Published by The Pennsylvania Certification Board
PA Certification Board Celebrates 30 Years of Credentialing
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President’s Perspective
by Tom Baier, CAC/CCS
It’s our birthday and it’s the end of the world as we know it. If you’re already humming the tune from the R.E.M. song of the same name, welcome to 2009 as a remarkable place to be.
Anyone beyond a certain age will appreciate that, at 30, we’re still pretty new at this. Thirty years is but a puddle-jump along a historical pathway that sees a future that is rapidly evolving in ways we could never have anticipated a few years ago. As PCB celebrates its 30 years of existence, we’re both looking behind us and looking forward as well. This perceptual “neck twisting” is necessitated by our need to explore our roots while, at the same time, anticipating and planning our future. It’s at this point in any historical narrative that I might be tempted to review the significant event of our birth year – 1979. I won’t. Suffice it to say that disco reigned supreme. I think that that pretty much tells you all you need to know about the year beyond the reality that a group of consumer advocates got together to formalize an organization specific to the treatment of substance abuse.
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From those humble beginnings, we’ve evolved into a significant force that is internationally recognized for our ability to create and manage processes that support a core mission that assures excellence to the recipients of those receiving the services of our credentialed individuals. As much as I could sing our praises (to a disco beat), instead I’m humbled by the palatable presence of all of those who have come before me as servants to this cause. We’ll have an opportunity to celebrate many of these individuals at our 2009 annual conference. I just want them to know publicly that they are the “rocks” upon which this organization is solidly constructed and we thank them.
Finally, and I’m sure that the ‘79ers will agree, we owe a significant debt of gratitude to every substance abuser that we met along the way who had something to teach us as they sat in our group rooms and offices. Our own inspiration to continue to hone our skills is often predicated by the small success experienced by those we treat. Kudos to all of them. Kudos to all of you.
As in any end of the world scenario, there is a birthing process on the other end. As we “re-birth” into the next 30 years, we know that much of our future as professionals will mandate that we be technicians as well. As technical advancement swirls around us, we’ll adapt to those technological opportunities that can serve to make our jobs better. At the same time, no hardware or software will replace the “soft skills” necessitated by the interpersonal clinical relationship that remains the foundation for personal change management. Rather, we will continue to integrate the tools of technology into our constant refinement of this thing we call counseling. Welcome to the new day. Happy birthday to us all.