Hello all section members. I have been remiss in introducing myself as your section Chair. My job as the Chair is to ensure that the section works for YOU and meets your professional needs in areas such as professional development, professional networking and offerings for educational opportunities.
In the spirit of our mission, the Section Board decided to publish a monthly "Chair Update" focusing on section business, plans, etc. So here goes our first Chair Update:
- Our monthly telephonic board meetings cover several IARP areas such as: Young Professionals, Education, Finance, Membership & Marketing, Policies & Procedures and finally the Strategic Plan. Several board members sit on these international committees as RDCM representatives who then bring back information to the Section meetings. In return, Section leaders discuss ideas and/or offer suggestions to these representatives to take back to the larger committees. Thus, our IARP Board and Committee Chairs know what our section is doing and we know what is happening at the international level.
- A NEW suggestion which has been adopted by the RDCM Board is to identify, and possibly help create, Internships in private practice for our Student Membership. As we all know, most Internships are with public agencies. Most students have no idea of what private practice/for profit company work entails, what/where opportunities exist and/or how to get started. So, your RDCM Section is going to tackle this need and we hope to have an initial "Internship Bank" ready by the end of 2016.
- Another new item for our section will occur at the 2018 Annual Conference. We will offer an RDCM Reception where we can all meet, mingle, and network.
Now for your part:
- Our strategic plan requires that we, as a section, offer educational/professional development opportunities to our section members through webinars.We have a few that are in the planning stages, but want to open the door for suggestions. Many section members, like myself, are not Life Care Planners and don't concentrate in the Forensics field. The RDCM Board would like to offer more educational opportunities, through webinars and/or even future conference topics which are in line with our professional work such as: long term disability, worker's compensation, vocational rehabilitation, medical case management, return to work and retention plans, etc.
- We NEED YOUR HELP: please offer ideas of topics you would like to hear more about, speakers you want to hear from again, etc.
- We will make it happen. The RDCM Board is ready to go and work on your behalf.
Until next month I hope the rest of your summer is great.
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Barbara Harvey, MA, CDMS, CCM, CRP
RTW Services, LLC
Vocational Consultant
Newport News, VA 23606
866-873-1119 ext. 203
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