During our November 2013 meeting, we determined how our Task Forces will be developed and governed. We now invite you to volunteer to participate on a Task Force, as follows:
1. Make yourself familiar with the Task Forces which are accepting volunteers.
2. Make your interest known:
- If you applied as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in early 2013, then you need only let us know of your interest by filling out a Task Force Designation form.
- If you did not apply as a Subject Matter Expert, then make yourself familiar with the requirements of the position, then fill out an SME application. The application has been edited to ask you which subcommittees your are interested in.
- If you don’t remember whether you filled out a Subject Matter Expert Application (SME), then contact us and we’ll look to be sure we have your application. info@advocatecredential.org
Important to Note:
Submitting your interest or application does not guarantee you’ll be asked to serve on a Task Force. We have dozens of applications but no more than three or four open seats on any Task Force. The PACSC (Patient Advocacy Credential Steering Committee) representatives for each committee will go through the applications from those who have designated interest and will contact the strongest candidates.
You may be contacted at any time. You may be contacted next week, next month or next year. It will depend on the progress of each topic and Task Force.
There will be more Task Forces created as time goes on. We will post them as they are created. If you would like to be notified when they are created, please sign up for updates – the form is on the right side of this page.
Hello:
I have looked at your documents and website with interest as a possible area of focus for a second career. I was curious as to where in the certification process is there mention of having knowledge or working with under-served populations and if there has been, what are the expectations for advocates to have knowledge and/or practice in this area?
Thank you-
Hi Terrie,
Thank you for your comment/question on our process. The PAC Board is very sensitive to the importance of reaching out to under-served populations and, frankly, patient advocacy often has a David/Goliath feel to it as we are attempting to ensure that individuals have the help they need to get the health care they deserve. Rather than pointing out a specific population (which might be read as excluding other populations), we have made a commitment to preparing and certifying advocates to work with all populations.
The competencies for working with any population are defined the same way: know the available resources, know how to find them and use them, understand the healthcare system and the law, be fair, be current, and be able to communicate well. So the answer to your question is that the expectations of someone who chooses to help under-served populations will be same as for any advocate, that they have the skills and knowledge to make a positive difference for their clients – no more and no less.
We also understand that there can be no expectation that all certified advocates will know how to work with all under-served populations, so certified advocates will be expected to know how to recognize needs and find the right people or the right resources to fulfill those needs, including referrals to other advocates who are more expert in specific areas than they are.
Thanks again for your interest and investment in advocate certification. The questions and challenges of professionals in the field will help to create the strongest possible process.