Daily Archives: September 11, 2017

Why I Joined TPAS September 11, 2017 I’ve had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of treatment centers about their alumni programs and what they are doing to help alumni post treatment. New and existing programs are always trying to figure out best practices to keep alumni connected and engaged in order to make a difference in early recovery. One suggestion that I constantly make, is for treatment programs to join Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services (TPAS). TPAS is a non-profit, dedicated to supporting professionals working with alumni. It’s a group of innovators, collaborators, and executives who want to empower others to make their alumni programs as impactful as possible. Being able to learn, network and share best practices makes TPAS an invaluable resource. Twice per year, TPAS puts on a 3 day collaborative event. There are no session topics set in stone or long detailed keynote presentations. Instead the participants are suggesting topics related to areas they are actively working on. This type of structure creates real energy and gives every participant many opportunities to attend the sessions that are most relevant to them. During these sessions everyone is encouraged to share experiences on what has or hasn’t worked in the past. These first hand experiences let you go back and immediately apply what you’ve learned. We all want to flourish at our jobs and be the best we can be. Having professional opportunities to network with innovators and thought leaders helps out the alumni we are serving and supports our career growth. Within TPAS you’ll find professionals who are excited to share how they have been able to grow their program and make a difference in the lives of their alumni. And when we are feeling frustrated and stuck in our careers, TPAS members are there to listen and provide encouragement. One common challenge across the industry, is how difficult it is to get executive teams to adequately fund alumni programs. TPAS members have been able to successfully fund budgets and get the full support of their leadership. They understand what is important to leadership and are able to set up their alumni programs to show results to get the funding necessary to help their alumni. Being able to learn how others set up alumni budgets and get support from executives is invaluable. If you are looking to start, grow, or make your alumni program more impactful I suggest you join TPAS. You will have the opportunity to learn, network and get involved with an amazing group of talented people who come together to support each other. To learn more check out the TPAS FaceBook Page and website. It’s not too late to attend the next TPAS collaborative October 15 - 18 in beautiful Malibu, CA!