PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Susanne Sandusky, Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) special projects manager, was one of six in Maine and 69 nationally who recently received the Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) credential from the national Community Action Partnership.
The CCAP designation is earned after Community Action managers and leaders successfully complete a detailed assessment of their knowledge of poverty theories, causes, and remedies; ability to help low-income families achieve economic stability, and comprehension of the mission, vision and values of Community Action.
The CCAP program, established in 1993, provides individuals, such as Sandusky, with a coordinated method to validate their grasp of an extensive body of knowledge covering poverty and Community Action history, and highlight how they are helping low-income families achieve economic independence. In order to become a CCAP, she prepared a comprehensive record of her leadership and involvement in anti-poverty initiatives and Community Action on the local, state, and national levels; developed a portfolio documenting her education and accomplishments, and passed a written exam.
“The CCAP process helped me gain a deeper understanding of the causes and conditions of poverty by reinforcing Community Action’s history, vision, values and code of ethics and how these have shaped our capacity to help low-income families overcome obstacles and achieve economic stability,” said Sandusky, of Mapleton.
“Community Action agencies are juggling more responsibilities than ever before due to the economy — there’s been a significant increase in the number of people needing assistance, but funding and budget issues on the local, state, and national level are creating major challenges and concerns,” said Don Mathis, president and chief executive officer of the Community Action Partnership. “The CCAP process trains our leaders and front line staff in Community Action’s best practices and provides them with a comprehensive knowledge base that can be immediately applied to some of the most difficult situations they confront.”
ACAP provides the people of Aroostook with services and programs in the areas of health, child and family, energy and housing, employment and training, and community service.
