Discussion: View Thread

This presentation is a townhall/roundtable format. Dr. Michelle Aliff will moderate this discussion. Dr. Fernandez (CACREP) will speak for 15 minutes regarding the CACREP educational standards for rehabilitation counseling programs and the revisions process. Ms. Shlemon (CRCC), will speak for 15 minutes regarding the job task analysis (JTA) CRCC has undertaken and how the certifying and accrediting body should align on the standards for rehabilitation counseling. The remaining time will be allotted for questions and discussion from the audience.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. M. Sylvia Fernandez, CACREP President and CEO, was a counselor educator and administrator for 29 years. Dr. Fernandez has extensive professional service and leadership experience in state, national, and international counseling professional organizations. At the state level as Arkansas President of both ACA and ACES, and as Chair of the: Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling, At the national level, as the Chair of the Board of Directors of NBCC, and CACREP Board of Directors. And at the international level, as Chair of the and NBCC-International Advisory Board and in multiple capacities with the University Council of Jamaica. Dr. Fernandez's publications and presentations are in the areas of multicultural issues in counseling and related disciplines, counselor education and credentialing, professional identity and ethics, and clinical supervision. Dr. Fernandez was on the 4-person team that negotiated and implemented CORE-CACREP Affiliation Agreement as well as the CORE-CACREP Merger, both of which occurred over a period of five year period.

Pam Shlemon takes a vision and makes it reality through sound strategy development. She intuitively sees the threads of opportunity that wind through an organization, brings them together into a coherent whole, and helps others extend their thinking. She is respected as a credible voice in decision making, finding strategic partners, and establishing governance boundaries. Pam earns a seat at the table wherever she serves. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, (CRCC), a national organization. Ms. Shlemon is responsible for overseeing all facets of the organization. She is a motivating leader who drives results through collaboration, partnerships and building relationships with all stakeholders. Pam radiates a sincere passion for delivering value and benefits to her stakeholders. Pam has more than 35 years of executive management experience in the health care industry. Prior to joining CRCC, she co-founded the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy in 2007. She developed the organization's research program and created the 1st and only Peripheral Neuropathy research registry in the United States. Pam was the Regional Vice President for ChartOne, a national leader in technology solutions for the healthcare industry. As a top-performing executive, leading major initiatives she was key contributor to enterprise-level planning and decision making. She currently serves on several committees and coalitions for a variety of organizations in the health care industry. Pam served as Board President for Arts Refreshing the Soul and has consulted with several non-profit organizations on Board Governance and Association Management.