2010 PCPA Conference Call for Proposals
January 25, 2010

The PCPA Conference Committee is soliciting workshop proposals for the association conference to be held October 5 – 8 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. This premiere statewide event strives to provide participants with a variety of educational opportunities spanning clinical, administrative, operational, and regulatory realms. Information about proposal content, deadlines, and requirements of presenters are outlined below.

The Call for Proposals form outlines expectations for submissions and includes the need for a workshop overview, abstract, and development of measurable learning objectives. Proposals are due in the PCPA office by 6:00 p.m. March 26. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form. No proposals will be accepted via mail or facsimile. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered for inclusion in the program. Electronic confirmation will be sent upon proposal receipt.

The conference offers diverse educational tracks within the structure of the event. Proposal submissions are needed in every area. Tracks include adult mental health, adult and children’s drug and alcohol services, developmental/intellectual disabilities, children’s services, financial management, human resources, agency and business operations, and leadership. Presentations are encouraged which assist community-based providers in developing and maintaining stable, effective, quality treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations which:

• highlight new policy and treatment initiatives in mental health, intellectual disability, drug and alcohol, and children’s services;
• provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
• address system changes that affect business practices of community-based providers; and
• offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient and effective agencies allowing organizations to strive, survive, and thrive.

The proposal selection process at PCPA is very competitive. Each year, more proposals are received than can be used. Those proposals that are selected stand out by inclusion of solid learning objectives, information that a participant can use to enhance professional skills or methods, and are geared to a diverse and advanced audience. Guidelines for developing educational objectives are below. Objectives are required as part of the submission process.
Individuals must be prepared, if their proposal is accepted, to present on any day of the conference. As well, presenters may be asked to expand or reduce the proposal as presented to fit within time constraints of conference sessions.

Workshops will be offered October 5 – 7, Tuesday – Thursday and are either 90 or 120 minutes in length. All workshops must include a question and answer period. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm their ability to submit workshop handouts electronically six weeks prior to the conference. Handouts are made into an electronic reference for all conference attendees prior to the event and posted to the association web site. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit as many proposals as they would like. If a proposal is selected for inclusion in the 2010 conference, the presenter will be notified by May 15. Questions about the submission of proposals may be directed electronically to Kris Ericson, PhD, conference coordinator. Dr. Ericson can also be reached by telephone at 717-364-3280.

Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives
At least three measurable learning objectives must be submitted for each presentation. Required by accrediting agencies, they also help PCPA maintain a high quality educational program. Objectives are statements that communicate instructional content in a behavioral format. They are used to emphasize the most important outcomes of the instructional material.

Learning objectives also help the learner choose appropriate educational offerings to meet his/her individual needs. Objectives should describe the intended behavior to be attained by the conclusion of the program. In general, they should state:

• what the learner should be able to do at the completion of the presentation,
• under what conditions (if any) the learner should be able to do it, and
• how well it must be done (if applicable).

When formulating objectives, do not use verbs that are open to multiple interpretations such as learn, know, tell, understand, appreciate, believe, and perceive. Instead, use words that are observable, active, and measurable. The following list of verbs may be useful in construction of objectives.

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