The Chicago Area Clinical Educators Forum (CACEF) is a non-profit organization consisting of local clinical educators (Clinical Instructors, Center Coordinators of Clinical Education & Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education/Directors of Clinical Education) who are dedicated to quality clinical education. The Forum provides support to educational programs, allows for resource sharing, problem solving, and monthly discussions about current clinical education issues. The Forum serves as a resource as well as enables communication among local clinical educators.
Activities of the CACEF have included providing continuing education for the clinical community, providing grants for clinical education-related research, sponsoring members to attend APTA conferences and recognizing outstanding Clinical Instructors through the CACEF CI Recognition Program. The Forum helped to initiate a new IPTA award called the Outstanding Clinical Educators Award that will be recognized at IPTA Fall Conferences. Additionally, because the CACEF is a part of the IPTA Clinical Education SIG, members who attend selected CACEF meetings can receive continuing education hours to fulfill state licensure requirements.
Each meeting is hosted by an Illinois Physical Therapy clinical facility or academic institution and typically occurs the first Wednesday of each month from 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Dues are $25.00 per year and include a monthly emailed CACEF Newsletter.