appendix 12 ACPE Inter Commission/Entity Referral and Response Form . Refer also to the 2016 Certification Manual, General Certification Policies, for further guidance.