Volunteer Opportunities Available!
Volunteers Advance the Profession and CPNP
CPNP is a member-driven organization. About 1 in 6 of our active pharmacist members contribute time and expertise each year, and that is essential to everything we do.
Volunteers are wonderfully representative of the CPNP membership with 52% working in clinical settings, 25% at the VA, and 83% holding the BCPP credential. Although representative of the membership, volunteers tend slightly to be younger, to have completed a PGY2 or fellowship, to have earned the BCPP, to be academic, to precept students or residents, and to provide inpatient care.
Advancing our current initiatives requires about 300 volunteers each year with 175 of those volunteers on task forces, committees, and editorial boards. Another 125 contribute to one-off micro-opportunities like peer review, abstract reviewing, field testing, authorship, and speaking. Ultimately, it takes all of those members working in concert to create the quality continuing education and resources CPNP produces year after year. Whether the role is big or small, our volunteers impact the specialty and the profession every step of the way.
Volunteering in CPNP
CPNP tracks all volunteer contributions and gives priority to placing volunteers on committees who have a track record of helping with smaller tasks though many of the micro-opportunities provided. We need and appreciate all those activities! We also work hard to place as many volunteers as possible, especially those whom we were unable to place the prior year. Although there are more limited opportunities for trainees, 98% of pharmacist member volunteers were placed for the 2020-2021 committee year.
Professional experience is helpful on many standing committees such that new practitioners may be asked to contribute to micro-volunteering for a couple years as they establish their new practices. Most new practitioners with committee assignments gravitate toward the Resident and New Practitioner Committee, the Student Committee, and the Community Leaders Council.
Volunteer Opportunities are emailed every Thursday morning, so watch your inbox. Now through the end of November 2020, you can volunteer for most standing committees and editorial boards, as well as abstract reviewing for CPNP 2021. Volunteer for multiple opportunities, and we will hopefully have one that works for you.
The Future of Volunteerism in CPNP
Engagement is one of the 4 key areas of study as your CPNP Strategic Planning Committee works to craft a bold 2021 strategic plan. Being a tight-knit membership organization, CPNP is considering and crafting the necessary goals and strategies to continue to cultivate a strong collaborative culture that engages members and creates leaders for the psychiatric pharmacy and broader pharmacy profession.
Member perspectives on this core issue will be feeding in through focus groups and a January 2021 membership survey so be looking for those opportunities to make your voice heard.