Seasons and Becoming

September 1, 2023 Written by Shawn Mai, ACPE Board Chair

Dr. Gregory Ellison, a professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emory University (with the words of Luther Sim), penned a poem entitled Canyons in Me.

why question who I become?

a canyon of lives span in me.

having their wisdom,

having their diversity,

having their years,

is how my life is Grand.

Later in this article, you'll read that the ACPE Psychotherapy Commission is hosting Dr. Ellison in a three-part workshop. I read more about Dr. Ellison and found his poem “Canyons In Me.” As we start a new CPE residency at my hospital, students begin to share their stories. I share mine. I’m taken by how my story about myself shifts to a different canyon within me. Dr. Ellison’s words make me more curious and open to the unfolding current story. This helps me listen differently to student’s stories with curiosity and wonder.

This also plays out in ACPE. As the strategic planning work groups continue their work, there is a mining of the wisdom of who we have been that informs who we are becoming. It is that sacred work that Anton Boisen began 100 years ago that evolved into a movement that recognizes the beauty and potential that resides within us, where the energy of the divine creates that which is us.

I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the work that is creating us as an association.

Leadership Development

This is an important season in the life of ACPE. The Leadership Development Committee is currently recruiting for positions on our commissions and committees to keep the work moving in ACPE. Please note these dates as you contemplate how you might give of your time and talent to ACPE:

Close Nominations for Open Positions: September 22, 2023
Slate Published: October 16, 2023
Polls Open: October 25, 2023
Polls Close: November 8, 2023
Election Results Published: November 13, 2023
ACPE Board Ratifies Election Results: December 13, 2023
ACPE Board Appoints Committee Assignments: December 13, 2023
New Leadership Terms Begin: January 1, 2024

ACPE Certified Educator and Board Chair-elect Cecelia Walker (Cecelia.walker@bhsala.com) chairs the Leadership Development Committee and would be happy to receive your name and schedule a conversation about where you might fit as the committee fills out the slate.

ED Search Committee

The recruiting process for the new Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer is going well, albeit initially a bit more slowly than we had hoped. The Search Committee, which I co-Chair with Cecelia Walker, comprises a group representative of the full diversity of our membership in every dimension, including geography. Initially, the demanding workloads on the part of Committee members and the need to update the position description made progress a bit challenging. Still, we have overcome that and are moving forward. The position was advertised at various sites, including the American Society for Association Executives, and at online sites specifically targeting diverse executive candidates. We have a small slate of applicants that our HR Officer at Emory University will contact to arrange online interviews. We are also finalizing questions and scenarios for use in behavioral interviewing. Based on the results of the online interviews, the Committee expects to select one or more candidates for face-to-face interviews. In parallel with this, the Search Committee has asked Emory’s Compensation department to review and, if appropriate, update the salary range for the position. We hope to have a recommendation on hiring at or before the November Board meeting.

Psychotherapy Commission

A lot is going on for our ACPE Psychotherapists. Among a whole slate of events this fall, there is a three-part workshop I wanted to highlight for all ACPE members. It is entitled “Working Your Working Paper: Care-Full Reflections on Vocation, Value, Voice, and Vision.”

In a handful of paragraphs and three unpublished sermons, Howard Thurman details the characteristics of the working paper—a living document that is guided by an audacious goal, governs daily practice, and is rooted in a deep commitment to God.  This highly interactive three-part workshop will engage head and heart, welcome fearless dialogue, and challenge caregiving leaders to critically analyze vocation, value, voice, and visions for the unfolding future.

Session 1: Vocation and Value(s), Beyond the Mule’s Path: Howard Thurman’s Working Paper Introduced
Session 2: Voice, Not for Rent: Freedom Papers for the Trained Mind

Session 3: Vision, The Fellowship of Shade Trees: Love, Proximity and the Courage to be Free

In addition to this workshop, check out the Upcoming Psychotherapy  Trainingand Events page , and you'll see a very active fall ahead!

ACCREDITATION

There is a lot going on within the Accreditation Commission which impacts our CPE Centers across the country. Please read Katy Wilcox’s article from last week if you haven’t already. I especially found the PowerPoint on the USDE/ACPE Accreditation SharePoint page helpful. The USDE compliance report information reminds me of how our relationship with the USDE helps us serve our students better and how hard the accreditation commission has worked to respond to each of the identified issues.

The seasons are changing, and with the calendar turning from August to September, the energy in the trees and plants begins to turn inward. The shifting angles of light have an impact on how we see things both internally and externally. Different parts of the terrain come into focus in new ways. Blessings in your own journey of becoming!